Use What You Have - Filling the Creative Well Blog Series

 

We can easily fall into the trap of waiting for the perfect art supply or not using that art supply because you are saving it for best - the perfect brush, or the perfect moment.  

I am reminding you that you already have what you need to make a start. We don’t have to wait for the stars to align or the wind to blow in a particular direction before we take that step.

Dig into your current supplies, what haven’t you used for a long time? What has been neglected?  We can often overlook our supplies in the pursuit for more. There is beauty in using what’s available and, creativity often thrives when we set limitations and work within them.

In the video I speak about all the books that I have bought over the years and thinking about what inspired me from the book and how I can adapt it with what I have.

When you use what you have, you practice gratitude. And you discover unexpected possibilities. There’s nothing missing, you are already surrounded by potential.

What you can Try

• Create a full page using only what you already have within your immediate space 

• Look around your space: what is within arm’s reach? What can be repurposed or transformed?

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Limitation sparks imagination
2. What you already have is more than enough.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Texture Exploration - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Texture Exploration

I love creating texture in my art and developing a piece of art that entices you to to run your fingers over surfaces, to notice the way layers interact, and to connect our creative senses. We have all come across art where we have been compelled to touch – mindful of the ‘Do Not Touch’ signs and the gallery attendants.

Texture can give depth and emotion to your work, it doesn’t need to be fancy. Even crumpled tissue paper or a coat of gesso can add a tactile quality to your page. As you build the layers, pause to touch. What does this feel like? What does it evoke?

What Can You Try

• Experiment with adding texture to your page using unusual tools and materials. Notice how touch changes your process.
• Explore texture and use tools that aren’t typical: a fork, a sponge, lace, leaves, cardboard, your fingertips. You could also consider layering paper, fabric scraps, or scraping back the paint. Allow the surface to become a story of layers.
• You can also play with making marks that look textured without being raised. Scribbles, hatching, rough brushwork, and even stitched lines can create visual texture that invites the eye to linger.

Takeaway Nuggets:

• Texture adds depth, memory, and emotion to your work.
• Creative exploration often begins with your fingertips.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important.

Stitched Surfaces - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

There’s something deeply soothing about stitching, I find it very meditative. The steady rhythm of needle and thread offers a moment of stillness, a connection to our hands, our breath, and the slow making. We explore the texture, patience, and pleasure of adding stitching to your creative practice.

Stitching onto paper or fabric doesn’t have to be complex. You don’t need fancy embroidery skills or perfect technique. Even the simplest stitch - a running stitch, can add beautiful texture and quiet emphasis.

Slow stitching encourages us to slow down, to be present. Each stitch becomes a small meditation, a mark of time passed. You can create abstract designs, outlines, or simply “draw and paint” with your thread.

What you can Try

Choose a surface to work on: painted paper, fabric scraps, see what you have. Thread your needle and follow your instinct. Why not create a fabric art journal and embellish with different stitches. You might stitch a border around a found poem or add thread to a torn paper edge. Don’t worry if it’s messy or uneven, these details carry their own beauty and voice. As we bind materials, our ideas come together and we intertwine our stories and messages too.

Takeaway Nuggets:

• Stitching slows us down and roots our creativity in presence.
• Imperfect stitches tell beautiful, honest stories.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Reuse and Reimagine - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

Creativity isn’t always about starting fresh. Sometimes, it’s about looking at what’s already been made and seeing it with new eyes – change your perspective. Look at old work with new eyes – those abandoned paintings, the background you never used that you made in that course, what about those sketches you did, they all still hold potential – why not revisit them and see what they could be reused for.

In the video I show a page I painted, but didn't like it, I decided to make changes and added mixed media elements.

This reminds us that every piece of creative work that you do can still be used however long after you have created it – they are not mistakes or messes we just did a detour and put them aside, now we can revisit them. Just put your fresh perspective glasses on and away you go!

What you can Try

• Use bits from an old piece to create something new. Build a collage, add stitching, or paint over it. 

• Start by selecting something you made in the past—something that didn’t work or something you abandoned. Then tear it. Cut it. Paint over it. Stitch into it. Layer it into a collage. See what happens when you give it a second life.

You’ll be surprised how freeing it is to transform a piece of work, and there is healing in creating from the remnants.

Takeaway Nuggets:


Repurposing old work is an act of creative transformation.
Every beginning grows from something before it.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Quiet Pages - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Day 17: Q – Quiet Pages

In a world that is often loud with bold colors and ‘in your face’ imagery, there is something we can do to bring moments of quiet contemplation in our work.  

