Filling your Creative Well
Travel inspires your art.
Dive into your creative practice with replenished energy.
I just got back from an amazing holiday and returned feeling energised, full of inspiration and ready to start painting.
Once home however, what I found disconcerting was how quickly I was falling back into fixed routines. The tension, I observed, was beginning to creep back into my body, leaving me wishing I was back on holiday. It quickly dawned on me that I wanted to approach my day differently. What I was really craving was spending more time in my studio making art. Instead, I felt I was being pulled left and right, attending to everything except creativity. Before I knew it, the day would end with no art to show for it. Frustration started to build up so I woke up one day and decided to make painting my priority.
Once in my studio, I was confronted by an empty canvas. What to paint? Where to begin? Which vacation photo to use as inspiration? It can feel a bit daunting.
I decided to simplify the process by opting to paint just one flower. I love this Hibiscus for its beautiful colours and delicate shape. It also felt easier to begin on a small canvas so I chose a claybord 8 x 10 inches. Starting with collage helped ease me into the creative flow or what I call the "zone" where the mind becomes quiet and one's intuition takes over - best state to be in for creativity to emerge effortlessly. Sure enough the flower below appeared spontaneously because I was having so much fun painting it!
Summer Delight - mixed media on claybord 21 x 26 cm
Creative flow really does follow action. You just have to decide to show up for art making and give it the spaciousness and time it needs. I'm noticing that my painting style is beginning to shift, since this last holiday. Being by the sea makes you feel so alive! It was tremendously inspiring. I did a lot of sketching and really immersed myself and enjoyed all the beauty and incredible vistas surrounding us. I've come home with over a thousand photos of stunning scenery. My creative well I feel has been replenished and I'm excited to dive into my art and see what emerges. Hope you're all having a great summer and filling your creative wells with inspiration and lots of fun!
Sara xo
Quote of the Month
"Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things."
(Edgar Degas)
New Painting in Shop
3 Creative Tips
Change your daily routine - begin your day in a different way. Start your day with a walk or give yourself an hour of power and read something inspirational. Alternatively, have a brain dump and journal your thoughts and ideas to clear your mind for the rest of the day.
Create spaciousness in your life for art.
Infuse your art with the magic you experienced, using your holiday sketches as a reference.
