I concur with all you have to say. I write and paint every day. It is an imperative for me - a ritual. I also include getting into the natural environment as essential too. Nature is a source of inspiration for my creativity. It also has a healing therapeutic effect too. I write on leadership and bring art, and nature into the foundations. I’m in the cognitive phase of writing another book!
I’ve started screen printing through a class, but I also have a small set up at home. I love the process of planning and developing a print, working through colour ideas and preparing. That’s all part of the art. The final act of printing is often quick and wonderful. But it’s the thinking and planning that focuses my mind in creativity.
I love that you've deliberately created a creative space for yourself at home, as well as doing it through a class. I think this is so important (making space for creativity), especially for adults. Kids do it naturally. It's only when we 'grow-up' we seem to think we shouldn't do it any more. M x
It's not an exaggeration to say my life was transformed when I made the decision to include creative play. More satisfaction. More joy. More fun. More relaxation. More presence.
Could you write a bit more on your watercolour journey? How did you go about exploring watercolours? Did you do a course or did you teach yourself from a book or just picked it up? I recently started sketching with watercolours after working through the Artist’s Way and am just exploring any creative resources out there for learning and exploring that are not hugely expensive and can be fitted around a full-time job.
Hi Sibylla... I did art at school, and Art A-level, so was introduced to various mediums then. My faves were always watercolour and oil pastels. I found I loved these mediums because they encouraged me to be very loose. Ie to not try to capture what I was looking at exactly, but to just get the essence of it. Say, unlike working with pencils, or pen and ink. And then. it's just been a process of experimentation. I think though the best advice I've ever been given is that painting is really just about looking. But REALLY looking, and seeing shapes, and colours, and then drawing those. So you kind of abstract yourself from the whole, and just paint the colours and shapes! Hope that helps a little. M x
Everything about this article fires me up Michelle! Making a start has always been my problem and the whole point of me joining Substack was to gain inspiration and find the motivation to just bloody START!! I resonate deeply with your words x
Hurrah! So start today! In any small way. A doodle. a scribble. A small piece of paper found, or a pencil sharpened. A lot of the time it's just fear that stands in our way. Fear of judgment, looking stupid, failing... but as I say in the piece, you don;t have to tell anyone you're doing this, and you don't have to show anyone the results either. They can go straight in the bin if so desired, the point, as you have identified, is simply to start... so... let's go! M x
This exploration of creativity in therapy really resonates. It reminds me of the insights from my post on how studying brain damage can reveal the inner workings of language models—another layer of understanding creativity. You might find it interesting here: https://00meai.substack.com/p/brain-damage-teaches-us-how-language.
Love this Michelle, my work is in creative health and I’m evangelical about it, this is a great article that sums up why this has to become as important as exercise or eating well, for us, thanks for sharing 🙂🧡
I concur with all you have to say. I write and paint every day. It is an imperative for me - a ritual. I also include getting into the natural environment as essential too. Nature is a source of inspiration for my creativity. It also has a healing therapeutic effect too. I write on leadership and bring art, and nature into the foundations. I’m in the cognitive phase of writing another book!
I love this, and I look forward to hearing more about your book. M x
I’ve started screen printing through a class, but I also have a small set up at home. I love the process of planning and developing a print, working through colour ideas and preparing. That’s all part of the art. The final act of printing is often quick and wonderful. But it’s the thinking and planning that focuses my mind in creativity.
I love that you've deliberately created a creative space for yourself at home, as well as doing it through a class. I think this is so important (making space for creativity), especially for adults. Kids do it naturally. It's only when we 'grow-up' we seem to think we shouldn't do it any more. M x
Amen
I just started painting. Just for fun. It is lovely.
I think the "just for fun" bit is exactly it! No pressure. No compulsion to show it to anyone. Just for joy. M x
Wish you would say more Cindy…it’s cool. Wishing peace and love for you.
It's not an exaggeration to say my life was transformed when I made the decision to include creative play. More satisfaction. More joy. More fun. More relaxation. More presence.
Wow, love this! Proof of the science. I hope we can inspire more people to have a go. Mx
Could you write a bit more on your watercolour journey? How did you go about exploring watercolours? Did you do a course or did you teach yourself from a book or just picked it up? I recently started sketching with watercolours after working through the Artist’s Way and am just exploring any creative resources out there for learning and exploring that are not hugely expensive and can be fitted around a full-time job.
Hi Sibylla... I did art at school, and Art A-level, so was introduced to various mediums then. My faves were always watercolour and oil pastels. I found I loved these mediums because they encouraged me to be very loose. Ie to not try to capture what I was looking at exactly, but to just get the essence of it. Say, unlike working with pencils, or pen and ink. And then. it's just been a process of experimentation. I think though the best advice I've ever been given is that painting is really just about looking. But REALLY looking, and seeing shapes, and colours, and then drawing those. So you kind of abstract yourself from the whole, and just paint the colours and shapes! Hope that helps a little. M x
Everything about this article fires me up Michelle! Making a start has always been my problem and the whole point of me joining Substack was to gain inspiration and find the motivation to just bloody START!! I resonate deeply with your words x
Hurrah! So start today! In any small way. A doodle. a scribble. A small piece of paper found, or a pencil sharpened. A lot of the time it's just fear that stands in our way. Fear of judgment, looking stupid, failing... but as I say in the piece, you don;t have to tell anyone you're doing this, and you don't have to show anyone the results either. They can go straight in the bin if so desired, the point, as you have identified, is simply to start... so... let's go! M x
This exploration of creativity in therapy really resonates. It reminds me of the insights from my post on how studying brain damage can reveal the inner workings of language models—another layer of understanding creativity. You might find it interesting here: https://00meai.substack.com/p/brain-damage-teaches-us-how-language.
Many thanks. Mx
Love this Michelle, my work is in creative health and I’m evangelical about it, this is a great article that sums up why this has to become as important as exercise or eating well, for us, thanks for sharing 🙂🧡
Thank you! And yes, 100%, love the way you've framed that... "As important as exercise or eating well". M x
Completely agree with you and would also like to advocate for the accredited, clinical profession of Art Therapy https://baat.org