I do love lots of color and patterns in my work but every now and again I like to strip it back and keep it simple.  It might be soft watercolor washes, light pencil sketches or muted collage layers and tones. Maybe it’s a stitched piece with a single thread, a page with only one word or shape. Don’t be afraid to leave space. Space lets the page breathe. It allows your viewer and yourself to rest and reflect.

 

Intentional quiet can bring restoration. When we slow down we give ourselves permission to listen and we can hear the still small voice and make sense of the complicated.

What you can Try

• Quiet pages become moments of pause, and can balance out the louder more vibrant pages of your art journal 

• Make room for stillness on the page. Think about muting the colors or being minimalist in your message.  How can you say more with less. 

• Create a page using only 1–2 materials. Let negative space or simplicity guide your choices.

Takeaway Nuggets:

• Silence can be a bold creative choice.
• Simplicity holds space for deeper emotion.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Patterns and Play - Filling The Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Patterns are everywhere that we look, on textiles, in nature, in architecture, and even in our daily routines. There can be something soothing about repetition. Creating patterns allows us to bring order to chaos, develop rhythm in our work and find joy in the familiar. There can also be a playfulness in the repetition and pattern-making.

In the video it gives you an example of repeated patterns and shapes. I enjoy turning my shapes and patterns into a scene.

What Can you try

• Keep it simple, a shape or a motif. Choose something and repeat it across your page. Try changing the size, color, or direction. Layer them or keep them structured in neat rows. The key is to play without judgement. Repetition can be very meditative and I love creating patterns in my own creative practice.  It is calming and will build your confidence.

• You might discover something beautiful in the way slightly imperfect marks can repeat themselves. Or that one pattern leads to another - circles can become flowers, lines become leaves, the possibilities are endless.

• You can also create patterns with stamps, stencils, or stitching, this is a great way to use these tools. Think back to some of the previous posts and additional tools you can use to create patterns. Turn anything into a stamp and let it lead your design. 

• Enjoy the simplicity and the freedom patterns offer. You can also photocopy your patterns and reuse them in your art journals or creative projects.

Takeaway Nuggets:

• Patterns invite rhythm and play into your work.

• Repetition is a creative meditation.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Observation - Filling The Creative Well - Blog Series

Observation Drawing

Every now and again, I like to do a 'still life drawing' and pick a subject in front of me or set something up.  I feel it helps train your 'eye' and we move out of the ‘thinking’ and into the present, you have to focus on what you see rather than what you think it should look like.  There are also additional exercises that you can do that will help in your creative practice.

Check out the Yoga of Drawing

What you can Try

Pick a simple object – you choose what catches your eye.  Spend ten minutes drawing it. Don’t worry about accuracy. Focus on shape, shadow, and form.

Additional Exercises

• Try continuous line drawing don’t lift up your pen and create a figure

• Blind contour drawing – don’t look at your paper and draw the figure.  It takes time to get used to the activities but do something every day.  These practices strengthen your connection to what’s real and present.

Drawing from observation builds patience, attention, and skill and helps you practice sensitivity to your surroundings.

Takeaway Nuggets:

• Drawing teaches presence and awareness.

• It’s not about likeness - it’s about looking.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Nature-Inspired - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Nature can inspire us in so many ways – the colors, patterns and variations offer endless inspiration. I really enjoy working with nature from the dried leaves, fibers and using the surface to create on.  I also use the fibers from plants like the banana and cotton to incorporate weaving into my creations.  These are harvested from my garden.

Check out my Arts and Wellness Cafe video and being out in nature.

 
What you can try

• Take a walk or look out of your window. Find one natural element that speaks to you.
• Maybe it’s the veins of a leaf, the curve of a petal, the color of the sky. Let that image become the inspiration for your page.
• Use actual plant materials if you like – check out my leaf art posts – you can see the range of inspiration in my blog archive.  You can print with leaves, paint with twigs or leaf prints, twigs, or use dried petals. You could also work with nature using the leaves as your surface, see the variety below.

This is about slowing down and taking notice of your surroundings.

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Nature offers boundless inspiration and reflection.
2. Spend some time daily in nature

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Mixed Media Magic - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

 

I love creating Mixed media art and you can pretty much add most mediums together, once you get an understanding of your supplies is where the rules melt and the fun begins. Today, combine three or more materials—paper, fabric, paint, stitch, charcoal, ink. Explore how they work with each other.  Don’t be afraid to vary how you use them.

Check out this video to see how I approached using different mediums in my art journal.

