The Joy of Making Art
Do you know why you love making art?
Sometimes I can get so caught up in trying to make something “great” and comparing myself to others that I forget why I started making art in the first place. I feel like one of the most important aspects of finding my style involves getting and staying in touch with my intrinsic joy in the art making process. In an effort to re-connect with my passion for making art I thought about what I loved creating as a kid.
My favorite projects were those that had somewhat unexpected outcomes. One example that came to mind was butterfly prints that are made this way:
Fold a piece of paper in half
Unfold the paper and splatter it with lots of color
Fold the paper again, smooth it down
Slowly open the paper and voila, a beautiful butterfly or whatever else you see in the Rorshach image.
Making “kids art” can be harder that it looks. I made several versions before I came up with one that I liked. It was refreshing to work in such a free, uncontrolled way. I still love the excitement of making something that produces unexpected results.
Are you searching for your unique style? I encourage you to think about what you loved about art making as a kid. What excited you? Do you have a favorite project that you might try again? I’d love to see your results. You can post them in the comments below.