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Intuitive Painting in Home

 Part 2: Oil Pastels + Acrylic

Dr. Pinkie Feinstein

Chapter 1: What Is Intuitive Painting?

Hello to the graduates of the first Intuitive Painting course!

Before you are twelve lessons in the second technique of Intuitive Painting, the one considered more challenging, the one that may feel “annoying” or difficult at first, yet eventually becomes sweet, powerful, and hard to let go of. This technique invites you to grow and expand through intuitive creation, to explore the depths of duality and polarity within yourself.

The chapters of this process carry the same titles as those of the first stage. This repetition allows us to revisit the same aspects of the journey from different perspectives, which reflects one of the essential truths of creativity, the ability to look at one theme from many angles and to deepen our understanding by returning to it again and again from a new level of awareness and experience.

If you have reached this point, it means the process has touched you, that something deep has shifted inside, perhaps something beyond words. Intuitive Painting is not merely a technique, it is a journey, a pathway into transformation and a way of life in which change becomes more natural, fluid, and creative. It connects us to higher sources and to the fundamental law of existence itself, the law of continuous movement, renewal, and evolution.

In the first stage we opened the door to a new world, a world of colors, emotions, flow, and freedom, using soft pastels, which are light, responsive, and easy to spread, allowing for a strong emotional current while painting. Now, in the second stage, we are taking the next step, a kind of evolutionary progression toward a technique that involves growth, expansion, maturity, and a deeper level of emotional exposure and polarity.

This second stage is not simply a continuation course, but a bridge to higher consciousness, a journey into new layers of the self through a new technique: oil pastels and acrylics.
As you practice the twelve lessons ahead, you will discover how wide and rich the field of exploration truly is. The deeper you go, the more you realize how much remains to be discovered. Intuitive Painting is not a method, it is a living transformative process. Through color, it shows us how vast we are, how wise the soul is, and how many untouched layers still wait within.

The Oil Pastels and Acrylics technique moves between two poles, the feminine and the masculine, the childlike and the mature, the wild and the reflective. This constant movement between polar states, repeated through practice, creates an inner integration, a collaboration between opposites. That cooperation becomes the foundation of our natural creative power.

When we work with oil pastels, we bring in the emotional side, fiery, stormy, impulsive, direct. It does not ask for permission, it does not care about the result. It expresses freely, without censorship, without restraint.

When we move to acrylics with the brush, we activate the organizing part of our being, the observer, the integrator, the careful one. That is why it always comes second, it calms, summarizes, harmonizes, and reconnects.

We begin by working on a half sheet white 240 gram paper (50×70 cm), preferably taped to a wall or a door with masking tape. Painting while standing allows the body and psyche to release more freely, as the hands move differently when the whole body is involved.

Notice how Intuitive Painting is not only a creative act but also a physical process.
In the oil pastels phase, we begin to learn about power, not the power of control, but the power of presence. When you work with oil pastels, you do not stroke the page, you act upon it. You let the paper feel you, and you feel it in return. The work is physical and expressive. Even if it’s harder than soft pastels, that’s exactly the point.

In the acrylic phase, we move into a more attentive, meditative state. Here we use a brush and thin layers of acrylic paint to trace, color for color, exactly what the oil pastels created. The acrylic follows the pastels precisely: blue over blue, red over red, black over black. This layer makes the drawing clearer, calmer, and more luminous.In this phase, we obey what the oil pastels have done, we do not invent. The pastel stage is the act of creation itself, while the acrylic stage is reflection, a meditative highlighting of what already exists, without deviation.

Once this layer is complete (and dried), we return again to the oil pastels, this time to unleash, to be wild, to act with instinct and intensity once more. That is the essence of this process, the movement between opposites, the contrast between temperaments. We want to feel these differences strongly, because this polarity is the preparation for the next level, Acrylic on Canvas.

Intuitive Painting is an emotional investigation. It invites questions that cannot be asked with words:
What happens when I let go of control?
How do I feel when I get messy?
When do I hold back?
When do I fear chaos or strong color?
And at what moment do I feel close to my authentic self?

These questions find their answers not through thinking but through creation itself. Sometimes through frustration, sometimes through wonder. Remember, confusion is also material. It means that the old is giving way to the new, and that’s a very good sign.

This process begins with a free oil pastels painting on the vertically taped paper. This is the time to release all the stored emotions, to let energy move with full intensity. It’s natural to feel tired shoulders at first, it means you are truly working. Over time you’ll feel stronger, more alive, more powerful.

When you reach the acrylic phase, let yourself rest while still in motion. Be precise. Be faithful to what you created in the oil pastels stage. This is a moment of quiet, of introspection. And then, you’ll return to the storm again.

Instructions for Lesson One:
1: Tape a half sheet white 240 gram paper (50×70 cm) to a wall or door.
2: Begin with a free drawing using five colors of oil pastels. Fill the entire page with strong, expressive movement for about 15–20 minutes. This is the stage of emotional energy, exaggerate it.
3: Move on to a thin layer of acrylic paint, working gently, color over color, following exactly what you created before.
4: Let it dry completely, then return to oil pastels for a second layer based on the theme: “Sunrise Emerging from Darkness.” Use only black, white, and yellow.
5: Finally, go over everything once more with acrylic in the same colors. Do not try to make it beautiful. Do not try to make it right. Let it happen. Freedom begins at the exact moment you stop trying to do it well.

