Five Surprising Life Lessons Abstract Art Taught Me

by Lee Lander

I spent 25 years in an unexpected career of logistics and supply chain management because I traded creative passion for predictable income and stability. While there were aspects I really enjoyed, over time I had an undeniable nagging in my soul for something creative. I just couldn’t shake it. I had to smear paint! But I had no idea why or where to start. I knew that creative endeavors were risky, but I had hit an interesting tipping point in life where the fear of regret became bigger than the fear of failure.

I chose acrylics initially, but quickly found myself experimenting wildly with all kinds of mediums. I allowed myself to create with no purpose…in a very childlike manner with no expectation of a specific result. I ended up in the last place I ever saw coming – abstract art. The complete opposite of the world of order, predictability and preciseness that I had been living in the last 20+ years.

Before this point, I hated abstract art. It looked like an unorganized mess with no real thought put into it. I couldn’t identify anything tangible in it. It was so…illogical! Frustrating. Unsafe even.

But I was being pulled in, so down the rabbit hole I went, and to my surprise I learned some unexpected life lessons along the way. There are so many, but here are the five that really changed the course and direction of my life as I learned to use these principles not only in art, but also in my relationships and other areas.

Being Brave. If you’ve never stared down a 5x6 foot blank canvas and been faced with the huge question of where to start, let me tell you…It can be intimidating. Creating something out of nothing with no one telling you what to do or how to do it will either scare you into paralysis or invigorate the heck out of you. Over time,

I experienced that shift and where I once thought that art was child’s play, I quickly learned that it was much more than that. It was about overcoming fear. Doing, not overthinking. Sometimes you just have to make the first mark!

Perspective Shift. Suddenly I was able to appreciate the freedom in the unpredictability of the abstract. Instead of feeling mad, I was now intrigued. Instead of needing to know what everything is, I started appreciating how it made me feel, and how it influenced an entire room. And more importantly, I allowed myself to be ok with not having all the answers. Pondering all kinds of possibilities of what I was looking at, engaged my brain on a whole different level.

My entire life I was seeking the safety of the known and tangible. But now I understood asking “what if” or even more – leaving some things up to interpretation with no conclusive results is far harder but more rewarding than I could have imagined. That shift from factual to philosophical was a whole different way to see the world!

Letting go of control. I am drawn to certain mediums that are fluid, like resin and alcohol inks, which are unpredictable and hard to control. I have worked hard at learning many techniques, but at best I can only influence and guide them. I learn this same lesson over and over…things always seem to go better when I allow room for the materials to do what they are naturally meant to do instead of trying to over work them. I learned to ask instead of tell. I observed and listened, instead of dictate. Ultimately, I am surprised by what they do. Every time.

Dare to fail. It’s easy to get caught up in the results. The final product. The destination. And while goals and results are important, they are not everything. It’s important to play, experiment and risk failure or wasting some product for the sake of learning. I’ve made some of the best discoveries in the moments where I just allowed myself to enjoy the process with no expectation.

Collaboration. When I started out, the terms solo-artist and entrepreneur felt intimidating. But now I realize it’s a very collaborative process. Not just with the materials, but also with clients, mentors, supporters, curators, jurors, fellow artists, teachers, entrepreneurs, etc. They inspire, guide and challenge me, helping take my work from the basement studio to homes, galleries and businesses. This mindset not only makes you better, it makes the wins even sweeter when you are looking around the room at the team that helped you get there.

All these illustrations, of course, have practical real-life applications. But something else became clear when I started teaching classes. I started noticing how different people, in various stages of life could allow themselves to just play and make some amazing abstract art, while others simply could not stop themselves from creating landscapes or trees or something tangible. Some listened to my instruction, while others went rogue and did whatever they wanted. Some really enjoyed the process and their results, while others were visibly tight, frustrated and unhappy with their product.

That was when Artknowlogy was conceptualized. A teambuilding experience that helps companies dig deeper than most. What employees think is a fun or silly painting party, is actually a series of activities that challenge them, provoke reaction, allow observation and promotes discussion.

Instead of taking a personality inventory, you can see in plain sight how a person is wired. It makes a memorable impact. Instead of having the employees listen to a speech about a certain topic for training, you can have them participate in hands-on activities and analogies leading them to their own conclusion which is more powerful.

For a girl that couldn’t wait to escape, ironically, I am going back INTO the corporate world, but in this whole new capacity. And because I came from it, I know how important it is that I get back in there and help them! Everyone has the capacity for creativity, but so many of us accidentally leave it behind around 5th grade.

But creativity is what makes cures, innovation, and solutions to big world problems. We have to unadult and get back to our 5th grade curiosity again. So next time you think about taking up an art class, I hope you follow through and that you may stumble upon some of these and so many other lessons revealed in the process. But most of all, I hope you have fun and allow room of being enlightened by something bigger than yourself.

Lee Lander