Watercolors
Before her was a canvas, white as snow.
Beside her, watercolors, bright and clean.
For hours, she sat quiet, stared at both.
And hours later, still there was no scene.
No still life piece contrasting dark and light.
No lovely garden Renoir, no Monet.
No Autumn Blossoms, nor a Starry Night.
No Mona Lisa to be found that day.
What if she did pick up her brush just once?
What if she let it dance across its stage
Adorned with sashes red and green and gold?
What if it left its mark upon that page?
Perhaps she should leave well enough alone.
(A canvas, blank, is really not so bad.)
She’d never be a Rembrandt or Van Gogh,
But thoughts of never trying left her sad.
She mustered courage, held her fears at bay,
A tiny drop of purple on her brush.
Accompanied by orange, yellow, gray,
And tones of forest greens and rosy blush.
She painted one last stroke with colors bold—
Herself amidst the landscape on the screen.
The brush, still wet, fell softly to the floor.
She found herself in what had been a dream.
Susan Steele Rives is a poet from the Ozark region of Missouri.
Very lovely, Susan. Artists and poets and musical composers can all identify with the flush and rush of creative inspiration that you express here.
Margaret,
Thank you for your kind words. I think you’re correct! I imagine that most creatives experience something similar – a lull, perhaps, and then the perfect spark of an idea that carries them into the next potential masterpiece. It is always an exciting adventure.
Susan
Instead of a brush it’s a pen for us poets, and the blank stretches and thrilling moments of inspiration (especially the former) are well understood. Thanks, Susan.
Paul,
Thank you! I agree. Sometimes the precious moments of inspiration are far fewer in occurrence than the long stretches in between. Still, I always have my pen at the ready, waiting on the next idea.
Susan
The thing that struck me 1st here was the combination of canvas and watercolors, something I’d not encountered before. AI details how it can be done, and various individuals discuss online the process and pros and cons. My point in mentioning this unlikely pairing is that it seems to me to tie in with your beautiful, surprising, and very imaginative dream closing.
Thank you for a poem on the creative experience that points in so many directions.
Julian,
Thank you so much for your keen observations. The “unlikely pairing” is deliberate, as you suspected. You will find another instance of this with the artists mentioned, as some of them were not known for using watercolors. There is at least one other example, as well. The point is not to be found in the medium, model, or methodology. It is simply this: when we write (or express ourselves through art, music, or other endeavors), we immerse ourselves fully in our craft. It is our desire, or dream, if you will, to write. When we put pen to paper, we become an integral part of the work we produce. It is an extension of who we are and often, what we think or feel deeply.
Susan
Very nice poem Susan. Sometimes we have to be a little brave with our bursts of creativity. Thank you for sharing!
Joshua,
Thank you! Yes, I think bravery is required, first to overcome our own hesitations or obstacles, and then again to share the work with others.
Susan
Watercolors can be used on a canvas surface, but the canvas has to be primed first with something that will allow the surface to be water-absorbent. It’s not a common technique.
This poem is essentially about that moment of fatal hesitation that all artists face — whether working with words or paint — when something holds them back from beginning the task of aesthetic creation. This terrible doubt, this urge to be silent or to do nothing, is really something that can best be understood by reading Edgar Allan’s Poe’s essay on “The Imp of the Perverse,” where he describes it as a self-destructive impulse, a kind of default suicide that tempts persons do something crazy or stupid or obviously destructive out of sheer self-spite or madness. In the case of the artists, it’s simply the lassitude that tells you “Don’t bother… don’t even try.”
The way to break the spell is to simply go ahead and do something creative, even if you feel something malicious pulling you back and stopping you. Maybe what you do will not be successful or up to your expectations and hopes, but it will be the way out of the paralysis of self-doubt. Just keep trying, and the evil paralysis will eventually no longer control you. Remember that no one has authority over your creative acts.
Joseph,
Thank you for your thoughts and perspective on this poem. As you stated, watercolors and canvas are not the generally preferred combination an artist would choose. Still, there is in front of every writer the inevitable tabula rasa moment in which the blank slate sits before us, waiting to be written upon. It is the stage, if you will, on which the creative endeavor plays its part.
You so eloquently described the “paralysis of self-doubt” that writers (and artists) encounter, which often keeps them from pursuing the very craft that they love. Will the poem resonate? Will it be understood and appreciated? Do I have the skill to communicate my thoughts and feelings adequately? I love your remedy, too: keep at it, and don’t give up. I intend to do just that!
Susan
Love this, it’s inspiring!!
Peg,
Thanks so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Susan
Susan, I was to learn the artist overcame the initial moments of anxiety and proceeded to paint creatively. Poets like artists often have such moments. As Dr. Salemi intimated, sometimes we just to have begin and the outcome can be surprising even to ourselves. Delightful and relevant poem.
Mr. Peterson,
Thank you for your kind words. I think that some of the most enjoyable moments are the ones where we are surprised by the outcome of our efforts. We can never know in advance what type of impact our work will have, but when it brings a smile to someone’s face, that is all the encouragement I need to keep going.
Susan
Susan, I really enjoyed your poem, and it is great for the new year for those of us who want to do an activity more or try it for the first time. Thanks for sharing.
Paul,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the poem and that it inspired you to try something new!
Susan
As seem in the comments above, Susan, your poem resonates. Skill with the paintbrush has always eluded me, but years ago, writing a narrative poem at a rate of 500 words a day, I recall the times inspiration sometimes took an hour to come, and that blank white screen grinning back at me.
I also loved the deceptive simplicity of this piece, making it a poem for all artists.
Thanks for the read.
Paul,
Thanks so much. Like you, I find that my creative inclinations are better-executed with pens rather than paintbrushes. I briefly attempted that pace once in an effort to write a novel (a work still in progress). For me, the blank page serves either as a nemesis or a catalyst to new possibilities, depending on where I’m at in the process at that moment. It certainly does have a way of grinning back!
Susan
What an exquisite, beautifully written and encouraging poem. I just love that third stanza of “what ifs?” – they make me want to splash my canvas with color NOW! Susan, thank you!
Susan,
Thanks so much. The answers to the “what ifs” will elude us until we pick up the brush (or pen) and splash the colors on the canvas. I’m glad this inspired you to do just that!
Susan
What a well written piece, Susan. This will resonate with people differently but This to me felt like a metaphor for overcoming your fears and using your brush to “paint” and make yourself known in the world. You don’t know how the tableau will come out but it will be yours and at least you will have tried instead of leaving the canvas blank. And yes, a blank canvas is ok, also, but why not decorate your canvas (life) a bit the way you YOU want to.
That’s my interpretation anyway, keep up the great work!