Waste of paint

The “waste of paint” comment comes up sometimes on Facebook. This post might come off as an angry one. If you sense some frustration, you would be correct. When this comment comes up, i get my hackles up as it’s maybe framed in such a way that is attempting to make me feel bad about how much paint I choose to use….I digress. And so I decided to write about it to help my brain process this comment.

Side bar….most every negative comment happens on Facebook for some reason.

Back to the subject….

When someone says, “Nice, but it’s a waste of paint”. Who is this a waste for exactly?

The artist who chooses to paint freely and joyfully using the amount of paint they like. Who’s to tell an artist how much paint they are allowed to use? That’s like telling a chef they wasted their ingredients by making too much food. Aren’t people going to eat the food and enjoy it? Do people like what the chef made? Does the artist like what they made? Do others like what the artist made?

Again, who is this a waste for? You’re not buying my paint. I’ve bought the paint. I’ve invested in the paint and I use all of the paint. The only waste of paint, is the paint left in the jar. A waste of paint is paint that is never used and sits in the jar waiting to be used. The paint was created to be used and made into something beautiful.

Tell me, how much paint is supposed to be used when creating? Who’s to measure that? Half as much? A quarter? Are we supposed to limit our creative process by only allowing ourselves to use just small amounts of materials? That is a very limiting mentality that is a hindrance in creating.

Let’s go further and parallel this comment to a house builder. Could they have chosen to use less wood, or less siding, or less tile to build the house? Sure they could have. Could a surgeon have used only one tool to complete the job? Maybe. But if they availbale materials are there, why wouldn’t he use them?

It’s that mentality of not feeling allowed to take up space that is unhealthy and limiting. I don’t want to live life feeling limited. Especially in the world of creating. To limit your process to seem small to others or yourself doesn’t do anything for anyone.

The type of person who makes this comment might also go around judging someone’s outfit. They might say, “They should not wear as many layers, or that much jewelry.” They have something to say about someone living in a big house. “Why do they have to live in such a big house?” They have something to say about people driving nice cars. Or basically how much someone else has. This comment not about a waste of paint, it is about their own stuff.

So, the “waste of paint” comment” is ignorant and makes no sense.