Zero To One: How To Start Painting-Nancy Hillis, MD- The Artist’s Journey
Zero To One: How To Start Painting
My mathematician/physicist/musician partner taught me a concept from math recently that rocked my world.
He said that the difference between zero and one mathematically is bigger than the difference between any other two numbers!
I found this hard to believe. How could this be? Isn’t the difference between 0 and 1 the same as between 1 and 2?
Well…it turns out that it’s not.
I was flummoxed by this fact.
And then it occurred to me that whether I ever understand the reasons for this difference or not…the fact of this difference between zero and one has enormous implications for artists and creators.
What Are The Implications Of Zero To One For Artists?
The revelation I had when I pondered this mathematical truth about zero to one was the notion that…
Going from nothing to something is an enormous feat and something we do every time we show up in our studio.
The biggest movement in mathematics is 0 to 1 because there’s literally an infinity of numbers between 0 and 1. [In the postscript I’ll detail the discussion that explains this].
Likewise, as artists there’s an infinity of options between the space of doing nothing (represented by 0) and doing something (represented by 1).
In brief…the hardest thing, the most miraculous thing…is to just start.
The Biggest Movement As An Artist Is To Show Up In The Studio
The most significant thing you can do for your art is to keep showing up…even when you don’t feel like it. This is an enormous thing.
This is about going from procrastination to getting off the sofa and showing up in your studio.
This is about painting or drawing even when you feel that you don’t have anything to express.
This is about the enormous chasm between doing nothing and doing something.
This is zero to one.
Will you show up consistently to create your art?
Postscript: In which my partner, Bruce Sawhill, PhD describes the reasons for zero to one being the biggest difference between numbers.
N: I’m not sure why 0-1 is larger than 1-2 for example.
B: Look at their inverses.
N: One over zero? 1/0?
B: Yes. One over zero=infinity or “undefined”. Undefined is a category jump.
N: There’s an infinity of numbers between 0 and 1?
B: Yes there is, because inversion maps those numbers one to one against all numbers from 1 to infinity.
N: And the other inverses are 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, etc?
B: Yes!
N: You mean I figured something out by osmosis? [I think about math more than I ever would because of being around Bruce! Perhaps there’s hope for non-mathematicians like me!]
P.S.S: I would love to hear your thoughts about your experience of zero to one, showing up in the studio and getting to your art.
As far as math goes I still have to use my fingers, numbers just don’t compute with me. But some are very interesting, like your mention of infinity. Also explains God three in one. It’s not one plus one plus one equals one, it has to do with infinity.
From all my books on art I began to see God also. The three colors, red, yellow and blue come all the wonderful shades and tones and mixes of those three colors. And it should break the confusion of “races”, there’s not different races. Only one race all a mix of yellow, red and blue in many shades.
I love seeing God in art all through the universe.
Thank you for your fun excursion. Jacqui
Thank you for your lovely note, Jacqui!
Warmly,
Nancy
I have a scheduling conflict. Are you going to repeat this?
Hi Denise, you can join us in The Artist’s Journey when you’re ready.
Warmly,
Nancy
Dear Clifton,
I sense you are very intelligent and a fast learner. I love your writings to Nancy, the way you express yourself and the words you use.
The 0 – to 1 concept was a real eye opener for me. I am a big procrastinator and hope this will help me. Some of the things you said
I really relate to, as “Gaps” in my knowledge of art which just increases my “hunger for growth.” It saddens me to know how much
time I have wasted. I hope this course will change things for me.
Sincerely,
Mary Mariner
Hello Mary Mariner….. forgive me for responding so late to your reply…… I JUST NOW came back to this post to review & reflect and discovered you had messaged me…
Thank you for sharing your thoughts…..
…..regarding TIME WASTED…….. I’ve discovered that LIFE is NEVER in a rush…… WE may be…. but NOT life……
….. we may wish to have ACQUIRED/ACHIEVED/ ACCOMPLISHED
……SOONER rather than later….
…..or MORE than what we have now……
but whose to say that we are NOT where we are SUPPOSED to be?
PARADOXICALLY……. there is GREAT WEALTH in LOSS…..
….there are lessons to be learned from those GAPS….. if we but know how to discover them….
