Everyone is an artist! It just takes a little time and practice and next thing you’ll know, you’ll be creating!
So, here are a few beginning steps to start your creative journey!
The creative process begins with becoming inspired. This inspiration should hit you, out of nowhere, entirely unexpected, spurring you on to create something. It’s an intense, strong, powerful emotion that you must let strike you. I believe this inspiration will form just from becoming an observer of life. To become an observer, you must pay attention to the ordinary; look at the little things. Watch the elderly couple walk their dog through the park; listen to the birds sitting at your birdfeeder; run your hands through the grass waving in the wind. Find the beauty that life possesses. Look for what moves you. What brings you to tears? What makes you burst into smile? To keep track of these little moments of inspiration, I highly recommend carrying around a small journal or sketchbook to either write or draw them down. Do not worry about the images or words being perfect, inspiration is just the diving block into the creative deep end.
After you’ve been inspired, find out what content you enjoy drawing. Do you like focusing on patterns? Are you into realism and still life? Do you just want to draw people and figures? Buildings might be interesting too. Look at everything and find your little niche.
Next, you must explore your inspiration. This goes along with sketching what inspires you, but instead you continue the idea and let your pen just draw. Maybe make some thumbnails or small drawn studies of your ideas. This will give you the time and space to think about what you want to create. In this step, you should also explore some mediums. Maybe you like watercolor? Pens your fancy? Does acrylic bring you joy (personally, it isn’t for me)? See what you like! Experiment with color; don’t just stick to black and white or complimentary colors. Make your ideas interesting!
Lastly, just do it; start drawing or painting or sketching or sculpting! Let the art move through you and enjoy the whole process. Art is about creating more than it is about the final product! If you come out of your creative process disappointed by the end result, look at it in the face and say to yourself, “this is just the beginning”. Grow from the mistakes, be your own critic, but always remember to have fun and move on! Do not linger over how your art turns out. Your art is for yourself, and no one else. Be proud of your own masterpieces, and do not compare yourself to the artists all around you. Every artist is on their own journey, and your journey is just as important as theirs’s.
Just make something, anything, everything! I promise it’ll bring you more joy than you even know.