| I was always the kid who longed for a pony every | | | | horseman can get a wild horse to join him in about 10 |
| Christmas. Of course I never got one, but I never | | | | minutes. |
| stopped hoping. When life gave me trouble, I would dig | | | | Be your own artist whisperer. |
| and dig, reasoning that with all this horse manure there | | | | This is exactly the way you can discover and join your |
| was bound to be a pony in here somewhere. | | | | own wild potential. Be willing to learn your own unique |
| Breaking horses - that's what it was called. | | | | visual language. You can actually observe your natural |
| When horsemen used to take wild horses for their | | | | way of making marks when you start in your heart in |
| own use, they would first break them. It was their spirit | | | | response to a chosen subject. |
| that was broken, and sometimes their bodies too. | | | | Then, staying in connection with your heart's inspiration, |
| They used force to make the horse obey their wishes | | | | you can ask this new entity what it needs to come |
| which often took a week or more. The horse would | | | | into being. In the same way, you can discover the |
| obey out of fear because the cruel treatment | | | | most appropriate method needed to manifest it's |
| forfeited any possible friendly cooperation. | | | | presence in the world. |
| The resistance you may feel in trying to adopt | | | | What about learning the basics ? |
| someone else's methods of art making, could be a | | | | The real basics are what come before any method. |
| true and healthy instinct. We're often used to blaming | | | | "Imagination is more important than knowledge. |
| ourselves for not going along with the program, that | | | | Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." |
| we may fail to appreciate the nature of our resistance. | | | | (Albert Einstein) |
| It was not until recently, in my sixth decade, that I'm | | | | You can learn about how to use watercolours, acrylics, |
| starting to realize I've actually uncovered many ponies. | | | | oils, or any other media, in hundreds of books, or there |
| We all have ponies inside, and the ones we long for | | | | are classes offered everywhere. But you can also |
| are wild and free. There is something about horses, | | | | figure it out for yourself, by trial and error. Methods are |
| especially wild, unbroken ones which reflect our | | | | just common sense. |
| natures in their pristine form. There is such a healthy | | | | Anything else: principles of art, colour theory, or |
| wisdom in not being tamed, never giving up your | | | | perspective, are all theories which might interest you. |
| freedom. | | | | They were all inventions by other artists to serve the |
| Your wildness is the basis of integrity. | | | | birthing of their work. They were analyzed into a |
| If you believe that most of the time you can discover | | | | method after the fact. But they're only really helpful if |
| how to do things yourself, this is your integrity calling. | | | | they serve the birth of your present interest right now. |
| When we feel forced, we become resourceless, but | | | | Take a few minutes to sit quietly. |
| when we feel free, we are resourceful. You can only | | | | *** Center your awareness inside. Then, ask your |
| ride your creative potential freely by not losing your | | | | heart to show you what your new work needs in |
| independent spirit. There's a distant, sure calling to "hold | | | | order to become real. Imagine it coming into focus, not |
| onto your wildness." | | | | how it looks so much, but what it feels like. |
| If you compromise and allow your wild horse to be | | | | *** Take some spare pieces of paper and experiment |
| tamed, you give away your essential gift, your free | | | | till you get close to what you were shown that your |
| spirit. We form a trusting relationship not by controlling | | | | new baby needs. |
| our wild potential but by earning our place as a fit | | | | You know you can't create alone, unless you're God. |
| leader while remaining ever the student of our inner | | | | Just like horse whisperers join with horses and |
| wisdom. | | | | together form a new partnership, so can you work in |
| The art of horse whispering. | | | | partnership with your heart's wisdom. Working from |
| Nowadays, they no longer need to tame wild horses | | | | your heart in this way, you are more creative than you |
| by breaking them. They don't actually whisper to the | | | | can possibly know. You can invent and discover your |
| horse, they listen to the horse instead. Horses 'speak' in | | | | own unique methods for every need. There's |
| their own language. By observing closely the body | | | | something so satisfying and powerful about embracing |
| language of horses, sometimes called 'Equus', a good | | | | instead of resisting your inner wisdom. |