Middle Finger Painting

So I painted this when I got fired on the spot for refusing to work double the hours that were in my contract, right when Covid broke out. One of my roommates also bailed on the rent, and I had just graduated college but the world was shutting down. So what did I do? I started a painting without any idea or direction, and this is what came out of it. 

It turns out that when you start having healthy boundaries in your life, you will lose a lot of people. Just the ones who benefitted from you not having any respect for yourself in the first place though. So good riddance. And guess what? It turns out that this is healthy and makes room for new healthy friendships to grow. Guess who bought this painting? Someone who is now my best friend, and is studying to be a lawyer to stand up for people who don't have a voice.

By being authentic you attract more authentic people. 

Art As Therapy

Sometimes my inner critic is so bad, it stops me from starting any creative projects. The main problem is that I get really hard on myself when the art doesn't look like what I pictured it as in my mind, and I get very frustrated. 

So, I found a therapeutic way to work around my inner critic. I start a painting without having any idea of what I'm making. I just pour paint onto the canvas and spread it out in a way that pleases me, so that I focus on enjoying the process.

Then I let it dry, and start cloud watching at the splotches I've made. I usually see women and faces in the blobs. But this time, I saw clearly what my subconscious wanted me to see: A big fat middle finger. 

Materials

Acrylic on canvas

Size

50 x 50cm

Year

2020