October with Bronwyn Walls: Week 4
Bronwyn Walls is a New Orleans based artist sharing studio updates throughout October as part of the SHE Digital Artist Residency Program.
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Week 4: October 24
falling on ur ass is good for u
I just painted "falling on ur ass is good for u" in wonky bubble letters on one of my paintings. This makes me happy.
I'm working on taking myself a little less seriously and playing more in the studio. I'm also working on getting better at falling.
Many artists will sympathize with the understanding that rejection is a much bigger part of being of artist than they ever originally imagined. I've had my share of rejections over the past few years and it can be difficult to get back up. It's cliché, but the truth is that falling is an unavoidable aspect of growth.
Two months ago, I introduced a new practice into my life - roller skating! (I'm obsessed). I didn't expect that roller skating would be such a wonderful teacher. My favorite roller skating moment so far is actually the first time that I fell. I bought all of the pads - wrist pads, elbow pads, and knee pads. For the first two days, I moved so slowly and carefully, rarely finding those moments of feeling free that skating is so full of. I didn't realize how much tension I was holding in my body around avoiding falling. I kind of thought "I can learn how to skate without falling at all, I'll just be really careful." Yeah, right.
So, the first time that I fell, I instinctively just started laughing out loud. I fell on my ass. I didn't break my arm or my hip. It actually didn't hurt at all. What a release! Once the fear of falling is put in its place, it gets easier and easier to play, dance, cruise, and take bigger risks.
I've wiped out a few times since then and some have hurt more than others (although, no major injuries yet, fingers crossed). But, another lesson I've also learned recently is that healing is a great teacher as well, maybe even the best one.
Here's to falling on my ass more.
What I'm looking at --- Charlie Pepper (tattoo artist)