…..and there’s a word for it: WISDOM…..
……I used to feel that sense of WASTED TIME when I was fresh out of art high school…..
…..when I saw my peers going off to college and me CHOOSING NOT TO………
…..I knew WHY I had decided not to go but had not seen the BENEFICIAL FRUITION of that decision until LONG AFTER seeing the achievements of my peers manifesting as they stepped out into the world…..
…..my feeling a sense of being LEFT BEHIND also saddened me and I felt too that I had wasted time…..
….but I had NOT wasted time…. it only FELT that way…..
….things began to change ONCE I saw the VALUE in me TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE PATH to the EXPECTATION OF THE NORM (in this case… .to go off to college)……..
…….and AMUSINGLY SO when an alumni friend of mine commented how I was learning on-my-own EVERYTHING he was learning IN school…… except MY WAY didn’t have student loans attached to it that needed to be paid back……
….THAT insight was one of MANY insights I had gained in taking an ALTERNATIVE PATH….. and PROCRASTINATION is by its very nature…..
…..however UNPLANNED is an alternative path……
……many a successful person gained success ANNND great insight BY NOT DOING what others felt compelled to do…..
…..sometimes doing what everyone else does JUST DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT…… you may not know why….. but you SIT IT OUT…..
….and BECAUSE you don’t know why….. WE call it PROCRASTINATION…..
…..I have found that what others call procrastination is ACTUALLY INTUITION in disguise….. and I have LEARNED to DEEPLY TRUST my intuition…… and it has VIRTUALLY SAVED MY LIFE on MANY occasions…..
……there is also a CONTRAST QUALITY to stepping outside the norm…….
….. when PAIRED alongside the “norm” there is an IMMEDIATE & CLEAR insight gained…… an insight that ONLY YOU readily perceive and those operating IN THE NORM CANNOT……
……and that INSIGHT allows you to proceed differently and sometimes more ACCURATELY in your undertakings with others wondering HOW you were able to do what you do……
…..and that KNOWLEDGE put to use is what I mentioned earlier: WISDOM…..
…..sometimes the “norm” can BLIND YOU insofar that it fails to equip you with the GREATER CLARITY of CONTRASTING….
I liken this contrasting as DRAWING A STRAIGHT LINE FREE-HAND…… then placing a STRAIGHT-EDGE RULER next to it…..
….once done you IMMEDIATELY SEE the subtle changes in the free-hand line….. that you otherwise would not see had you drew the line instead WITH the ruler rather than free-hand…..
…..much in life is seen that way……
…..and I say all this to say that your procrastination may indeed NOT BE a loss….. but a GAIN…..
……AND once YOU UNDERSTAND THAT……. by virtue of discovering its benefits…..
…..the sadness & the sense-of-loss will fall by the wayside……
…..WITH the added benefit of you making up for “LOST TIME”….. BECAUSE of that useful insight……
…….let me know if this helps of if you have any related questions……
….I am more than willing to share what I know with you……
…..oh….I AM NOT a quick learner……. but I do OBSERVE DEEPLY when I wish to…..
take care…..
Givon (Clifton Thompson)
As in dream-imagery, I see the zero-to-one concept symbolic of that which is ad-infinitum compared to that which is singularly identifiable…
That ZERO is that VASTNESS……. that INNER RESERVOIR from which all artists tap into…….. a resource SO VAST that it seems almost IMPOSSIBLE to be there……
That ONE is that TANGIBLE, TACTILE PRODUCT we produce as artists…. …and all that follows…..the 2’s & 3’s & 4’s are easily measurable insofar that we see the SAMENESS, the PROGRESSIONS, the DEPARTURES, etc. IN CONTRAST of one work of art to another…….
But there is a MYSTERIOUS CHASM between that zero and those numbers…… and it is IMMEASURABLE…….I
but nevertheless AMAZINGLY crossable.
I LIKE that you speak of JUST SHOWING UP…… as that is just the simple beginning needed for me to access that realm of zero….. to initiate the crossing of that CHASM to get there and back to the TANGIBLE measurable numbers…..
SPONTANEITY has been my elixir for crossing that chasm….. as it defies needing to be in the mood and requires ONLY that you simply START…….
