Why Joy and Play Will Continue as Part of My Creative Practice
The Get Re-Inspired Creative Retreat is now over. I’m not sure if it ended up being what I planned, but it was nurturing, fun and I learned a lot.
Although I hadn’t set out for it to be, my main project during the retreat was exploring papier-mache. I used Sarah Hand’s book to help me with the process. Before I got started I think I thought it would be quick and easy and imagined I’d be experimenting and playing with a variety of media during the month.
If you’ve done any papier-mache since childhood you might be laughing right now.
It would have been quicker had I made only one piece. Instead, I created six armatures and took four of them through the whole process (including making my own paste). The first three armatures I built were daffodil flowers. It was a challenge to figure out how to make them balanced enough not to fall over. Creating the armatures was a fun challenge. I never work in three dimensions. After the flowers I kept going with other pieces: a cat, a snail and finally, a bird.
One of the things that makes the process slow is waiting for layers to dry. Papier-mache. Gesso (I painted multiple coats). Paint (also multiple coats). Sealer (which I still need to do).
I needed to take things step-by-step, to not rush through the process, to wait. It forced me to slow down. But “forced” might be the wrong word. I didn’t resist this slowing down; I relished it.
Last week I wrote that one of the lessons I’ve (re)learned this month is patience. Perhaps that’s not entirely true. I don’t think it’s patience that I learned, rather I learned to let myself slow down. I gave myself permission to swim against the stream, to reject the need for immediate gratification and immediate results (or any results, in fact). I got lost in the process. I was focused, but not on the outcome.
I rediscovered the joy of playing for playing’s sake.
One of the (non-retreat) projects I’ve been working on this month is putting together a free(!!) collaborative class with my friend Dana (stay tuned for more details). In one of the lessons, I mention how my art is detailed and realistic but in my sketchbooks it gets to play.
Play is so important.
Play is all about the process. When we play creatively we don’t get caught up in the results of what we’re doing. When we play we’re not critical of what we’re doing. Play is all about possibilities. We try things. We imagine. We break the rules.
It’s probably obvious that I won’t suddenly be pivoting my business to focus on papier-mache, but the joy of experimenting, of playing helped me get through a creative slump and back to my watercolors.
About two and a half years ago I wrote a blog post about how trying new things and even making mistakes is good for your creativity. It still resonates with me today.
“Both trying new things and making mistakes help us refine our understanding of who we are. More than that, trying new things keeps us curious. It keeps us moving forward…
Creativity is not a static thing, but sometimes we can get stuck in a rut. Although focus is a wonderful thing, it can sometimes lead us into the rut. Being ok with the idea of creative ebbs and flows helps a lot, but so does being open to new things. Experimenting. Changing gears. Having fun.”
This month was a perfect reminder of that.
So my creative retreat is over, but joyful play is here to stay.
Where have you been finding joy lately? Have you been setting aside time for creative play?