An important lesson in creativity I learned is
Keep on Trucking
Allow the Unexpected
Often when we sit down to create, we have a preconceived notion of what we want to create. However, what we see in our head can be challenging to get down onto paper or canvas. At this point you have a choice. You want walk away from the piece in frustration, or you can keep on trucking and allow the unexpected. This art page is a perfect example of several frustrating events ending up as a stunning piece of art.
The big blue heart was never intended to be a big blue heart. I was working on mixed media paper to create an honest to goodness marketable painting. Layers of acrylic paint later, I still wasn’t getting anywhere. I did abandon the painting, but there was a section I loved. So, I kept on trucking by cutting that section into a heart shape and gluing it into my art book.
From there, I knew I wanted to fill the rest of the piece in with doodles. I grabbed my archival ink pens I use for doodling, only to find the green background was too dark for the fine lines of my pens. ARGH! Now what? Well, I decided to keep on trucking and grabbed a black Sharpie marker. I was convinced the lines would be too thick, but I went for it anyway.
Turns out the lines were perfect against the dark background. I still didn’t like the look though. I was hoping to have the doodles flow out organically from the heart, but that wasn’t happening. I had a heart and I had doodles. ARGH! So, I decided to keep on trucking, grabbed my Sharpie and outlined the heart several times, which created awesome depth in the piece. I then added some white dots for pop, and because I love dots, and Bob’s your uncle, I was done.
This art book is almost full, and I have to say that this is one of my favourite pieces in it. A piece that could just as easily never come into being if I reacted to my frustrations by abandoning the project.
Keep on Trucking
Allow the Unexpected
In order to keep on trucking and allow the unexpected you have to surrender to the journey and let go of the outcome. Way easier said than done and it has taken damn near a half century of lifetime to be able to do this, not just in my art, in my life as well.
Turns out every time I keep on trucking and allow the unexpected not just in my art, in my life as well, something beautiful emerges.
EVERY.SINGLE.TIME
Gracefully yours,
~ Eliza
Supplies I used in this piece available through my Amazon affiliate account:
Eliza Fayle 