Finding your own creative algorithm
box journals, scrapbooking, apple crumble, school cleaners, wonky drawings.
A dark and desolate Monday in the middle of January is not the best perennial location for a birthday but I made the best of it and ate apple crumble with, (and what I consider ESSENTIAL) five choices of topping. (There were a few other people at my celebratory crumble-fest, it wasn’t just me consuming these cream infused condiments, although, dear reader, I would have quite happily done so!)
I had hoped to feel more inspired in my return to work after a lovely Christmas break, but as often happens in Jan, I felt a little at sea. As an art teacher and project maker, this used to worry me, but, with experience, I’ve learned that this is simply part of the cycle. With some gentle paper-shuffling, browsing art books, testing materials, and tidying the studio, I gradually find my way back.
I like to think that if art took a physical form and sat with us, as a friend, it would really like to hunker down in winter. It would enjoy a getting cosy by a crackling fire, mugs of steaming hot tea, a wool blanket on its lap and a great big stack of books teetering on the table next to it. Art would be quite the introvert over the winter, really embracing having few social plans, retreating into indulgent creative projects and leaving lots of little piles of toast crumbs and cut paper around the house.
Last Sunday I decided it was time to get myself creatively ‘up-and-running’ again.
We’d been out and about for a nice walk along a canal and onwards down a twisty, tree laden path to inspect the ancient, village church. This is currently my favourite hobby, despite being devoid of natural piety, I just love looking at the art in the form of stained glass windows, tapestry kneelers, medieval wall paintings and, often, 1000 years of foot-worn-floors. Old English Churches are, mostly, extremely peaceful, uplifting and welcoming places to be, you can actually inhale it (and I do) when you enter, through a wide Hogwarts style door)
I digress…
So, after all the walking and inhaling, I felt very creative but didn’t know what to do with myself. That’s often the way for me, so I did what I do every January; a bit of scrapbook cutting and sticking!
Through the year, I amass lots of little bits of interesting things. Snippets from the newspaper, images cut out of magazines and leaflets, postcards from exhibitions, pretty packaging, notes with nice boarders etc etc. I can’t bear to chuck them, so they sit in a lovely vintage filing tray, a little heap that accumulates through the year.
As well as imagining Art as a person, I also like to think, that while all the bits of paper are out on the table, they are having a chat with each other. (Convo might get pretty deep with the Monet and Gwen John art postcards, but the fragments of 1960’s fashion magazines would definitely be having a gossip about the outrageous price of silk stockings)
It was really interesting to lay everything out, put the images into groups (flowers, cats, lettering, patterns) and observe what I liked about them. Then a nice but of snipping and sticking.
Sometimes, when I do this, I pretend I am a beret-wearing, chain-smoking art director, wittily curating the pages based on colour or theme. More often than not, I just whip out my PVA, and old school white spatula, and just get them stuck down and then take great pleasure in the feeling of the full, buckled, gluey pages bursting, with colour and inspiration.
This will be my compass for the year ahead.
A gloriously personal, analogue version of Pinterest that I can flick through for ideas, colour palettes, inspiration and layouts. If I’m feeling really stuck, I simply can open it up and just draw a picture of one of postcards.
Scrapbooking for the soul: a creative reset
I created a mini workshop about this process a couple of years ago and so many people got in touch to say how much they enjoyed it and how it had helped them find a bit of easy direction for the year ahead.
Working like this helps to reconnect with the things YOU are actually inspired by, to notice what is coming to you from your own creative algorithm and reset your brain. It’s the perfect antidote to the over saturated, social media bombardment of ideas and images.
You can find it here. Get 25% off using the code SCRAP25 at the checkout
The Box Journal Method: A Workshop
We had a very good time at the Box Journaling workshop earlier in the month, and then the quiet co-working session the following week. It was so good to see how those of you who came, adapted the idea to make it your own. I’ll be sharing some of the work produced, over the next few weeks.
During the class I shared:
A clear structure you can use again and again
Easy drawing ideas that don’t require skill or planning
Ways to keep a visual journal going without it becoming a chore
Low barrier materials
Very limited colour palettes
The class is now available if you fancy having a go…
If you purchased the class but haven’t yet watched the recording. You can login to your library using the link below, where you will find the recordings of the workshop, the work along, lots of notes on materials, prompts and ideas.