……HOWEVER…….. mood or no mood…… reluctance or URGE…… .all beneficially TEMPERS that going within to shape & produce the outcome of what I call the BEJEWELED SURPRISE…….
……there’s more associated with my experience of that act of creating……. but that pretty much encapsulates my approach as it pertains to ZERO & ONE….
I’m soaking up the waterfall of your beautiful words Givon…I’ll come back to what you wrote here again and again. Thank you so much for writing. Warmly, Nancy
Thank YOU Nancy……. I am in AWE of your WISDOMOUS BODY OF RESOURCES…. …..and I applaud your LIFE COMMITMENT in the assisting in the development of fellow artists…
…….I am in the process of integrating that which you so generously provide for we artists to utilize……. …..into my sphere of creative exploration…… though I have my OWN unique set of experiences & developments……. I STILL HUNGER for GROWTH……
……so much that you share RESONATES with me…….. it also serves as a FLASHLIGHT……. wonderfully exposing GAPS in my learning which I am eager to both IDENTIFY & FORTIFY in order to facilitate a more QUALITATIVE & POTENT expression of my art forms…
Obtaining your book, “The Artist’s Journey” is just the beginning of my EXPANSIVE learning experience from your gift of knowledge…..
Thank you for being here…… for enriching my life!!!
Hello Nancy!!!! You & your knowledge-offerings are the RESONATING EMBODIMENT affirming my CREATIVE STATE OF BEING!!!
Thank you for being here!!!
I, in the development of my ongoing creative processes of my Abstract art form, though enjoying the progression of its development, find myself PLEASINGLY PLAGUED with the questions, “Is there something I am NOT SEEING!? Is there something I’ve OVERLOOKED??”
I attempted to seek out another artist who wrote a compelling thesis that shared my creative sensibilities…….. to put those questions to her in the hopes she may have answers that DID NOT make it into her thesis….. but had no success….
……and then juuuust yesterday I stumbled upon your book online and realized YOU were the GREATER RESOURCE for me to gain those answers………
I’ve purchased your book (The Artist’s Journey) and signed on membership for the purpose of a two-fold discovery: (1) AFFIRMATION of that ALREADY WITHIN my experience/possession…. and (2) the eager EMBRACING of gainful fresh insights…..
All of this couldn’t have been any more timelier as the Universe has conspired for me to emerge NOW at this point-time-in-time and speak with imagery that has become MY VOICE!!I
I look forward to the reading of your book(s) and the engaging dialogue that most assuredly will follow…….
Again thank you for being & doing that which you do!!!
Gratitude beyond words,
Givon (Clifton Thompson)
cliftgivon@yahoo.com
Why is 0 to 1 hard
Answer
Going from 0 to 1
Is going from nothing to something
Going from 1 to 2
Is going from something to something
We fear 0. , the void , the unknow..the dark side
Yet we are drawn to it
The search for our authentic self
Finding our soul..seeing…feeling clearly..deeply…from a creative place==art
One thing I am loving about your courses, blogs, and book is that I learn so much more than just art!! I don’t understand math at all but that is interesting and actually applicable to life!
I love what you wrote here Adelaide! Thank you! I’ve found this concept from math to be incredibly enlightening in art and life too!
actually I got something non art related from “zero to one” I realized that I can apply “just show up” to going to the gym and exercising.. getting up of the sofa and going to the gym is not the easiest thing for me to do… I live in procrastination when it comes to taking action to exercise… I am not exactly that way when it comes to sitting at my easel and beginning a painting but I could improve… by showing up every day. so in both areas I can make the commitment to start showing up… this can be huge.
Hi Carol, Oh I love the ‘aha’ you had about zero to one and how it relates to your exercise. I find it helpful in so many realms of experience- especially exercise! I can totally relate to what you’re saying! Warmly, Nancy
I love what you wrote Carol! Yes- showing up even when we don’t feel like it is definitely going from zero to one! Thanks so much for writing.
I LOVE this painting!
And yes, zero to 1 definitely hugest gap. There’s some law of physics about things in motion, always easier to keep going once you’re moving. Often I don’t start because I know I’ll just want to keep on and It’s hard to stop the momentum to, say, do laundry or fix dinner or get to an appointment.
