Discovering new creative ideas and asking myself what my intentions are for the next body of work can sometimes feel harder than it needs to be, often referred to as creative block! By offering myself the space to discern what it is I am trying to convey requires me to not focus on the outcome, to let go of the need to control the end result, and really just embrace the process and allowing new ideas to flow more easily. When I am out on my morning walk for example, I find myself gravitating to certain things around me, that for most seem insignificant, that would totally go unnoticed by others, but seem to ignite something in me that I store away for later. This might mean a few photos, make a couple of notes in my phone, or simply squirrel it away in the back of my mind with all the other creative ideas that will hopefully inspire my artwork. By being fully present I allow these opportunities to step forward.
How this translates when I’m back in the studio is that I might jot down some ideas in a sketch book, experiment with materials and composition, and most importantly give myself permission to play. This play doesn’t always look pretty or even inspiring sometimes, but there is always a ‘take away’ that I can introduce with my new body of work. Throughout this creative process it is so important to quieten the external voices and go within, listen to that intuitive voice, ignore the trends and have faith in MY own practice. When an artwork is at the ugly stage, which all artist say they all experience at some stage during the painting, and knowing that I have the capability to find a way through, by paying attention to what it is I am trying to say, I can come out the other side with a piece that tells my story as well as hints at the journey it has taken me on to express it. In my opinion it is this history that gives the work more depth, and interest.