Chapter 2: Emotional Transformation

We are now in the second lesson out of twelve in the oil pastel and acrylic technique, which is the second stage of Intuitive Painting.

As already mentioned, this stage is often considered more difficult and challenging for various reasons. The oil pastel stage requires greater effort. Suddenly, we are asked to invest more strength, more energy, to sweat, to use our muscles. Later, when we work on a full sheet, you will see this even more clearly. In soft pastel painting, we were used to flowing, smearing, with no physical effort, perhaps only a moderate emotional one. Here, physical effort appears, but in truth, it represents emotional effort.

Naturally, most of us are not drawn to emotional effort. We prefer to maintain our inner balance, and that is fine. But Intuitive Painting invites us to expand, to move, and to heal the places where we are stuck.

The tendency to maintain balance also keeps us frozen in familiar patterns, while the longing for healing draws us toward movement and expansion. These two forces coexist within us, and this stage in Intuitive Painting operates precisely within the tension between them.

This technique teaches us to move between effort and rest, between staying in the known path and stepping away from it, between clarity and chaos, between certainty and uncertainty.
The physical and emotional effort involved in this process is an essential part of your development at this stage. Some will feel it as a challenge, others will remember it as a deeply moving and transformative stage. Often, it will be both. This phase serves as a bridge between the soft pastels of the first stage and the acrylic on canvas of the third stage. It provides us with profound tools for true creative freedom.

The effort encountered here mirrors the inner “work” one must do in order to experience transformation, to bring oneself into change and renewal that moves beyond the familiar, which without a certain effort, will not agree to shift.

Creative freedom means there is nothing within us that cannot be brought onto the page. Not anger, not rage, not fear, not fantasy, not shame. Everything can and should find its way to the page. This does not mean that we are already capable of expressing everything, but the intention itself is vital.

The page absorbs everything and wants us to bring it everything. If you are working alone, treat your creations as a personal, protected space, without the need to explain or share them with others who are not part of your process. If you are working with another person, allow yourselves to play with the instructions, to encourage one another, to go as far as possible, and to let the page perform its healing work.

It is possible to paint with oil pastels in a familiar, almost mechanical way, repeating what we already know. But then, little will truly change. If we dare to challenge ourselves, to destroy a painting now and then, to add an unexpected color, to work with the other hand, to change tempo, to work powerfully or softly, quickly or slowly, real emotional transformation begins to occur. That is the theme of this lesson.

Emotional transformation is a gift. In Intuitive Painting, it is one of the most beautiful gifts we can receive. It happens naturally when we simply work. Put on some music, take your oil pastels, and surrender to the process. Leave on the page everything that has accumulated within you recently, emotions, frustrations, thoughts, memories.

Remember, everything is allowed on the page. No one is harmed by it. Give yourself permission. Move away from what feels “normal” for you, on the page. Step beyond your excessive protections and go farther and farther. The more you release onto the page, the more something inside begins to shift, like a mirror image reflecting the unconscious response to what happens in the physical space.

Then, when you move to the acrylic layer, you calm down. You work slowly, precisely, with love and respect for what you created earlier. And when you return to the oil pastel layer and later to acrylic again, something happens inside. The emotions you placed on the page begin to change form. What was stuck begins to move. What was threatening begins to flow. What was forbidden becomes allowed. This is healing. It is the passage from contraction to freedom, from complexity to simplicity.

Our emotions want to undergo transformation, but often they lack the tools. Intuitive creation gives them those tools. It allows the materials of the soul to move freely, without being stopped by criticism, interpretation, or fear.

When we stop trying to control the process and instead surrender to it, it begins to work for us, quietly, behind the scenes, beyond the reach of our thinking mind. The less we try to understand, the deeper the work goes. Every attempt to analyze or interpret interrupts the process. Therefore, simply work, and let it happen.

Every time you feel ease, softness, release, or a smile during Intuitive Painting, know this, it is a moment of emotional transformation.

Instructions for Lesson Two: Emotional Transformation
1: First Layer: Work intensively with oil pastels. Choose up to six colors, including black and red as mandatory. Work standing, with the painting placed vertically on a wall, door, or window. Use strength, fill the entire page with color, with free movements. Do not hold back your energy.
2: Acrylic Layer: After finishing the oil pastel, move on to acrylic paints. Work slowly and with relative precision. Paint color over color, red over red, black over black. Do not make this an obsessive task. Ten to twelve minutes are enough. Let the painting dry a little.
3: Second Oil Pastel Layer: The instruction is A flood of leaves. Imagine autumn winds carrying many kinds of leaves from different trees, small and large, whole and broken, bright and faded. Do not make them uniform, create a wide variety. Let them overlap and cover one another. Fill the entire page. Work for about fifteen minutes, no more.
4: Final Acrylic Layer: Go over the painting again with acrylic, without diluting with water. Paint what can be seen, following the pattern of the oil pastel as much as possible. If it becomes a little messy, that is perfectly fine. Do not be obsessive. The key is to maintain the balance between freedom and structure. When you hold both poles together, you are working in the right way.

Chapter 3: Everyone Is Creative

We are now in Lesson Three of the second Intuitive Painting course, oil pastels and acrylic. This stage is usually more demanding, but it also reveals some of the most surprising discoveries about creativity itself.