You can also see other mixed media art journal pages in this playlist here

What You can Try

Play with contrast - soft with rough, shiny with matte. Mix dry and wet media. There are no mistakes, only learning experiences

There’s no right or wrong way to mix media. It’s all about listening to texture, to your intuition. Use a glue stick next to watercolor, stitch on top of acrylic or write and doodle on top of collage. By experimenting you get to have an understanding of your supplies and what you like working together.

The main thing to do is to have fun and enjoy the interaction between the materials.  What does your page feel like?  Have you added loads of texture or color?  What is your page inviting you to do next

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Mixed media invites conversation between materials.
2. Magic happens when you let go of how it “should” look.

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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Layer and Let Go - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Layering can be a freeing technique in mixed media, and every layer tells part of the story, and sometimes, we must let go to make space for something new.

When I am creating, I find sometimes walking away and coming back with fresh eyes helps inform the direction a piece might take.  When I come back the whole piece might change and that’s alright.  You come with new information and experience that will add an interesting perspective to the piece.

 

What you can try

Start with an existing art piece or a journal page.  You might even want to try an abandoned artwork. Add something to it: paint, collage, marks, fabric. Then add more. And then cover part of it up or walk away and work on something else.

It may feel risky to paint over something you like or are not sure of. But in doing so, you practice trust. You can always take a photo of the work before you cover it up. You learn that your creativity isn’t limited. There’s always more to uncover.

Building the layers

Layering builds depth and often what was once buried peeks through unexpectedly and you begin to see the layers. Each addition becomes part of the whole, even if it disappears from view.

Don’t be afraid to cover, to sand back, to glue down. Let this page be about transformation.

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Creative layering is an invitation to trust the process.
2. Letting go of parts you love can lead to unexpected beauty.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Keep Going - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

There are days when creativity feels easy, and days when it doesn’t. On those in-between days, the best thing you can do is simply keep going, maybe even shifting your focus.  It is better to do something than nothing at all. That’s today’s encouragement, show up, even if it’s just for five minutes.

Art is not always about inspiration. Often, it’s about persistence, showing up because your creative self deserves it. Consistency is where the magic lives in quiet, steady effort. 

What you can Try 

• You might not feel like making anything today. That’s okay. Keep your practice light and low-pressure. Pick up your journal and scribble a thought. Smear a color across the page. Rip paper and glue it down. Take one small creative action. 

• When you keep going, you send a message to your inner artist: “I’m here for you.” That kind of trust and nurturing is how practices grow.

• Keep a journal for those small actions, a “just-for-today” notebook. These practices honor the peaks and the valleys of creative life.

• Your creativity doesn’t need to be perfect or productive, it just needs you to be present.

Takeaway Nuggets:

1. Creative practice is built on showing up, not perfection.
2. Five minutes of art counts remember you are filling the creative well.

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .

Just One Tool - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series

 

Limiting your tools or supplies can be one of the most liberating creative decisions. Today’s challenge is to use just one tool, medium, or material and explore everything it can do. I find it is a great way to really understand all the uses of that tool or supply, and it gives you more flexibility and variation in your work.

Check out the Video - if you find limiting yourself to just one to begin with difficult, just reduce the amount you would normally use.  In this video I use some paints and stencils to work on the page.

What you can try

• Pick one: a watercolor palette, a black marker, a needle and thread, a gel pen, a single color of paint. What happens when you stretch its use across the whole page or several? 

• With fewer choices, you are able to explore further. Try making different types of marks. Experiment with layering. Use the tool in unexpected ways maybe your pen mimics another supply, or your watercolor develops unusual texture when layered thickly. 

• This kind of exploration sharpens your understanding of your materials and deepens your relationship to them. You become more resourceful and imaginative. 

• You might also notice that limiting your choices frees your brain. Instead of worrying about all the variations of color in your acrylic set which can sometimes be 50+, you get to focus on how many different shades and variations you can get from one color.

Bonus idea: use the same tool each day for a week. Observe how your comfort grows. This practice helps you slow down and appreciate simplicity.

Takeaway Nuggets: 

1. Limiting tools can unlock deeper creativity.
2. Mastery comes from exploration

👇👇👇👇👇👇

Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey 

Course Platform - there are a variety of FREE courses and resources for you to use in your creative practice.

FREE Tier - Patreon - I have a Free Tier on Patreon that has a selection of early release posts and monthly Digital Download Papers for you to use in your creative projects - Learn More Here

YouTube - Weekly Videos to encourage your creative practice, Slow stitching, art journaling and Artists chats - Learn More Here

Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .