Play to Learn - Learn to Play
“Everybody says they want to be free. Take the train off the tracks and it’s free…but it can’t go anywhere”
-Zig Ziglar
You Play to Learn, Then You Learn to Play
By Karen Kennedy Chatham
There is something wonderful about learning to play.
Whether it's football, soccer, riding a horse, or standing before a blank canvas with a paintbrush in your hand, the principle is much the same.
First, you learn the rules. Then you practice the skills. And somewhere along the way, something marvelous begins to happen.
You begin to play!
But not just any kind of play. You begin to play with purpose, confidence, and the freedom that comes from knowing what you're doing.
A great football player doesn't become great by simply running wildly across the field. He learns the game. He masters one skill at a time. He practices with determination, diligence, and focus until what once required tremendous concentration becomes as natural as breathing.
And then he plays!
Painting is much the same.
We learn about color, value, composition, edges, anatomy, and light. We practice controlling our brushes, mixing our pigments, and training our eyes to see what others might overlook.
One skill at a time.
But learning requires determination. We must be willing to do the hard work, to stay focused when something isn't coming together, and to be diligent enough to keep trying until our hands can accomplish what our hearts envision.
And then comes one of my favorite parts of painting.
The freedom to play!
When I paint my wild horses or Texas longhorns, I want to honor the magnificent creatures God has made. Their anatomy, their strength, their movement, and their character deserve careful attention. I work to accurately describe them with my brush, building a foundation that is believable and true.
But once that foundation is established, I can finally give myself permission to play!
That's when the colors begin to dance. Light can spill across a horse's back in unexpected hues. Shadows can become rich with blues, violets, and warm earth tones. A longhorn's hide can reflect colors that aren't immediately obvious to the casual observer.
And suddenly, something more than accuracy begins to emerge.
The painting begins to carry my own voice.
That is where the artist's individuality comes alive. Two artists may paint the very same horse with equal accuracy, yet their finished paintings can be wonderfully different because of the freedom each one brings to the canvas.
The foundation gives the painting its strength. The play gives it its soul.
I have discovered that the more I learn about painting, the more joy I find in playing with paint. And the more I play, the more I discover there is to learn!
It's an endless, wonderful circle.
Perhaps that's why I love watching wild horses so much. Their movements appear effortless, powerful, and free. Yet every leap, turn, and thunderous stride is governed by remarkable balance, strength, and control.
There is a beautiful harmony between freedom and discipline.
And isn't that true of life as well?
We weren't created merely to follow rules without joy, nor to run wildly without direction. We were given the wonderful ability to learn, grow, master our gifts, and delight in using them.
So whatever gift God has placed in your hands, be determined to develop it. Be diligent. Stay focused. Give yourself grace while you learn the difficult things.
Build a foundation strong enough to support your imagination.
And then, by all means, give yourself permission to play!
Because true creative freedom isn't the absence of discipline. It's what discipline makes possible.
We play to learn, and then we learn to play.
And the joy of that journey never has to end.
— Karen Kennedy ChathamWith love and gratitude,
Karen Kennedy Chatham
Chatham Creek Studio
karenkchatham.com
Thank you for visiting my website to read my stories. Please stay a while and check out my paintings while you are here.
“Art is the language that everyone can understand.”
Karen Chatham
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