This lesson focuses on one of the most essential understandings in the psycho-creative path: every person is creative. Not some, not only artists, not only the gifted or talented, but every human being who is alive.

To say that everyone is creative is not merely an optimistic statement; it is a deep truth about the nature of life. Everything alive creates. Creation is not something we do; it is something we are.
When we draw, when we sing, when we move, even when we breathe and think, we create. Yet at some point in life, most of us stopped believing in this simple fact. We were told, directly or indirectly, that creativity belongs to a few, that it must meet certain standards, that it has to look or sound “good.”

Since then, many have walked through life as if creativity were a privilege that belonged to others. This belief is one of the most harmful forms of inner limitation. It cuts us off from one of our deepest sources of energy and joy.

Intuitive Painting is a natural way to restore the connection to the creative source within us. It is a process that bypasses the judgments and the comparison, allowing creation to return to its natural, instinctive, and playful state.

Every person, no matter their age or background, has an inner creative pulse. This pulse may be buried, blocked, or forgotten, but it never disappears. It waits for a chance to be expressed, and when it is finally allowed to come out, it brings with it vitality, renewal, and often healing.

Creativity is not limited to art. It is the movement of life through us. Every genuine emotion, every new insight, every fresh way of relating to others, is a form of creativity. It is the part of us that says “yes” to life, that takes a risk, that experiments, that learns.

When we engage in intuitive creation, we meet this living energy again. The work on the page becomes a mirror for our inner movement. At first, the hand may hesitate, the mind may interfere, the criticism may rise, but as we continue, a small miracle happens: the colors begin to lead us.

At that point, something changes. The page ceases to be a task and becomes a conversation. We are no longer “doing” a painting; we are taking part in a living dialogue.
In that sense, creativity is never about producing something impressive. It is about allowing something authentic to happen. To create intuitively is to say “yes” to the unknown, “yes” to change, “yes” to life.

In this lesson we strengthen the trust in the creative movement itself. The more we trust it, the more it reveals. The less we try to control, the more surprises it brings.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Three
Work on a half sheet of paper, vertically taped to a wall.
1: First oil pastel layer: begin with circular movements, using wide and continuous motion that fills the page. Choose up to five colors and switch between them every few minutes. Do not stop to think.
2: First acrylic layer: move to acrylic and paint thinly, following the oil pastel colors exactly, color over color. The purpose is to observe, to breathe, and to quiet down.
3: Second oil pastel layer: the instruction for this layer is “I am creative.” Let this sentence play in your mind as you paint. What happens when you feel creative? What colors appear? What movement arises?
4: Second acrylic layer: slowly go over what has been created, preserving most of the painting while softening the transitions between the colors. This is a stage of reflection and connection.

Chapter 4: Playfulness and Freedom

Lesson Four is dedicated to playfulness and freedom. These are two of the most important qualities for anyone who wishes to deepen their creative path. Without them, creativity cannot breathe.
To play is to allow the unknown. It means not knowing what will happen next, and instead of fearing it, to be curious about it. In intuitive painting, playfulness is not superficial or childish, it is sacred. It is the door to flow.

Freedom, on the other hand, is not the absence of limits, but the ability to move within them without fear. When we create, we do have a frame, a page, materials, colors, gravity, time. These are the natural boundaries of life itself. But within these boundaries, everything can happen.

Playfulness and freedom work together. Without freedom, play dies; without playfulness, freedom becomes dry and empty. Together, they bring joy, lightness, and experimentation.
This lesson is meant to awaken the inner child who knows how to play without a goal, without purpose, just for the joy of it. The inner child who creates because it is fun, because it feels alive.
As adults, we often lost that ability. We began to create for a reason: to achieve, to prove, to show, to get approval. The natural joy of creation got buried under the demand for results. The goal replaced the play.

In intuitive painting, we reverse that order. The play comes first, and the result follows naturally. The most beautiful results are born precisely when we forget to look for them.
In this lesson we learn to play again. To use color as if it were sound, to make marks as if dancing, to respond to the page like a partner in dialogue.

In that space of play, something important happens. The soul relaxes. The control softens. A natural freedom arises, one that cannot be forced or imitated.

When we allow ourselves to play, we stop judging. We move closer to life itself, which is playful by nature. Every creative movement contains a spark of that same cosmic play, the dance between chaos and order that creates the world anew every moment.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Four
Work on a half sheet of white paper, taped vertically.
1: First oil pastel layer: the instruction is “Play.” Use bright and contrasting colors, allow fast and short movements, dots, scribbles, spirals, waves, whatever wants to appear. The goal is to play.
2: Acrylic layer: move to acrylic slowly and reflect on what has appeared. Go over color by color, without changing anything. Let the brush simply follow what the hand already did.
3: Second oil pastel layer: the instruction is “Freedom.” Use up to six colors, and work on top of the existing layers. Paint large and strong movements, without any control. Fill the page with energy.
4: Final acrylic layer: go over everything again with soft and careful touches. Paint only where it feels right. Observe how the previous layers show through and interact. That is the dialogue between play and freedom.

Chapter 5: Intuitive Painting and Self-Love

We are now in the fifth lesson out of twelve in the oil pastel and acrylic process. From this lesson onward, and for the next four lessons, we will be working on a larger format than before, three-quarters of a sheet.

