Is Process Painting for You?
If you recognize yourself below, you might want to give process painting a try.
I know I am not creative or artistic but I wish I was.
It is more accurate to say, "I have been taught that I am not creative or artistic but I suspect that teaching is wrong." Everyone has creativity and intuition. The trick is to get judgement and logic out of the way. The more you do it, the easier it is. Skill is irrelevant to this process.
I am tired of being my own worst critic
In a process painting workshop, the most important rule is no one comments on anyone else's painting. That means that the only critical voice in the room is in your own head. You might not be able to make your inner critic be quiet but you can practice ignoring it and see what happens.
I have no time for myself. I am so busy taking care of others that I don't even know what I want.
A process panting workshop is three hours to do exactly what you want (with paint) with no responsibility for anyone else. If you don't know what you want, just pick up the brush and see what happens. Keep checking in with your intuition and go where it leads you wihtout worrying about whether the answers are "right."
I know I have bottled up emotions that need a way to get out but I (can't / won't / am too scared) to talk about it or maybe don't even know what is inside the bottle.
Painting lets your emotions sneak onto the paper through color, line, image and symbol. This is a safe space where you can show your feelings on paper and not be expected to talk about it. Often people find that they feel better letting the feelings out onto the paper. Painting also helps you to move through feelings - emotions are constantly shifting and once one is recorded in paint, it can leaves space for the next one to come forward. If you feel overwhelmed, ask the faciliator for help.
I am trying to figure out who I really am
Let the brush, guided by instinct and the subconscious, teach you about yourself.
Will process painting really make me more intuitive/creative/nonjudgmental?
It might. Or it might not. But if those things are hard for you, paying attention to your process as you paint will certainly be an opportunity for self-discovery.
It sounds good but I am afraid I will do it wrong.
Since it truly doesn't matter what the painting looks like, there is no way to do it wrong. The worst that can happen is that you paint something that you don't like. If your picture strikes you as "ugly" or "bad", this is an excellent opportunity for self-discovery, noticing how you come to terms with creating something that your inner critic doesn't like.