Where Does Art Come From Anyway?

I always wanted to be an artist who creates beautiful watercolor landscapes like the ones I saw at the summer art fairs as a kid. To my disappointment and joy, this is not what happened at all! A big silly bear is the first illustration that flowed from my pencil. Shocked, I wondered "Where on earth did this come from?"

If there are any artists/writers/creatives reading this, I'm sure you can relate. We quickly learn - we don’t control the creative process, the create process controls us. UGH! Here's the tricky part - it only works if we are open to it. And nothing truly good happens if we try to force it.

So - here’s how it happens for me. When I create art, my hands are busy filling in the lines, patterns and colors, AND my mind is sharing a story with me about what I am creating. Or rather, what my Creative Spirit wants me to create. Whoa, did I just say that? Ah – yes, I did.

Over years, I have learned to listen and follow this voice’s whispers of story - not to create beautiful watercolor landscapes as I had dreamed, but to capture small moments of life, often lighthearted and whimsical. Illustrations that breathe and extend joy out into the world.

How does this play out? Well, I’ll hear suggestions as I create, like “What would happen if I put a line right here". Or, "What if I tried to add a few shadows over here.” Or “This little guy looks like he wants to be happy. Why is he happy? Oh, he’s playing on …. ”AND THERE IT IS! THE STORY BEGINS.

My creative Spirit takes me on the journey with it - suggesting different ideas, lines, colors. Suggesting the feeling the character is experiencing and how to show it on the face. Describing scenes and sayings. It’s quite a journey! Time passes without me even being aware of it. Four hours feel like 20 minutes! In the end, I have a finished illustration and after a few tweaks the story will secretly accompany the illustration out into the world.

And here is the really interesting thing. The viewer may see a completely different story than I saw in the art!

The viewer's creativity will start to make up a story of their own! Magic!