The transition between paper sizes is gradual, mainly because this course is designed as a digital format that most people practice alone or in pairs, without an instructor to guide them through the challenging moments that can appear when first working on a large surface. In live workshops, we usually move directly to a full sheet, and that is perfectly fine. In any case, both ways are equally valid and lead to the right place.

A few words about the technique itself. The oil pastel and acrylic process is a dialogue between two energies, masculine and feminine. The masculine energy is eruptive, strong, free, and powerful. The feminine energy is soft, receptive, embracing, and containing. These are two opposite poles, and in life, as in creation, we are not required to remain in either one permanently. It is important to know both poles and to learn how to move between them. Most of the time, we want to dwell in the space between them, and sometimes it is good to visit the edges themselves.

In addition, as mentioned earlier, this process also reflects two other poles, the young, impulsive, seemingly “irresponsible” and “uninhibited” energy, contrasted with the mature, organizing, stabilizing, and integrating energy that weaves everything into a more harmonious language.

This technique is, in essence, an exercise in what can be called the “intermediate space.” It allows us to explore both poles, to reach them, to enjoy them, to express them fully, so that afterward we can move between them with ease. When we are capable of touching both edges without fear, the edge that pours everything out and reveals all, and the edge that gathers, calms, and honors, a much greater inner freedom is born within us.

In every intuitive painting course, the fifth lesson is devoted to the theme of self-love. Self-love is a subject that accompanies people throughout their lives. Even those who have studied it, practiced it, taught it, or worked with it continue to meet its challenge again and again. It is not an easy subject to communicate, and it can even feel uncomfortable to declare it openly. In our culture, it is usually considered more acceptable to think first about others, to give before we receive. Yet in intuitive painting, there is almost no other way but to learn self-love.

The purpose of intuitive painting is to bring onto the page everything that exists within us, with as little criticism, hesitation, or censorship as possible. The page becomes a space for healing and transformation. We wish to dare to enter as deeply as possible, into the depths of the psyche, into our traumas, our shame, our dreams, our desires, and all that makes us who we are. Everything is allowed to enter here.

This is possible because intuitive painting is a safe medium. We do not need to explain or justify what we are doing. We do not need to interpret or label the work we create. The language of painting has its own laws. Within this space, we are even protected from our own words and from the judging part of our mind. Here, everything is allowed within the rules of the game. There is no need to explain, interpret, or help anyone “understand” what we did, since we ourselves do not understand it, are not supposed to understand it, and, on a deeper level, do not even wish to understand it.

For this inner revolution to happen, for us to move beyond our habitual limits and what society or conditioning allows us, we need a special kind of environment. We need an atmosphere filled with love from ourselves to ourselves. Self-love is a vital condition for intuitive creation. When we approach the page with love, we are essentially telling ourselves, it is all right, it is allowed. I am allowed to lose myself on the page, to be wild, silly, angry, sensual, instinctive, or even destructive, all within the safe frame of painting.

When love exists toward myself and toward my creation, the possibility opens to expand myself and discover inner territories that have not yet been granted permission to exist or express themselves. In such a space, inner legitimacy arises. A ground is formed upon which one can grow, work, release, and lay things down. This is why it is so important to bring as much self-love as possible into the process and to remain open to the possibility that the more love we bring into the painting, the more love it will return to us.

We wish to create in our creative space an atmosphere where everything we make is loved and even seen as wondrous. The very act of creating with freedom and movement, daring to express more and more feelings and sensations, deserves great appreciation, love, support, and encouragement.

The painting serves as a mirror that reflects ourselves back to us. When we learn to love our creation, whatever it may be, we also learn to love what we see through it, the deep story expressed by our intuitive process. This relationship, formed between the creator and their free creation, becomes a strong and meaningful foundation for a healthy inner relationship, rich in love, self-support, and inner friendship. This is one of the most significant gifts a person gives themselves during the process of intuitive painting.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Five
In this lesson, we will work in four layers, two layers of oil pastel and two layers of acrylic. Allow each stage to dry before continuing.
First Oil Pastel Layer: Work freely using only black and white. You may add gray if you wish. Work with power and speed, without thought or expectation. Let whatever comes, come. It can be chaos, scribbles, or figurative shapes, everything is welcome. Work with intensity and fill the entire page.
First Acrylic Layer: After completing the pastel layer, move on to the acrylic. Work slowly, with concentration and attention. Create an atmosphere of calm, quiet, and focus. This is a stage of observation and presence. Stay with what appears, do not run away from it. Allow yourself to love what is emerging. When the painting is dry, continue to the next stage.
Second Oil Pastel Layer: Now move to a colorful stage. Choose ten different colors and create a rich and vibrant painting. Alternate between free, expressive movements and short pauses in which you create small internal frames or geometric shapes within the painting. Freedom and stillness, movement and contemplation. Work for about ten to twelve minutes.
Second Acrylic Layer: Go over the painting again with acrylic, covering what is visible. You will see the layers of oil pastel, black, white, and previous colors blending together, and that is perfectly fine. Work slowly, carefully, and with awareness. Even if it appears somewhat messy, that is exactly the intention.
Practical Notes: Work on three-quarters of a sheet (75×70 cm). Tape the page to a wall, door, or window. Work standing. With oil pastels, work with strength and motion; with acrylic, work more gently, slowly, and attentively.

