Finding the Spark

 

Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there

We’ve all heard that inside each of us, is our own unique creative spark. I believe it – sometimes.  The trick is giving ourselves the time to explore it. Exploring is something I hadn’t been doing.  I get so caught up in thinking about what I should do that I forget to take time for exploring – just explore with no thought about making a good piece of art -- and not worrying about the clutter in my studio.

So I've just been playing with whatever I felt the urge to do and am having fun in the studio again.  Haven't produced much that's good but some not so bad and I'm paying attention to what is fun for me.

I do enjoy finding the stones in my meditative pebbles series. I also enjoy the morning warmups.  Both are watercolor.  This is the most recent warmup.

And I've been playing with making sketchbooks from old papers, some that were watercolors or collage that were either going in the trash or becoming a sketchbook/art journal.

I've been playing with art journaling for a long time but never really liked anything I did.  I know, that's the point.  It's supposed to help you find your way.  All it showed me was that my way was a mess.  Well we already knew I was messy.  Didn't need an art journal to tell me that. 

One night while I had a couple of these new collage sketchbooks on the table while I was watching the news and I started playing in one of them -- a couple flowers.  You can see one on the cover of one in the top photo. I know I like flowers so may explore them more in different media.

That was fun so last night I took the a different one into the den while we watched a movie.  For whatever reason I have no clue -- I played with part of a face. I do remember a grunge journal I worked in a few years back where I drew faces.  

I may have to play with that idea a bit more but for now I'll continue to just play with whatever moves me at the moment.  I think my muse is back and pushing me to just play.