Here’s my bedside reading pile. It’s a small stack of very easy to read books because I only read one page a night before I nod off. This is about as edgy as it gets…
I’m loving it! Set in the 1960s, it leans into a slower, simpler way of living, one I really enjoy escaping into during these confusing and worrying times.
It also reminds me of my own job as a school cleaner when I was still at school! Honestly, it was the worst job I’ve ever had. I was miserable doing it and even more miserable during the school day, dreading the thought of staying until 6pm to scrub the loos and showers in the girls’ changing rooms (though I suppose it could have been worse… the boys’ changing rooms!).
There was a curious social hierarchy among the school cleaners, led by the ‘matriarch’ who proudly wore The Pink Tabard stretched across her ample bust. I found myself firmly at the bottom of that pecking order (along with the school caretaker, Bernard), because I was the youngest and newest, because I listened to my Sony Walkman while working, and because I was ‘one of them’ (the teachers). When I told one of my fellow bottom-of-the-barrel cleaners that I wasn’t actually a teacher, but a student doing my A-levels, she replied, “same fing,” and sent me off to empty the sanitary bins. All very character-building, though.
Please do share terrible jobs in the comments. I’d love to read about them. They would make a good theme for a ‘zine, I think!
People Drawing
An ongoing question I get asked is whether I will be doing a people drawing workshop/course this year. The answer is…I think so…?!
The reason I’m a bit wholly and none committal about it is because I’m not sure what I can offer in the realms of life drawing/sketching people that others have not. The internet is awash with all it! But I will continue my pondering on it, and I know when I do this, that I usually arrive at something.
My very best advice, however, if you want to improve your skills is to do a bit of proper, good ol’ fashioned life drawing. The Draw Brighton Patreon, has, in my humble opinion, got the best resources available for learning ‘formal’ life drawing and portraiture, and regular, weekly, online live sessions which are excellent value.
I look forward to it every week and so far, apart from the apple crumble, it’s been my favourite January thing.
Upcoming Events and Workshops
February Sketchbook Q & A
I’ll be recording a little Q&A session about all things arty, papery and sketchbooky. Send me your questions and queries!
Box Journaling Mini Sessions
Throughout February and March, I’ll be running some Box Journal mini sessions. The aim is to use the small box format as a tiny art lesson, so we’ll be covering such things as tone/value, colour AND adding yourself, as a character, into a picture!
The February classes will be available to book in the next week. I’ll be in touch with details.
Live Wonky, Draw Wonky!
Hooray, hooray! The Wonky line drawing club is back!
From April onwards, I’ll be restarting my Wonky Line Drawing Club which will run throughout the Spring into the summer. These are guided, timed drawing sessions with interesting prompts and ideas to help you loosen up your lines!
Happy Scribbling, my sweet friend!
Lucia xxx
Miss Read! I’ve read them all and what a delightful time that was.
Lucia, you are a lovely writer, as well as a beautiful artist! I totally enjoyed your box journal workshop and may continue doing these in my scrapbook/journal! I will most definitely look at your new workshops on offer! I have also collected all kinds of paraphernalia to use in my journals and book making!
Your book pile has me wanting to see if I can find them in my library here in Canada!
What a job you had as a student! As for a terrible job when I was young: It wasn't terrible it was just an odd job. I worked for a telephone answering service, the kind that has about 10 to 15 switchboards! As a student I worked weekends (alone until noon) starting at 7 a.m. in a seedy part of town! There were often homeless men sleeping in the entrance to the stairwell that I had to climb. There were about a half dozen locks on the big wooden door on the third floor. I had to handle all the calls from all the switchboards alone until my colleague arrived. It really was crazy! I would remove all the chairs from each switchboard, and then just have one on wheels that I put at the end of the row. I also then had one receiver plugged into a few boards along the row, so when a call would come in I would roll myself to that switchboard and grab the receiver and connect the call. Sometimes I had many calls at once! It was dizzying at times! Thanks for jogging that memory!