Lesson 6: Self Criticism

We are now in the sixth lesson of the second stage in intuitive painting, a stage in which the focus gradually shifts from the initial enthusiasm to the encounter with the inner forces that block it. This is an important and challenging stage in which one of the strongest mechanisms in the psyche naturally reveals itself, the excessive self criticism.

Before we dive into it, it is helpful to understand the wider context in which it operates. The next stage in the process, stage three, is what many people imagine when they hear the words intuitive painting. A large canvas, free colors, broad movement, complete surrender. It is a beautiful, natural, and exciting fantasy. Almost everyone feels drawn to such activity because it symbolizes the ultimate creative freedom, the place where one can finally do what one wants, without rules and without judgment.

Here something interesting happens. Although the idea seems so simple, most people do not manage to realize it. If it is so free, why do we need guidance? Why not simply buy a canvas, take colors, and paint? What actually stops us?

The deeper reason is that we do not approach creation from a clean place. We arrive equipped with strong, ingrained, and sometimes ruthless self criticism. That criticism stands guard, waiting for us already at the first step and sometimes even before it. It is the voice that reminds us that we are supposedly not good enough, that nothing will come out of this, that it is pointless, that it is ugly, that it is embarrassing, that it is not worth the time and money. It is the force that turns a beautiful fantasy of freedom into an unpleasant encounter with ourselves.

Instead of a fantasy a small trauma awakens, and instead of enjoyment there is disappointment and even shame that we dared to dream something that is supposedly not real. Thus quite a few people give up the dream before they have truly begun. They believe the fantasy was naive, childish, not realistic. In fact they did not give up the fantasy, they surrendered to the criticism.

In this sense the fantasy and the criticism are like two voices within us. The fantasy is the voice of freedom, the voice of the creative soul that wants to move and to experiment. The criticism is the voice of fear, the guarding voice that tries to protect us from harm, failure, exposure, or embarrassment.

Both are important, but at this stage in the process we want to balance them and especially learn not to believe the self criticism automatically. Excessive self criticism operates from fear. It does not truly want to harm us, it tries to protect us. Yet its protection is so strong and exaggerated that it closes the way to any free expression. It is convinced that if we do something not good, the world will collapse, therefore it is better not to try at all. In this way it becomes the greatest resisting force to creative freedom.

When we surrender to the process, even if the criticism is present, we learn to relate to it differently. Instead of believing it, we begin to recognize it. Instead of stopping, we continue. Instead of fighting, we allow it to pass through the continuity of creative movement. The more we do this, the more the criticism loses its power. It no longer manages to decide for us. It may try to say that the painting is not good, but we will already identify it as an old voice that tries to return us to standards that are no longer needed, and we will keep moving.

The goal is not to eliminate self criticism. That is impossible and also not necessary. The goal is to reduce its influence. It can be there, but not decide for us. It can appear, but not completely stop the painting hand.

When we continue to paint even while it is present, a deep change occurs. We begin to feel free not only in painting, but also in life. We learn that there is no need to be perfect in order to create. It is enough to be present and not to give up movement. In this way excessive self criticism turns from a problem into an excellent tool for growth and healing.

The truly beautiful moments in intuitive painting are those moments in which the criticism shrinks and falls asleep. It happens when we forget to think whether it is beautiful or not and we simply paint. When we enjoy the movement, the color, the touch. These are the moments in which the spirit goes free.

Painting Guidelines, Lesson 6:
Work in a three quarters sheet format, 75×70 cm. The fixed order is oil pastels, acrylic, break, oil pastels, acrylic.
First oil pastels: a big shout and a small shout. Divide the page into two equal parts. In one part paint a big shout in black and white only. In the second part paint a small shout that is colorful and free, with any colors you wish. Work with power, with movement, with full energy. Fill both parts completely without mixing between them.
First acrylic: calming and gathering. After you have filled the page well, move gently with acrylic. Work slowly and calmly and breathe. The purpose of this stage is to gather the energy and bring the body back to quiet. Spread a thin layer only so that it will dry quickly.
Second oil pastels: release. Now return to the painting with oil pastels and use shades of every kind, black, blue, red, yellow, pink, green, orange, and more. Work quickly, freely, without prior planning.
Second acrylic: summary and observation. Go over again with acrylic gently. Work about 15 to 20 minutes until the sense is that everything is full. Stop and look at the creation. Take a deep breath and notice what you feel facing what you have created.

Chapter 7: Bringing Myself as I Am

We are now in Lesson Seven of the oil pastel and acrylic process. By this point, something important begins to happen. The technique becomes familiar, the movements flow more easily, and gradually a deeper encounter begins, the meeting with myself, as I am.

This lesson invites us to bring ourselves exactly as we are, without trying to be better, smarter, calmer, or more creative. The essence of intuitive painting is the ability to show up fully, with whatever exists in the moment, and to translate that into color, form, and movement.

In ordinary life, we often operate under a silent demand to be “different.” We should be more productive, more balanced, more in control. This constant inner striving creates tension. The intuitive process teaches us to meet the present self, not the improved version we dream of, but the real one that breathes right now.

When we bring ourselves as we are to the page, something inside relaxes. The mask begins to soften. The effort to appear in a certain way disappears. It is only when the effort stops that authenticity can arise.

To paint intuitively is to agree to be seen, at least by ourselves. We are not painting to please, to impress, or to prove anything. We are painting to meet what is alive within us at this moment. The page becomes a space of acceptance, where nothing needs to be corrected.

