Love the process

This past week my kiddo made her first painting, ever. It was a moment that filled me with so much pride I can't stop thinking about it. This year we joined a super cool neighborhood co-op preschool, where I'm required to be there one of the two days we go. On this day I was lucky enough to be stationed in the art room when my little one decided it was time to dip into the jars of thick, wonderfully bright tempura paints. I had to pull in the reigns of my excitement for this particular first; I stood back to let her have her own moment.

The painting is a huge and wonderful mish-mash of swirling, hot pink, yellow, and orange with thick drips oozing down the sides. I love it, and I'm pretty sure it will be going in a frame. Besides it being her first painting, it means so much more to me. It is such a pure and honest expression of doing something just for the joy of doing it.

The online class I am taking posed this question last week: Do you love the process of what you are doing? And the question couldn't have come at a better time for me. I thought about it as I watched my girl, and many of the other enthusiastic kids in the art room. How is it that we get so far away from expressing ourselves in this way? Just letting ourselves do what feels good in that moment? And more importantly, how can we get back to it?

As far as my current process goes, I love a lot about it. I sketch things in my sketchbook, draw them into the computer, work with textures, colors, and get to move things around without redoing the entire thing. I love that I can make my stuff on the couch, in my studio, in bed, or even outside. I love that I can just fold up my laptop and it is all inside. I love that with the click of a button and a little dinero, I can order 250 replications of what I made at 1 a.m., and they arrive at my doorstep a week later smelling of delicious inks and perfectly trimmed. I've worked long and hard (with many pitfalls along the way), to find a process that works for me and is also doable in the time I have to dedicate to it at this point in my life.

At the same time, I do miss making art with my hands. Working on the computer can leave me feeling pretty far removed at times. So, while I am not willing to reinvent the wheel right now, I'm going to be thinking of ways I can be more connected to my process. Whatever that means, I'll be sure to let you know.