Importance

of playful creativity

Hi Friends, Sharing a few thoughts about creative play and the role it has in enhancing enjoyment of one’s process. It is a topic I like to keep in the forefront of my mind, especially since I work in a representational manner. A style I love, but I have to be careful perfectionism doesn’t inhibit my growth and curiosity. The latter being a valued aspect of any creative activity.

“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.”
—Henri Matisse

A breezy but perfect day to sketch amongst autumn blooms! Let’s Start!

Nature’s Outdoor Studio

As I continue to work behind the scenes on my exploration of clouds, I have also made a point of continuing my drawing practice. With prolonged warmer weather this past month, my gardens have been blooming happily! Time is of the essence as I know any day a killer frost will arrive. What better drawing subjects than fresh flowers with uplifting lines and color!

Flowing subjects await, a large pad of paper and vine charcoal…so many possibilities. Let’s Play!

Creative Play

I often complete more finished drawings than playful ones. However, these free exploratory sessions are such a joyful way to just let go of perfectionism and enjoy the process without any specific outcome in mind.

Cosmos have been blooming abundantly in my gardens throughout autumn. Even after Hurricane Fiona! I love their graceful movements and joyful presence. Long fluid lines have always captured my attention and I often include curving lines in my paintings as well.

Cosmos dancing in autumn breezes

Charcoal drawing on the right and a lacey cosmos leaf taped to my paper as reference.

My medium of choice was a thin stick of vine charcoal as I love how malleable it is. Charcoal wipes out easily, even smudges while working, which makes it feel less permanent. In the photo above, I taped a lacey cosmos leaf to my paper for close observation in order to understand its structure.

Waving hello from the other side of the camera!

Discovery Found in the Process

I also made a discovery while sketching the top flower pictured above. Sanguine colored conte pencils are another favorite drawing material. So I thought I would use one to add accent marks on a few flowers as well.

After adding some sanguine marks to the top flower, I disliked its visual appearance. It felt too jarring on this subject. Soooo, since it was all experimental, I erased the marks with a kneaded eraser, only to find I liked the colored remnants of the sanguine on the flower. That made me realize that I could use a q-tip to later add light washes of color to some of the other flowers to accentuate their form.

Poppies added during second outdoor session

After my first session, I ventured out a second day where I added a small grouping of poppies; pictured on the bottom of my sketch. They too mimic the flowing nature of their companions.

One of my favorite annual flowers—Shirley Mix Poppies!

Benefits of Free Exploration

No matter what creative discipline you work in, allowing free exploratory time has many benefits. I’ve listed a few that came to mind.

Artist’s tools, white conte pencil, vine charcoal, q-tip and kneaded eraser.

~ Takes the pressure off completing a finished product

~Awakens curiosity and elevates mood

~ Allows one to work in a trial and error mode with materials in a new way and/or explore new techniques

~Confidence builder

~Helps one become more familiar with a particular subject without the expectation of accuracy

~Allows and creates a setting for pure creative flow

~Allows room for fresh ideas to blossom which can later be utilized as an extension of one’s working method

~And most importantly free exploration taps into one’s creative spark and intuition—allowing a joyfulness to arise within

Such a joy to work outdoors in beautiful autumn weather!

Final Thoughts

As a creative I feel it is really important to set aside time to explore and allow for free exploration. Curiosity often nurtures creativity. We see this in children as they play freely. The joy they derive from play and pure curiosity is sometimes forgotten once adulthood arrives; even for creatives. Too much emphasis on the end result of one’s creative output clouds the benefit and joy found in freely creating without any self made parameters.

Anytime I allow room for free exploration, I always leave each session lighthearted and joyful. It’s also amazing what pops up later as inspiration due to these untethered times!

I would love to hear your thoughts! Do you think it is important to allow time for free exploration? Love to hear your experiences. Share your thoughts below in the comments.

Warmly,

Debbie xx

Side Note: If you have any questions about my process, please feel free to ask. I’d be happy to answer them.

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