Exploring Creativity & Mediums

Heather asked me to write a piece on creating with a different medium. I didn’t really think about painting as a different or new medium, until Heather asked. I just viewed it as a new experience and exploration of art and creativity. Sure, I have used paint before, generally I just slapped it onto the paper to create backgrounds for my artwork and in my journals.

I have always wanted to take art classes, but was never really encouraged to do so. I tried to take classes once before but I wasn’t happy with the teacher, we just didn’t hit it off and that put me off taking any more classes. This tutor is different, in the first two classes she showed us the basic techniques that we needed to work with acrylics, washes (watered down acrylics) and dry brushing (brushing acrylic straight onto the canvas without water). Then we were encouraged to just play. She told us that it was not about the finished product, rather the process.

Imagine my surprise when in my first painting I could ‘see’ trees in a bush scene. I was so happy with my first attempt that I wanted to keep going. I’m one of those people who need immediate gratification, if I hadn’t got it I might have given up before I had even started. The comments from my family and online friends were encouraging, so I have kept going.

Since that first painting I have been to four classes and painted several paintings. I bought myself a desktop easel, a variety of brushes, paints and canvases, which allowed me to continue my exploration. That is what I consider to be most important – exploration.

I am a creative person, for a long time my creativity was stifled. It was stifled by a lack of encouragement, a lack of self belief; and it was stifled by a cocktail of drugs meant to improve a mood disorder. What I found was that I needed to be creative, in whatever form that took, whether it was writing or art. It was a tonic that helped me through the darkest times.

A part of being creative is exploring and taking risks. It’s fine to keep creating in your usual style or medium, if that is what works for you. But what have you learnt? Sure, we are learning all the time, but it is through trying new experiences, mediums and techniques; and making mistakes that we grow creatively. So, do yourself a favour, take a class or try a new medium and explore your creativity.
© Megan Warren - April 2006