New Creative Adventures: Gouache and Drawing

When was the last time you explored new creative adventures? It’s been a while for me, to be honest. I learned how to bullet journal in mid-2016 and by the end of that year, I dove head first into calligraphy and watercolor. My creative journey has experienced its share of ups and downs. And I’m thankful that I’m a healthier place mentally and creatively that I have the space to learn something new. So let’s discover what I’m exploring!

The lowest point in my creative journey was 2020-2021. I was going through a lot of personal stuff and I had zero motivation to paint or teach, let alone try and learn something new. But at my lowest point, I started practicing mindfulness. I practiced morning pages. And through my recent 100 day project, I was able to open my mind and heart to new creative adventures.

Here’s what I’ve learned in the past few months about myself and how you can start your creative adventure.

Start with what you have

Sometimes when we hear “new”, we think it has to be something that is completely brand new and outside the realm of our possessions. If you were into watercolor, maybe you now want to learn oil pastels. But if you’re also like any artist, you probably have LOTS of random art supplies collecting dust. My advice is to START THERE.

For me, I had gouache supplies from 2020 that I had touched just once to do an overview video. As much as I wanted to paint with gouache, I just couldn’t. Fear of failure prevented me from starting. I was overwhelmed by all the amazing gouache artists and tutorials out there. Where do I even begin?

During one of my livestreams (for the 100 day project), I said that this particular painting could be improved by adding some gouache details. I found myself saying that a few times before I finally felt confident enough to brush away the dust and paint with it.

New Creative adventures with gouache - Audrey holding up her sketchbook showing gouache paintings of marigolds on the left page and pink peonies on the right page.

So start with what you have. The pressure of having to buy new supplies could actually discourage you from creating. So look around. Is there a colored pencil set that hasn’t been used? Is there a sketchbook with only a few used pages? What about that set of metallic colors that’s just waiting to shine?

Explore a specific skill

Pursuing a new creative adventure could mean learning a skill that will help enhance your current creative journey.

Can I share an old, deep insecurity of mine as an artist? I didn’t go to art school. I never took a figure drawing class. Aside from a jewelry-making class, I never took formal art classes on how to draw or paint.

I always enjoyed drawing and doodling. But I just never had the opportunities. So when I had a little bit of free time after one of my livestreams, I decided to watch a Skillshare class on how to draw female character faces by Gabrielle Brickey. I had saved her classes on Skillshare and had always intended to follow and learn. It may have taken a few years, but I finally did it. I watched her class, grabbed my pencil, and started sketching.

Drawing people was a skill I always wanted to learn. And Gabrielle’s class was perfect. She taught proportions. She simplified facial features. She provided so many examples and resources. I never felt more confident in drawing faces.

Be patient with your progress

This is one of the hardest things I learned. When you’re on an adventure, it’s so exciting at first. You’re expanding your skillset. Your mind is bubbling with creativity and inspiration. After that initial high, there’s a bit of a plateau where you need to grind a bit before you advance to the next level. This plateau feeling can last for a short or long period of time. It varies from person to person. But be patient through it. Don’t compare your progress with anyone else’s. And trust me – I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to you.

I hope this post was encouraging to you especially if you’ve felt stuck creatively and wanting to start something new. Adventure really is out there, but sometimes we don’t know what the first step is. So start with what you have, focus on a specific skill, and be patient with your progress. You can do it!