Do You Need To Be Artistic to Paint Rocks?

One of The Most Common Myths about Rock Painting

If you have watched my social media reels and videos, you may be familiar with a common theme I preach: YOU ARE AN ARTIST. No matter if you’re a beginner rock painter, or someone who has been doing it for awhile, you need to believe those four words.

Creativity and artistic skill are not one and the same. Will everyone who starts rock painting create amazing, realistic landscapes and portraits? No. But there’s more than one style out there.

Personally speaking, I can’t paint realism to save my life so the bottom line is, I don’t paint realism! Instead I adapted my own whimsical/cartoony type style and will paint my versions of realistic subject matter like flowers or animals. I paint cupcakes with faces, glittery unicorns, rainbows above the clouds and florals with completely wacked out proportions.

I believe everyone is an artist if they are producing something with their hands and their mind. No two people are alike in this regard, therefore every rock will look completely different. Every time I post a painted rock on social media or I compliment another artists design, I will get a few comments that start with, “Thanks, but I just paint rocks….” or “Thanks, but I’m not an artist…”

FULL STOP. If you paint rocks, you are an artist.

Rock painted by Go Rock Go Artist Jenny, Mindful Pebbles

If you have ever thought: I’m too old to learn, my rocks don’t look like the ones I see online, I’m not an artist I just paint rocks – get that out of your head. You are an artist.

One of the biggest roadblocks to starting any creativity journey is comparing your work to others. Go ahead and get inspired by others and admire their work. Take those ideas and put your own creative spin on it and let it come naturally as to what you can, and can’t do. Don’t let what you see posted online, stop your creativity and your ideas from flowing.

Signs You’re More Creative Than You Think

You enjoy choosing color combinations
You love decorating for the holidays, baking, changing up the decor in your home
You notice the little things every day (a sunrise, flowers)
You constantly save and pin ideas on social media (and say, “I’ll get to that later”)
You love making things, or doing things for other people in your life – even a stranger
You doodle mindlessly while on the phone, watching TV, at work

What Rock Finders Actually Remember

When strangers stumble upon your rocks out in the wild, I guarantee you they will not be noticing that shaky outline, a flower that doesn’t actually exist in nature, an animal with slightly unrealistic proportions or any other thing about the rock’s design you have focused on. What they will remember is that they found a painted rock, a piece of art hiding in plain sight, and it’s theirs to keep (if they want). Included in that is a whole range of emotions around:

The message or picture and how it resonated with them personally
Where they found it
What they are going to do with it and the excitement that brings
Feelings of joy, surprise, elation and wonder

And when kids find your rock? Those feelings are amplified 1000% and you’ve just become the coolest thing around to them. Believe it, rock painters ARE indeed, artists.

Rock by Go Rock Go Artist Michael B

Accept and Embrace

Every rock you paint, every compliment you give another artist, and every positive message you send out into the world reinforces the belief that you are an artist and you belong here.

Do you need artistic talent to paint rocks? Yes, but you have that already inside. Accept it and embrace it.

Ready to join the other 200+ artists on Go Rock Go, uploading, hiding & tracking their painted rocks? Check it out here.