Art, growth, change and sketchbooks
Music credit: Breathe in, breath out by Ludlow via Epidemic Sound
Notes on my creative practice
This time of year always finds me in a reflective mood. It prompts me to think deeply about my creative practice, where I am and where I want to be. Last year, I wrote some notes called "Things to remember/my guiding principles," all about my creative practice. Ironically or perhaps entirely predictably, I then forgot all about them. I often write notes about my art and art-making, which helps me to think, solidify and organise my thoughts.
These particular ‘notes to myself’ seemed to be about the need to strive less and give myself more space and time. Let ideas percolate and grow. Slow down. No need to always be on and productive. Give ideas enough time to become. Let things unfold and unfurl.
Start, stop, more, less.
I often use a simple ‘start, stop, more, less’ framework to review my creativity and shepherd my thoughts. I might revisit my old notebooks and look back over what I have written. I get my sketchbooks out and look at what I have created. I think about mindset, energy, process, subject, approaches and ambitions. I consider what excites, enriches, or diminishes my enthusiasm.
Although I forgot I had written the exact list of things to remember, the wisdom contained in its words was clearly evident in how I navigated this year. I gave the ideas more time to become…
Making more space
With this mindset, I stopped pushing as hard this year and slowed my output, making more space for fun, creative moments that didn’t need to be productive. I created simply for joy, letting ideas grow slowly. I eased up on myself, lowered expectations and worried less.
This approach is not easy for me, as art is both my passion and my livelihood. I am delighted that art is my job, but it also brings pressure. When creativity also pays the bills and mortgage, staying carefree can feel irresponsible or even foolhardy, at least, I sometimes think so. In the past, to escape doubt or unpredictability, I’ve simply worked harder: more hours, more effort, more output.
A shift in perception
I have found that over the last decade or so of professional art-making, I have traveled through many different terrains, some of which demand exceptional effort and others that demand ease.
This year, I stopped pushing quite so hard and started going with the flow more. I loosened the reins, approached things differently, and lowered my expectations. I turned down a few high-profile opportunities that could have advanced my career, but would have taken all my time.
I gave myself more time and spaciousness to paint and create without an end goal or deadline. More than anything, it was a shift in perception: I worried less and trusted myself more. I invited in more fun, let ideas grow, and I found an expansiveness and a genuine excitement in my work.
Everyone is different and our creativity goes through cycles that require different energies and effort levels, sometimes we need to reach and sometimes we need to let go. I find the start, stop, less, more thought process so useful for framing my thoughts on my creative needs…perhaps you may find it useful to.
Types of sketchbook
Here are some of the sketchbooks I like, but sketchbooks are a personal preference and come in so many different shapes, sizes and varieties, the sketchbook that is right for me, may not be right for you.
The best sketchbook to use is always the one you already own.
The Venezia Book from Fabriano
Stillman & Birn, Zeta Range
The Ebony Artist Book from Daler Rowney (this is the large A3 size sketchbook)
(Some of these links are affiliate links, if you buy something through them, I might earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only ever share the products that I actually use. )