This is one of the most healing principles of intuitive painting, there is no mistake. Every color, every line, every pause, is part of the movement of truth.
When you bring yourself as you are, even your fatigue, resistance, confusion, or anger can become material for creation. They are not obstacles; they are colors. The role of the painting is not to hide them, but to let them move.

In the deeper layers of this practice, we begin to feel compassion for ourselves. The painting becomes a witness, a mirror that reflects us without judgment. We look at it and realize: this is me, right now. And somehow, in that recognition, beauty begins to emerge.

The more we practice showing up as we are, the more we learn to do the same in life. We stop waiting for the “right” moment to live or to act. We stop postponing ourselves. The work on the page becomes a rehearsal for being alive, spontaneous, and sincere.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Seven
Work on a three-quarter sheet (75×70 cm), vertically taped to a wall or door.
1: First oil pastel layer: start by choosing three colors that reflect your current mood. Do not overthink it. Let your hand move as it wishes. Fill the entire page without planning.
2: Acrylic layer: move slowly with acrylic, tracing the oil pastels with attention. Stay in contact with your breath. This is a phase of presence and self-acceptance.
3: Second oil pastel layer: the instruction is “I bring myself as I am.” Paint freely, let the sentence echo in your mind, and allow the colors to express it. Include contradictions if they appear.
4: Second acrylic layer: finish by uniting the painting with soft transitions. Let the colors blend, creating harmony from the chaos. When finished, stand before your painting and ask yourself: What part of me appeared here today?

Chapter 8: Inner Freedom and Trust

Lesson Eight is a turning point. It marks the transition from the first half of the course to the second. Up to now, we have been learning the language of movement, emotion, and duality. From this point on, the lessons will deepen into trust, surrender, and the direct dialogue with the creative flow.

The theme of this lesson is inner freedom and trust, two forces that always move together. Without trust, there is no freedom; without freedom, trust cannot grow.
Inner freedom is not rebellion. It is not doing whatever I want. It is the ability to move from the inside, not from fear or pressure, but from connection. It is to act from the living pulse of authenticity, not from the voice of conditioning.

Trust is the bridge that allows this freedom to exist. To trust means to let go of control, to rely on something larger than the mind. In painting, it means to let the hand know before the head understands.

When we begin painting intuitively, we often feel torn between two needs, the need for order and the need for freedom. The first wants structure, symmetry, logic. The second wants surprise, risk, and movement. The dialogue between them is the true core of creativity.

Inner freedom grows when we stop insisting on knowing. It grows when we agree to make a move without being sure where it will lead. It grows when we allow ourselves to explore.
In the oil pastel and acrylic process, we are already used to the rhythm of alternating energies: the strong, expressive, emotional side, and the soft, reflective, balancing side. Now we begin to feel how both can coexist at the same time. That is the beginning of inner freedom — when opposites no longer fight, but dance.

Trust means letting this dance happen. It means allowing color to lead. It means accepting the moment exactly as it is.
Every time we trust the process, we strengthen the bridge between our conscious and unconscious mind. We realize that we do not need to “know” in order to create. The knowledge is already present, within the movement itself.

This understanding is a form of liberation. We no longer need to control every detail. We no longer need to fix. The page becomes a field where we can simply be, explore, and listen.
When we trust ourselves, the painting trusts us back. It begins to reveal layers that were hidden before. It shows us new directions, sometimes even messages. The process becomes an ongoing dialogue between the seen and the unseen, the known and the mysterious.

That dialogue is what makes intuitive painting a spiritual practice. It is not about beauty or skill, but about intimacy — the intimate connection with life as it moves through us.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Eight
Work on a large sheet (75×70 cm).
1: First oil pastel layer: the instruction is “Freedom.” Choose five colors that represent movement for you. Work quickly, with open gestures. Fill the page with energy.
2: Acrylic layer: move gently, slowly, and faithfully over what you have created. Notice how the acrylic calms the movement and allows the eyes to rest.
3: Second oil pastel layer: the instruction is “Trust.” Paint as if your hand were leading and your eyes were following. Do not think, only move. If you wish, close your eyes for short moments.
4: Final acrylic layer: summarize the process with soft, meditative brushstrokes. Do not aim for perfection. Let the traces of all previous stages remain visible. They are the memory of your journey.
When finished, look at the painting for a few minutes. Let the eyes rest on it without judgment. Ask yourself silently: What does trust feel like inside me right now?

Chapter 9: The Courage to Be Imperfect

We have arrived at Lesson Nine, one of the most meaningful points in the process. Up to now, we have learned to flow, to express, to explore, and to observe. Now we meet a deeper challenge — the courage to be imperfect.

To create intuitively is to enter a space where perfection has no meaning. The natural instinct to “get it right” or to make something beautiful begins to fall away. The page becomes a space of honesty rather than achievement.

Perfectionism is one of the strongest forms of fear. It disguises itself as striving for excellence, but its real function is to prevent movement. When we try to make things perfect, we actually say, “I am afraid to make a mistake.” The fear of mistakes stops the flow of life.

Intuitive painting is an antidote to that fear. It teaches us to act even when we are unsure, to express even when we do not understand. The moment we accept imperfection, we open a gate to vitality.

