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”Resilience is very different than being numb. Resilience means you experience, you feel, you fall, you fail, you hurt. You fall. But, you keep going.” ~ Yasmin Mogahed
Resilience in art-making is not just about finishing a piece of art; it’s about understanding that the process itself is valuable. It’s about recognizing that the challenges we face in our creative work are opportunities for growth, both as artists and as humans.
I just finished a commissioned portrait that I have been working on all summer and it was a true test of my resilience. Now that I’m done, I feel like I’ve strengthened my resilience muscles and am ready for whatever comes next.
My experiences with commissions always push me out of my comfort zone. Don’t get me wrong, I embrace a new challenge, but combining it with the pressure of it being a ‘paid job’ with personal requests—my last two commissions have been a book cover for an author’s autobiography and a portrait of someone’s wife—is hard.
I started and covered this portrait twice before reaching the final version. Not long before finishing it, I almost messaged the client to say I couldn’t do it. But my partner, seeing what I was about to do, simply said, “No, you can do this.” So, I didn’t give up. The next day, I returned to the canvas with renewed determination—that’s resilience in action—and worked until I reached a point where I liked what I saw. I could finally see how the finished painting would look in my mind, and I liked it.
When you struggle this much to complete a piece of art, the payoff is huge. It’s a triumphant feeling like no other and this resilience you build in art can carry over to other challenges in life.
As for the painting, I’m not sure which part I love most—the patchwork jean jacket, the flowing, flowery skirt, the background that reminds me of Turkish carpets… and then there’s the cat. I love them all. Both the client and his wife, who is the subject of the portrait, loved it too. Phew! I think, now that it is behind me, I just loved the experience.
The book cover commission was no easier. I restarted it more than once and felt like giving up on countless occasions. It just wasn’t coming together the way I had hoped, and the pressure to get it “right” for the author made it feel almost too big. I second-guessed every decision and let doubt sneak in more times than I can count. But I kept going. I gave it space when I needed to. I trusted the process, even when it felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. And eventually, something clicked. The piece came together, and I could see how it would beautifully represent the story it was meant to hold.
In the journey of creating art, there are moments that feel awkward and difficult. A piece doesn’t come together, doubt creeps in, and the urge to abandon the work can be strong. But resilience is about staying with the process, even when it feels uncomfortable. Pushing through these tough stages is necessary and rewarding. It allows the work to evolve, often into something more powerful than you first imagined.
The satisfaction of finishing a piece that once seemed impossible is so worth it. It reminds us that the creative process is not always smooth, but with resilience, it can lead to deep fulfillment.
Art often reflects the struggles we face in life. Just as we come up against challenges in our personal world, we run into similar moments in our creative work. When a painting feels stuck or off-balance, it mirrors those times when life doesn’t unfold the way we hoped. In both art and life, resilience matters. It’s about staying with the process, continuing to show up, even when we can’t quite see how it will all come together.
In my interview with Amie Kelson, host of Creative Life Redesign, we explored how art fosters resilience.
During our conversation, I shared how I use art to navigate life’s challenges, using creativity as a tool for emotional resilience. I talk about how my art practice isn’t just about making art; it’s about using creativity to process and overcome difficulties. Art becomes a form of therapy, helping us build emotional resilience by giving us a safe space to express and explore our inner worlds.
I also discussed my work with youth at a mental health centre, where art helps build confidence and overcome adversity. For these individuals, art is more than an activity; it’s a lifeline. It offers a way to express feelings that might be too difficult to put into words, helping them build resilience in the face of their challenges.
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Creatively yours,
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I live and create on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg peoples, lands that remain under their original stewardship. I honor their enduring connection to this place and their care for it over generations.
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