Watering the seed of creativity
Originally published: March 1, 2020
One of my little projects for this year is to work on and improve my watercolour skills. I’ve been really inspired lately by a few female artists and it has rekindled my love for painting. For a while I stopped practicing because of working a full-time job and trying to balance relationships and personal time, but thankfully I have been able to carve out a bit more time for my art in the last year, and with that, I’ve picked up my paint brushes yet again.
I began by following the footsteps of the artist, Minnie Small, whom I found on Youtube. She did a video where she found homes and buildings on Google Maps and then proceeded to draw and colour them on a small scale. It felt like a good place to start because I wanted to work with small projects that didn’t require a lot of commitment to finish. I also liked the idea of searching for the unique houses and architecture from around the world.
My other inspiration is from an oracle deck by Gabrielle Bernstein called The Universe Has Your Back. Each one of the 52 cards has a phrase meant to inspire, which I totally love, but what I found really attractive were the beautiful watercolour designs by artist Micaela Ezra, that compliment each message.
As this area of my practice evolves, I hope to create works that truly come from my inner being and which are authentic to my soul. I also want to try to work on a larger scale and perhaps create concept works such as a deck or book of some sort - all in due time. These are just some of my steps along the way. The creative process is continuous and the journey of an artist involves learning new things as you go, therefore the work is never complete, but rather a life-long exploration.
Although I do want to develop better painting skills and find a style in this medium, my first and one true love is photography. It is the reason I wanted to become an artist and how I first learned ways to use art to express feelings, thoughts, and emotions. I saw the Diane Arbus exhibit at the AGO this weekend and looking at her photos made me feel very nostalgic. It reminded me of my days back at photography school and how I used to take my film camera and just shoot whenever I felt the inspiration. It is something I would like to return to now that I have some time.
If you are an artist (which I believe anyone can be considered an artist if you have the passion to create), then I challenge you to begin a new project this month and really follow through by making a bit of time each day to work on your art. Another artist who I have found on Youtube is Caro Arevalo. She has a wonderful video based on her routine as an artist. She has recently quit her job to work on her art full-time so her day revolves around painting and creating commissioned work. Despite this not being a possibility for all, I took delight in watching her daily routine video because it reminded me that we have to dedicate time for the things that matter to us. Also, being accountable for our own goals is the only way we will ever be able to achieve the things we dream about.
March is a new month in which we all have an opportunity to set a fresh goal that we are excited to see grow into something new. However it blooms, decide to let this little seed blossom at its own pace and don’t forget to water it everyday!
Baci e abbracci:)
Basha