To be imperfect means to be alive. The tree does not grow in straight lines. The sea does not repeat its waves. The sky is never uniform. Everything alive is in movement, constantly changing. Perfection belongs to the world of machines, not to the world of the heart.

In this lesson, we practice courage. The courage to let something “ugly” happen. The courage to go too far, to make a mess, to surprise ourselves. Paradoxically, this is the point where true beauty begins to appear — a beauty born from authenticity, not control.

When you dare to be imperfect, you allow your humanity to enter the page. You stop hiding. You allow the cracks to show, and through them, the light begins to pass.
In life as in art, growth depends on this courage. If we wait until we are perfect to act, we will never act. The willingness to begin while still incomplete is the true mark of maturity.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Nine
Work on a large sheet (100×70 cm).
1: First oil pastel layer: the instruction is “I allow imperfection.” Work with energy and speed. Choose colors that feel slightly uncomfortable or clashing. Let the hand move freely.
2: Acrylic layer: paint slowly over what you created, respecting the shapes yet not trying to “fix” them. Allow drips, uneven surfaces, and accidents to happen.
3: Second oil pastel layer: focus on exaggeration. Make big, bold movements that may “ruin” the previous harmony. This is intentional.
4: Final acrylic layer: go over the painting gently, without covering everything. Keep traces of every stage. Look at your work and notice the life that appears precisely where it is imperfect.

Chapter 10: Finding True Freedom

We are now in Lesson Ten of the oil pastel and acrylic process, a fascinating stage that remains deeply imprinted in the memory of those who go through it.
Throughout these twelve lessons, a rich and diverse emotional and creative experience unfolds, through which each participant discovers new inner worlds. The more one surrenders to the process, the more the ability expands to explore creative horizons previously unknown.

At this stage, we are back to working on a full sheet. When we work large, it is important to stay physically and emotionally connected to the size. The body is part of the creation. Already in the first oil pastel layer, we move across the entire page. We do not focus on one point; we open the arms, the shoulders, and the whole body to broad motion. We use both hands, sometimes even together. We breathe the size, we move through it, we let the music accompany us. These are the conditions that allow us to dive deeply into the creative experience.
The title of today’s lesson is Finding True Freedom.

The word “freedom” awakens many associations. On a simple level, freedom means the ability to release a burden or a limitation, like a vacation, a space of relief from something heavy. This is the first stage of freedom: freedom from. In that sense, intuitive painting gives us great freedom,  freedom from self-criticism, from fear, from the need to please, from the compulsion to be “good” or “right.”

But there is a deeper kind of freedom, freedom to. True freedom is the freedom to search, to explore, to ask, to doubt, to change. Within the word “freedom” hides the word “to seek.” That is no coincidence. True freedom includes a movement of constant inquiry.

This level of freedom is the essence of creativity. It is the inner permission to move beyond the known. It is the freedom to try, to learn, to make mistakes, and to invent new ways.
In intuitive painting, we have a perfect space to practice this. Every movement, every color, every gesture is part of a journey of discovery. Nothing is right or wrong. Everything belongs.
Even when an instruction is given, you are invited to play with it, to twist it, to ignore it if needed. The goal is not obedience but exploration.

And there is a third, highest level of freedom, the freedom to fulfill our desires and dreams. This freedom is the most personal and the most sacred. It is the freedom to listen to what we truly want and to believe that it is legitimate. When we hide or deny our desires, we are not free. True freedom begins when we allow our passion to exist, when we feel that what we want is worthy and possible.

In intuitive painting, every act of creation is a rehearsal for that freedom. Every painting is a realization of an inner impulse. We feel something and bring it to the page. We experiment, change, and allow. The more we surrender to that pulse, the stronger it becomes.
Therefore, through intuitive painting, we practice three degrees of freedom:

1. The freedom from: from fear, judgment, and the need to please.
2. The freedom to: to experiment, to explore, to take risks.
3. The freedom to fulfill: to connect with desire and let it manifest.
   These three are not separate; they form one living movement that unfolds in every creative act.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Ten – Finding True Freedom
Work on a full sheet (100×70 cm).
1: First oil pastel layer: Exploring freedom. Work with power and movement. Use many colors. Let them mix and flow. Seek freedom through motion. Work with both hands, and let the music lead you.
2: First acrylic layer: Softening and quiet. Paint with slow, long gestures. Process what has been created. Work carefully by zones, standing back often to see the whole.
3: Second oil pastel layer: Absolute freedom in four versions. Divide the sheet into four equal parts. In each, paint “absolute freedom” using only three colors. Each part can look completely different.
4: Final acrylic layer: Integration and observation. Go over the four parts with soft brushstrokes. Let harmony arise naturally. At the end, stand before the painting, breathe deeply, and simply feel.

Chapter 11: Getting Lost to be at Home

We are now in Lesson Eleven, the penultimate lesson of the oil pastel and acrylic stage. Reaching this point is an achievement that reflects courage and persistence. This path leads to deep inner changes because it opens a vast window for emotional expression that is both free and protected by the creative frame.

In this stage, we work with both forces together: the eruptive, wild, instinctive energy, and the focused, refined, reflective energy. Their combination fertilizes our creative field and allows energy to move through us with balance and depth.

This lesson explores a beautiful paradox: getting lost to be at home.
For the left brain, “getting lost” means danger, losing the way, entering uncertainty, not knowing. It is something to avoid. But for the right brain, getting lost consciously and safely is actually a way of coming home.

