Have you ever felt the way I did?’
Exploration is one essential part of every creative’s life. If you want a creative life, you have to explore and experiment. I knew nothing about exploration when I started out. I always had ideas coming in and going out. The moment I do it is when that idea comes to life.
Being a creative person, it is important for you to keep your creativity alive and work with your ideas. I must also say that I have always responded to my creative calls.
I was married off to a young chap right after my graduation. Having graduated as a Fashion Designer, I always felt that there was something missing within me. Although I loved fashionable clothes and dressing up well with red lipstick, chunky bangles or neckwear with my attire, I always felt that I didn’t belong to the fashion world or felt that I had very little to contribute there.
My journey of exploration started in 2013 after my graduation. I had a creative idea that struck me and soon I started exploring with different materials like embroidered borders in various sizes, brocades, chiffons, silks, cottons, all pretty materials that had beautiful prints and designs. I combined to create them into sarees and sold them to many customers who loved the “bright” combinations.
Unfortunately, I had to stop this idea when I received my visa to go to Germany and join my husband. Being the new wife in my life, I was trying to get settled in a place that was completely new to me. Within a few months, I started getting bored as I had no job and did not do much. It was hard to find a job without knowing the language.
I had another creative lightning that struck me at that time. I went to an Art store and took my inner self on a date (like what Julia Cameron speaks about in her book – Artists Way) Together, we found something new to experiment with – Polymer Clay. Soon, I procured the skill to handle it and started creating cute animals out of it. Months later, another creative call came to me and I started creating jewelry out of it. This became a hit among my friends and soon I started selling them online through Facebook. I started getting product orders from The USA, Dubai, Germany. Not much time had passed and “I got Pregnant”. I kept working on my beautiful Polymer Clay Jewellery until I was eight months pregnant. Then, just when I was about to pop, I stopped.
Almost a year went by and I just did not want to start this again. I had lost my interest. There was no more life for that idea. I felt as though it was gone forever. No job, no income, no creative sparks and lightning. I was worried but was busy being the new mother of a baby who was now 8 months old.
Upon realizing that I was not doing anything creative, I took out a large canvas, poured paint on a paper plate and started playing with my baby. He was excited to use the paints and crawled on top of the canvas spreading paints here and there with his tiny hands and feet. Finally, we created a painting together, completely filled with scribbled strokes which I later added a quote on it using a white paint which says “Life is What You Create”
So, if you have been stuck with a creative lightning, or lately encountered a creative call, don’t fret and sit there scared thinking. “Get up and just go do it”
I love what Elizabeth Gilbert says about leaving an idea unattended for a long time. Some ideas are patient, they wait for you for a long time and some just die or move on to finding other creative souls so that they can still be alive. So, never hold yourself from creating and exploring. It will open new doors for you. I believe in it! The question is “Do you?” When you dig deeper into your curiosity and explore, you end up with new beginnings and it can take you to the next level. This is one thing that I always had my spirits racing for. Creativity keeps flowing when you keep exploring and it could be anything. It could be learning new mediums to paint, trying to propagate your succulents, maybe baking cakes or decorating them with fondant or creating tiny figures out of polymer clay. Well, these are the things that I had explored and they were all the best things I created in my life as a creator. No matter what I did, they just helped me to keep my creativity alive and most importantly, they helped me to be “ME”. So, here is your task from today onwards, Ask yourself – “What will I start doing to explore my creativity and help it to stay alive without holding myself back?”
Find one thing to keep it going and you will see the MAGIC happen!!
Here are some things to explore and experiment to get started with your art journey.
Paint mediums like watercolors, gouache, acrylics, brushes, markers, pens, papers, inks, digital painting etc. Let me know what sparks you to get started with and get your creativity flowing.
Exercise
- Ask yourself “What creative idea do I have at the moment? What materials do I need to get it started?”
- If you don’t find any creative sparks or ideas to start with at the moment, wait and watch closely, you might find one idea to get creative. Start with this. Write it down before you forget and start doing it before it is gone.
- Was there a medium that you had left aside for years which you wanted to always try out? If yes, then start with it. I started exploring with inks, pens, markers, watercolors, gouache and acrylics. Just start with one medium that interests you the most.
- If you do not know what medium or paper or brush to start with, do some research, ask for some advice to the art supply store person or simply get the guide from my website, “The List of tools to start your Art Journey” which gives you a whole lot of information about the brands I have started with and also the list of materials you can choose from to get your art journey started.
“Exploration can always lead to new possibilities and it has the magic to open a new unknown world.”
