Creating In The Gaps

// January 25th, 2012 // Uncategorized

 

One of the things I’m struggling with lately is finding the time to create. I am most comfortable when I can take a decent amount of time to gradually immerse myself in a project and become totally absorbed in it.

 
I have much more difficulty working in short bursts. And because I’m minding the boys a lot of the time short bursts is about all I have to work with, especially as we just lost our babysitter which means a big chunk out of my working week.

 
One of the ways I’m trying to work with this is in making more art withour sons. Yesterday I pulled out some printer paper and some lego bases and we sat at the dining table making crayon rubbings of the patterns.

 
We spent about an hour or so on this, and even though I was talking with the boys and helping them to get the shapes underneath to come through without ripping the paper–I got completely absorbed in the project.

 
Finn got it straight away and declared his independence by banging out a few quick pictures on his own. Fred sat on my lap and got assistance in  holding his crayon as we both worked on the same sheet of paper.

 
I really enjoyed watching the shapes come up and experimented with blending different colors together and trying to harmonize my color choices with Fred’s. It was great to see how all three of us had our own style which came out even though the task was so simple and seemingly unvarying as rubbing a crayon over the paper.

 
I’m really enjoying playing with color and texture in my own art lately, and it was fun to have some pressure free playing around with these two aspects. It got me thinking of a few things to try in my paintings, too.

 
It turns out that while having a decent chunk of time is a great way for me to sink deeply into a project, experimenting with something I’m curious about, with no expectations on outcome, is another great doorway into that creative space.

 

Related posts:

1. No Pressure: Two Micro-Steps To Creativity
2. On The Cusp Of Creating
3. Paper Crane: Coming Home To Hirosaki