Home, in this sense, is not a fixed place. It is a state where we feel free to be ourselves, where we can surprise ourselves and play without fear. The real home is not the place of control, but of aliveness.

To get lost at home means to leave the familiar in order to find a deeper connection with ourselves. For those who wish to grow as intuitive painters, this is an essential skill — the ability to lose the known without panic.

When we allow ourselves to get lost, fear fades. We no longer need to know or to control. We meet ourselves more honestly, without masks.
Even when we follow an instruction, we can still get lost inside it, let it lead us to unexpected places. Sometimes we change what we have done, sometimes we erase, sometimes we move in the opposite direction. This is exactly how creativity expands.

The more we practice this, the more we can also live it. The courage to lose our way in painting becomes the courage to explore new paths in life. To “get lost” is to trust that life will guide us to something new and true.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Eleven – Getting Lost at Home
Work on a full sheet (100×70 cm).
1: First oil pastel layer: I got lost, and here is what I found. Paint freely without plan or target. Let the painting discover itself. Stay open to new discoveries, unexpected shapes or creatures.
2: Acrylic layer: Softening and processing. Paint slowly, section by section, without aiming for perfection. Keep the movement alive.
3: Second oil pastel layer: Freedom in three colors. After the acrylic dries, work with only three colors: black, white, and one of your choice. Fill the page with strength and energy.
4: Final acrylic layer: Integration. Paint lightly, letting the new layer meet the reflections of what lies beneath. Notice how previous layers still influence the whole — just like the hidden parts within us.

Chapter 12: What Does Your Intuition Say?

We have reached the final lesson of the oil pastel and acrylic stage, a meaningful completion of this deep journey of intuitive painting.

Congratulations on reaching this point. Each of you has walked a personal and creative path that required courage, patience, and honesty. You have faced yourself in many ways, expressed emotions, and learned to let go and begin again.

Throughout this stage, we worked with two great creative forces, the masculine and the feminine, learning how they coexist within us. Now, as they dance together in harmony, something subtler awakens: intuition.

Intuition is a voice that is always present. It is not created now; it is revealed. It speaks from quiet, from inner listening, from relaxation. It knows before the mind knows. It feels before the words form.

Most of the time, we are too busy to hear it. Our thoughts, fears, and duties fill the space. But intuition never disappears; it waits. It watches from a higher perspective and often whispers the direction long before we can see it.

In intuitive painting, we practice listening to this voice. Every time we make a spontaneous move, every time we choose a color simply because it “feels right,” we are strengthening the channel to intuition. The less we judge, the clearer it becomes.

Intuition does not always speak in thoughts. It speaks through the body, through sensations, impulses, and attraction. It may tell us “stop,” “continue,” or “try something else.” It does not shout. It gently guides.

When we are in a creative flow that allows emotions to move freely, intuition naturally arises. It joins the dance of colors and shapes, enriching it with depth and wisdom.
We can ask simple questions while painting:

What does my intuition tell me now?
What does it want me to do?
Does it ask me to change or to stay?
Does it whisper “pause” or “dare”?

These questions do not require immediate answers. Sometimes intuition replies later, as a dream, as a quiet feeling, or as a subtle clarity.
Through the stages we have passed, soft pastels on bristol, then oil pastels and acrylic, we have not only learned technique, but also practiced the language of the right brain: emotion, movement, imagination, and intuition. These are the natural languages of the creative mind.

Intuition and creativity are two sides of the same energy. The more we create, the more we awaken intuition. The more we listen, the deeper creation becomes.
This final lesson is an invitation to converse with your intuition, to ask it what it wants to say now, and to allow the answer to appear through color and form.

Painting Instructions: Lesson Twelve – What Does Your Intuition Say?
Work on a full sheet (100×70 cm).
You will create two full oil pastel and acrylic sequences with a short break in between.

1: Free Oil Pastel.
This painting has no instruction. It is pure freedom.
Play music you love. Work with strength, speed, and enthusiasm. Fill the page completely with color, movement, and energy. Laugh, shout, relax, release. Everything is allowed.

2: Acrylic Layer.
Move slowly and calmly. Let the brush follow the rhythm of your breath. This is a stage of quiet reflection, where movement turns into stillness.

After a short break, move to your final painting.

3: Second Oil Pastel – “My Great Intuitive Dream.”
This is the instruction for your last painting. You do not need to know what it means. Enter the painting with the feeling of this sentence. Let the words repeat softly within you — “My great intuitive dream.” Allow the words to become color, movement, and emotion. Use as many colors as you wish. Paint with courage and joy.

4: Final Acrylic Layer.
Move gently with acrylic, following the previous colors while allowing new tones to appear. Do not rush. Let the painting end itself.

At the end of the painting, stand in front of your work.
Look at it in silence.
Can you smile?
How does it feel?

Lesson Twelve is a lesson of maturity and trust.
It marks the completion of the oil pastel and acrylic stage, but also the beginning of a new one.
Throughout this journey, you have not only learned a technique but developed a creative way of life.
You have learned to give space to emotion, to freedom, to change, and to intuition, a great teacher for life itself.

Thank you for your dedication, your curiosity, your listening, and your courage.
We will meet again in the next stage, Intuitive Painting 3: Acrylic on Canvas.