The Ebbs and Flows of Creativity

Hi there. How are you?

For the past few weeks, I've had a burst of creativity. Things were flowing. Making was easy! After many years of consistent studio practice, I know that you have to take advantage of these creative bursts when they come.

For months now, I've planned to make a coloring calendar. I started making drawings for it way back in March, shortly after I'd finished "Elegant Abstracts."

Here are a few of my early illustrations:

A selection of my preliminary sketches for my new coloring calendar. All completed in my trusty Moleskine sketchbook with a Pilot Precise V7 pen.

Then I got stuck.

Really stuck. I couldn't make a drawing suitable for coloring to save my life! I was so frustrated, so disgusted with myself.  When I get to that point, I know it's time to give it a rest, so I put coloring calendar work aside. Maybe I'd come back to it. Maybe not.  The creative spark was gone and it was time to move onto other things.

In mid July, I caught the creative spark once more.

It started with this one (that I didn't end up using) but I was back in the groove and ready to pump out some work!

My sketchbook drawing from July 15th. This was my first foray back into my coloring calendar in months!

While creativity was with me,  the coloring pages flowed. In two weeks time, my coloring calendar was complete. Things were going so well in the studio that I actually made more drawings than I needed and was able to leave out some of my earlier, less polished drawings.

Here's a sampling of what I made during my creative burst:

A selection of drawings I that I made for my forthcoming coloring calendar.

I'm happy to report that my 2017 monthly coloring calendar is now complete and at the printer! Do join my mailing list if you want to get your hands on this limited edition offering. Right now it looks as if I'll just do a run of 50, and mailing list members will have first dibs!

I don't know exactly how I caught the wave of creativity again.

BUT, I do know how to make conditions conducive for creativity to find me. (More about that next week!) If the subject creative practice interests you or you're struggling with finding your creative spark, please do yourself a favor and pick up Elizabeth Gilbert's recent book, Big Magic. Seriously, it was a game changer for me! 

That's all for now.

I'll be back next week to continue my story about the ebbs and flows of creativity and share some of my newest original work. Ciao!