Over the past few months, I started several blog posts, but none seemed to stick. I also worked on a few art pieces, yet most didn't feel right, somehow. Well, one did, yet I've been unable to re-capture how I felt when I made it.
It feels like I'm in a transition period. And I think I have been in transition for several months.
When we hit a creative slump or feel disconnected from our artistic practice, it's often a sign that something is shifting. We may be preparing to evolve in our work, even if we're not consciously aware or ready for it. We need to find patience to wait for it to be revealed. It won't be budged, but must unfold at its own speed. That was certainly true during a significant slump I experienced about 7 or 8 years ago.
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"Humble", a mixed media piece I feel may be the direction I need to be going in |
In the meantime, it's so important to continue creating, to just play and explore. Sitting with whatever feelings come up, and following what feels right in the moment. Then stopping when it no longer feels right. It's not about finishing pieces right now (although sometimes we have deadlines), rather it's a time of experimenting, of letting things percolate.
Looking back over the last 5 or 6 months, I've been busy with creative activities, even if I haven't produced a lot of finished work. I've started a few pieces and finished just a few. I've attended inspiring exhibitions, like the Woven Histories textile exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada, a friend's first solo show, which was impressive and thoughtfully focused on her theme, and the Kingston Fibre Artist's annual show with my BFF. I joined the Ottawa Gatineau Printmakers Connection and have just put a third print into one of their shows. Through it all I've continued to develop and teach my workshops and am sensing those techniques may be part of what's to come next.
Interestingly, I notice I haven't been taking as many photos lately. Perhaps I have gathered enough reference material for now.
I've also noticed that a technique I started using 5 or 6 years ago and that once felt deeply aligned with my artistic voice, doesn't quite seem to fit anymore. I'm not sure I'm ready to give it up. Perhaps I'm needing to combine this whatever new direction is emerging.
There’s a lot of uncertainty, but I’m leaning into it. Summer is here, and it feels like a good time to slow down, to play, and to let new discoveries find me
I teach my students about the importance of exploration and creative play, and experiencing these slower phases myself helps me better understand what they will be feeling as they strive to find their own artistic voices.
As I look back at my best art pieces and sense where I may be headed, a few things are becoming clearer:
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My strongest pieces tend to be monochrome with high contrast.
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My mixed media work feels like my truest expression.
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Wabi-Sabi has long been a core influence—am I still holding onto that, or is it evolving?
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Zen-like and Contemporary Classical music supports my creative process.
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Themes of memory and the past, especially through textiles, keep surfacing.
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Moving forward, I want to focus on choosing one strong focal element per piece. The background matters too—whether it’s canvas, wood, tin ceiling tile, or something else—it needs to resonate with both subject and theme.
So for now, I’m giving myself permission to be in this in-between place. To follow curiosity, stay present, and trust that clarity will arrive in its own time.
Related Posts:
When Inspiration Doesn't Strike
Artistic Frustration: Visual Art vs. Other Art Forms
Idea Boards to Stimulate Creativity
Guest Post: Getting Past the Hump in a Creative Practice