There’s a pretty big stereotype that artists are lone wolves. Introverted. Preferring their peace and quiet. Wanting to sit in their studios for hours while they create with nothing but the sound of their favorite tunes playing in the background.
For a long time, I believed this was true for my own creative practice. Creativity was not a group project; it was personal. But the truth was, I simply didn’t have many other creatives in my life to create with. (Visual creatives, that is; I had plenty of musician pals!)
And then I went to Masterpiece Art Camp.
Suddenly I was surrounded by like-minded creatives, each one chock-full of passion for their craft. A place where creativity THRIVED in community. Suddenly my creativity came alive in a whole new way.
Over the years since then, I’ve slipped back into some of my lone wolf habits. Never sketching in public. Never meeting up with creative friends. And while my creativity doesn’t require community, it does thrive when community is present. This is a truth I needed to be reminded of.
At the beginning of April, I got to spend the week with my dearest friend, Hannah (who I actually met at Masterpiece Art Camp!) While a good portion of the week was spent laughing and crying on the couch (we had a LOT to talk about), we also spent a good deal of time creating together. From alcohol markers to gouache paints to plein air sketching. And my creativity CAME ALIVE again. I remembered what a joy it is to include someone else in your creative practice. To commiserate over mistakes, to hype each-other up over our mini masterpieces. It was truly such a blessing, and a reminder I greatly needed.
Here’s my little plein air sketch from our trip to the park!
Anyhoo, I want to encourage you to invite a creative friend out for a lil’ adventure. Sketch together in the park. Sit together at your kitchen table with your paints and brushes. Let your creativity be a community event every now and then. I promise you, your creativity will thrive, too.
Before I sign off, I just want to share that I do have a plein air course in my shop! If you like my lil’ sketch and want to learn how to sketch/paint plein air, too, this course is for you. 💛