Thanks for this opportunity to reflect!
Thank you Bonnie! You raise an interesting point about momentum and that paradoxically, it can stop us for fear we won’t want to stop!
The hardest thing is, indeed, going from zero to 1. I.E., starting a painting from scratch. I shared this elsewhere on this site. If you’re a cerebral person and are not into expressing feelings in a painting, plus you want to work on a series that has a “look” or concept, how do you start, how do you go from zero to 1? There’s the rub!
Dear Bela,
My approach to a series is that when I create a painting that surprises and excites me (and this is what happens when we experiment in painting), I use that painting as the inspiration for further works. I then “riff” on it, exploring different aspects of it in each new painting, responding to each one, veering off into new territory…allowing it to take me where it wants to go. In this way, I’m playing with variations on the theme. No one particular painting is precious. This helps me to move past the difficulty of zero to one.
Dear Nancy,
I am from India and I just happened to see your various articles and books.
I have been struggling for years with my art.Getting tutored and creating art but not yet becoming independent of what is inside me.Abstract water and rocks is the theme I am trying to create.I love bold strokes and vibrant color.Franz Kline is my favorite artist.
Saw your abstract work and the article on few colors with the different combinations that one should follow.
Your paintings are very impressive.
Ian very lucky I came across your works and the articles.I like large strokes in my work.Could you tell us something about this book that you are coming out with.
Big hugs,
Pratibha.
Dear Pratibha,
Welcome! Thank you so much for your kind words. Oh I love Franz Kline’s work as well! I was just writing about him today, about how he often used house paint and newsprint for his paintings. Yes, the book I’ve written that will be published soon is called Bold Strokes:Trust Yourself, Experiment & Discover Your Artistic Breakthrough. It’s about believing in and trusting yourself as an artist so that you can deeply explore and experiment and find your way to your own expression. Big hugs to you too, Nancy
Let us know when the book is out.
I will, Bela. It’s getting closer. I just finished the final editing with my editor in Montreal. I’ll know more soon as I send it to my interior formatter in England. Thanks for asking.
Hi Nancy,
I am from germany and i saw your fantastic art. It was love on the first sight! !! Do you have any DVD or books about your work in process? If i could. ..i would do your online course..but first my english is not good enough and second i don’t have the money?
IT would be great to hear from you?
Your big fan
Jochen ?
Hi Jochen,
Oh, thank you so much for your lovely words Jochen! Indeed, I have a book coming out soon called: Bold Strokes: Trust Yourself, Experiment & Discover Your Artistic Breakthrough. . I hope that it will be available before the winter holidays! I also have a new monthly online workshop coming soon called Studio Journey. It will be very affordable. I hope to see you in there!
Big hugs,
Nancy
0 to 1, the giant leap from inner potential to Being. This is why i love math, 0 to 1, the abstract artist’s courageous leap towards a blank canvas.
I love your thoughts on this Chantal. Yes, isn’t 0 to 1 miraculous?
The past two weeks with my children home for the summer, without a formal camp to attend, have made it difficult to show up to do my work of creating. (They have been my cathedrals, my work of words and motions, and emotions.) They like to ‘help’, which doesn’t always get anywhere for my own output. Now that school has begun, today, I will push through what feels like waking up from a long sleep, and do my work of creating visual pieces.
It is intimidating, and procrastination comes easy when I have ideas I want to put down that are not necessarily abstract in the traditional artist’s canon of terms, but can be laid down as part of the work I am going to do today. Maybe they can be part of a series I want to create, and next to the other work for this class, or an offshoot…what this class is helping me do in my other work. OR maybe I will put that work next to my classwork—I’d better get to work!
0-1 means showing up. Not just in art… but in life!
Are we showing up? Are we in the present?
Can’t art be about an exercise of being in the present?
It is hard to show up! It is a challenge to be in the present.
Yes! It sure is Janet! I feel like a big challenge is to keep waking up, keep being present, keep showing up in art and life! Thanks for writing.
I got this email from a friend and missed the deadline to sign up. Is it too late to start this series?
Phyllis Anne
Hi Phyllis,
It’s not too late. You’re welcome to register and join us. You can jump right in! I’d love to see you in there! Warm regards, Nancy