A direct line from my art table to your inbox—where creativity, connection, and a little chaos collide.

Hey Friend, I'm inviting you to come hang out in my studio with me tomorrow, are you free?

When: Saturday, September 13 @ 12-2 pm CDT
Where: Zoom
What: A casual art playdate - bring a project to work on and enjoy connecting with other artists
Cost: $12 USD

Register Here

*Spots are limited* 

I hope to see you there! 

Life and work has had been very "end goal" oriented lately (which is ok!) Meeting collaboration deadlines, preparing to travel to Europe for the first time, getting things checked off the list, etc. 

I have a habit of bringing this same energy into my art practice.

A breakthrough that I'm coming to terms with is that if I don't have an end goal in mind, something that I'm actively working towards, I start to feel very aimless and without purpose. 

It's easy to say, "just stay busy..."

However, as a result of spending extra time in my journal lately - I'm realizing that I want to find ways to still be fulfilled in the UNbusyness. Go, go, going all the time is not sustainable. My purpose does not disappear because I'm taking a rest day.

I could get into the deeper reasons why these feelings are such a prevailing cycle for me, but you don't need my whole backstory 😉

I will say, though, I know most strongly it comes from a time not that long ago - where I wasn't capable of doing much of anything. All my energy went towards keeping myself alive. 

Somewhere along the way I started to equate that being productive meant I could be happy. 

Because when I was in the hole of depression, I couldn't be "productive."

So even now, when I tell myself to not push so hard, take time off, or just relax. My brain does a little panic flip out that falsely alerts me, and tricks me into thinking that I'm headed down into the pit again because I'm not "doing anything." 

I know for a fact this isn't true - but unfortunately it's not always my logical brain that is in control. 

Many of you may be wondering why I'm sharing at such a personal level, I'm just an art business that should stay in my lane. It's okay if this doesn't resonate with you. 

My mission is to share my experience in hopes that it can help anyone that may be struggling know that they are not alone. Because when I was at my worst, that's what I needed more than anything. 

I'm at a place in my growth journey where I'm okay to admit that this week as not be the best for me mentally. (don't worry, I'm okay - promise 🫶🏼)

I wanted to focus my art practice on activities that didn't have a specific outcome in mind this week in the studio.

I took this time as an opportunity to sit with those feelings and try to work through them. And trust me, it was SO tempting to deep dive into a brand new project and through all my energy at it. But I resisted. 

Here's what I did instead →

+ I spent more time away from the admin work and more time in the studio. No camera. Just me at my art table. 

+ I picked projects where process was the focus, not product. Allowing myself to create just for the sake of creating. 

+ I used "throwaway" supplies like scrap paper, so there was nothing precious. 

+ I shifted between two activities. One that focused on play and experimentation. And one that I didn't have to think at all. 

An activity that calms the constant inner monologue → Paper Weaving  

I started paper weaving a year ago or so as a way to use offset strips of paper. It's something that I continue to grow more and more fond of. And yes, I happen to like the end result - but I can truly say with this activity that's not what it's about for me. There is something about the process that allows my mind to calm down and focus fully on what I'm working on. Watch a time lapse of me paper weaving with deli paper →

I'm using regular glue and a paint brush for this one. But I love experimenting with different adhesives depending on the paper type and thickness. (I like double sided tape for thick papers)

An activity that allows me to play and experiment → Gelli Plate Printing  

 

Confession time: I'm not a huge fanatic of the gel plate like most people seem to be. So I started playing with it as a way to add color and interest to my scrap paper. (Mostly "scratch paper" from old printouts.) Which I was then going to cut into strips for paper weaving. But somewhere along the journey, I started to really enjoy myself! 

And 2 key things made the difference for me →

+ Working on multiple gel plates at once. My space allowed for a big, medium, and small. As seen in photo. 

This helped with my impatience. I could allow the paper to sit longer before peeling it off by working on another plate in the meantime.

+ Using a flat object to press down and smooth out the paper. I used a large lid - a metal one like you would have on a glass screw-top jar. 

I've never enjoyed the smoothing out part with my hands - it's a sensory issue. Using a flat sturdy lid was so much more enjoyable for me. (They make tools specifically for this purpose. I think I'll get this one)

 

I hope you are doing well. And if you're not, please know that you are not alone 🫶🏼 Maybe one of these activities can help you, too 🥰

Thanks for being here - and I hope to see you tomorrow at the playdate!  xxBB

 

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