Hey, I like your style
I'm in a reflective mood and wanted to share a post about work, creativity and insecurity. I love drawing in sketchbooks and normally it comes naturally, but at the beginning of the year I couldn't pick up a pencil because everything I drew looked absolutely awful. I hadn't particularly considered "style" before, but it became an ever present doubt. My thoughts circled like this: Does this look like my work? Am I allowed to draw dot eyes? Will people recognise my artwork? Does it matter if they do?
Last year I inherited a folder full of scrap paper from a friend leaving the studio, and decided to collage some Christmas cards for my friends and family. I started cutting and sticking and it felt so liberating. I began to treat collage as a kind of improvised art therapy, thinking of it as my "creative playtime". Through paper cut I actively considered things I had previously overlooked, I focused more on colour, shape and composition. It's been a learning curve and a reminder that I'm on a creative journey. There are still the nagging doubts about "style", especially by branching into collage, however I hope I can begin to own it with time.
Here are some of my recent efforts...
Here are some of my recent efforts...
Keep on keepin' on, guys!