Painting as a Way of Knowing

I've been listening to lectures on psychology, and as a result, questioning my own behavior has become increasingly common. Why do I act this way? Why do I say that? The motivation behind each decision—it’s exhausting, to be honest, but also enlightening, especially when I arrive at a hypothesis that makes sense.

This brought me to questions like: "Why do I paint?" and then, even deeper: "What is painting?"

Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist known for his work on cognitive development. He studied how people learn—not by passively absorbing information, but by actively constructing knowledge through experience.

In this sense, painting is an act of making sense of what one finds meaningful. This might be as "simple" as the way light reflects off textured surfaces or as complex as the presence of tragedy in a story. We share common aesthetic preferences, reacting similarly to an artist’s mastery—even if we don’t fully understand what we are reacting to. It goes beyond intellect and immediate comprehension.

That’s why I often find that many artists struggle, not because of a lack of technical skill, but because they can’t put into words what draws them to certain images. It’s as if they are both aware and unaware at the same time.

How can someone find answers to such abstract questions? Especially while "actively constructing knowledge" through painting—a process I recommend not overthinking. I believe it’s less about answering and more about questioning. Not questioning your process or your skills, but what exactly sparks your interest in what you choose to paint.

What is it that attracts you enough to move your hand and start making strokes? Perhaps asking the right questions will reveal the answer, and that answer might point toward your artistic direction—or at least give you a sense of it.

Why is it that you paint what you paint?