The Art Of... Patience

Slowly hand-painting a delicate floral design. Image ©2024 CharlotteDilley.

Embracing my secret superpower

Patience. It’s a word I hear often when people see the detail and intricacy in my work: “Oh, I could never do that. I just don’t have the patience!” I understand this reaction, but it makes me curious about how people perceive patience. Many seem to associate it with forbearance or suffering rather than something of value that’s worth cultivating.

Our modern lives leave little room for patience. We’re swept along at breakneck speed by technology and advertising urging us to do more… work more… buy more. There’s a relentless agitation from social media and instant messaging, persistently demanding our attention, and the convenience of modern life has conditioned us to expect immediacy and instant gratification. This rush often leads to heightened anxiety and outbursts of frustration when things take longer than we’d like.

Deliberately pausing or actively slowing down feels like a radical act in a society that celebrates constant busyness as a badge of honour. I’ve certainly felt the discomfort of feeling not “productive enough” by societal standards. However, choosing to engage in patience through art has been transformative for me. It’s not just a practice that’s lead to skill but one that has reduced stress and helped me to build resilience.

The timeless elegance of nature - tulip photographed in my garden in 2016

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

My work is inspired by the inherent beauty and order of nature – and she is the ultimate reminder that true beauty takes time to unfold. In biomorphic design, the construction of each motif and the overall composition demands time and dedication. Each shape, line, curve and colour choice is a deliberate act resulting from patient exploration and refinement. My work urges me to decelerate, to observe and pay attention to the small details, and to immerse myself completely in the process.

I’m learning it takes a long time to build muscle memory and fine-tune the hand-eye coordination necessary. I’ve also started to tolerate the discomfort of making little progress within a single day. In the same way I can’t speed up time, acknowledging I can’t rush, I can’t force the pace or influence the tempo, and accepting I simply need to allow the work in question to take its time actually has a profoundly calming effect.

Geometric biomorphic design from the Dome of the Rock. Pastel and graphite on upclycled grey card ©2023 CharlotteDilley.

Patience is a path to resilience

There is significant value in immersing myself in an attentive discipline that rebalances the relationship between effort and reward. Modern living focuses our attention on materialism, social media and the news and, in return for our attention, often all we’re left with is a puzzling sense of dissatisfaction that just leads us to repeat the same behaviours.

Activities that demand we yield to their tempo encourage us to slow down, pay attention, and reveal the profound truth that hard-won achievements are far more valuable than those that come easily. We reap the greatest rewards through the exploration and experience of the process itself, for it is in the doing where the true magic unfolds.

Mastering complex geometric constructions, meticulously transferring designs to paper by hand, painting intricate details and relentlessly exploring different techniques and materials all fortify various aspects of resilience.

• Witnessing gradual progress: seeing a piece gradually come together teaches us that large, daunting tasks can be managed by taking small steps each day.

• Committing to the journey: staying committed to the repeated trial-and-error phase of learning new techniques, instead of seeking immediate solutions, builds intuition through accumulated experience.

• Enduring uncertainty: willingness to endure discomfort and uncertainty about a creative project’s outcome helps us navigate unexpected challenges and overcome the fear of making mistakes.

• From head to hand : creating something by hand instils a deep sense of purpose and can boost self-esteem.

By resisting the urge to sprint to the finish line and allowing the creative process to unfold naturally, we derive satisfaction and benefit from the act of creation itself.

Hand-painted in vivid watercolours, I designed these elegant florals for a seamless repeating pattern ©2022 CharlotteDilley.

The restorative effects of slow art

Patience is an active and positive cognitive state that helps us gain control over the frenetic pace of modern life. For me, practicing an art form that requires patience, precision and perseverance has a profoundly restorative effect, creating a sanctuary for my busy mind. I believe this influence extends beyond the act of creation to how my art is perceived. The detail, geometry and precision often go unnoticed, yet there is a quiet murmur of nature’s perfection that subtly resonates on a deep, subconscious level. Even if just for a moment, a deliberate pause to observe intricate details invites us to slow down and empty ourselves of everyday worries, making space for calm and tranquil contemplation.

Thanks for being here. Thank you for reading. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Charlotte x