Rediscovering Creative Flow
I’ve been trying really hard to get my mind back to a space where creativity flows freely. It’s been a struggle this week, but I think I finally broke through. I’m a foodie, and creating twists on classics has always been one of the ways I give myself the opportunity to play around with flavors and techniques.
During a hungrateful moment, I went into the kitchen and decided to make a grilled cheese sandwich with Cajun seasoning and some high-quality, unfiltered honey. It turned out okay, but I wouldn’t make it again—maybe it was TOO different for me.
After that, I started taking random photos to get back into my editing mode—where I love tweaking things and seeing what happens. Although, not so random, I took photos of Christmas tree ornaments on a public tree in a boba cafe I visited the other day. They were cool and interesting to look at. I also thought it was pretty creative that the employees made paper snowflakes out of receipt paper at the store.
The photo editing helped, but it wasn’t quite enough, so I moved on to art. I reorganized my supplies, made a mess on my desk, and just started laying down lines and colors with colored pencils. I began working on a large piece, thinking I could flesh out the vision I had, but it proved too tedious to complete. I’m used to finishing most of my artwork in one sitting, and this piece took me two days to get this far. Then, I couldn’t think of anything else to add.
After a few sessions of shading mandalas with crayons to be more intentional, I decided to walk the path I once did with watercolors. I brought out my brushes and bought some more supplies to complete my vision. Once I recalled why and how I used to paint, my brain just switched on, and I started.
This time, I used small 5x7 cold-pressed paper to avoid feeling intimidated by a larger canvas—I usually paint on hot-pressed 9x12 paper. I decided to start with shimmering paint first instead of saving it for last. I never like to do things the expected or traditional way, especially with art, so I figured, why not? If it didn’t work, I could just start over with another color.
The lines and colors progressed, ideas sparked, and I ended up creating a final piece using different metallic watercolors, some Japanese watercolors, and scribble line art that I managed to do with my non-dominant hand. I was going for something abstract, and I think I nailed it.
I really enjoyed working in this style and will definitely play around with it again. After several improvisations and a very messy desk, I’m happy with what I managed to paint in about an hour.
