The Meaning of "Meraki"

Hello, friend!

Have you ever heard a word that changed you? I’m talkin’ “full-pivot, fundamentally changing your life”.

Storytime…

Last year I challenged myself to create 100 scene studies from some of my favorite films and TV shows, centered around 20 different themes (architecture, desserts, creatures, etc.) In a blur of a year, I somehow managed to finish the challenge and ended 2022 with 100 paintings. But there was a problem…

I had spent so much time studying the work of other artists that I was no longer hearing my own artistic voice. Sure, I had leveled up my technical skills. I could now easily sketch/paint just about anything from references, I was confident in my color mixing skills, and I now had a better understanding of lighting, composition, and color. But I had no ideas. I had quieted my imagination in order to complete this challenge. So I needed a new goal.

At the beginning of 2023, I challenged myself to create 20 ORIGINAL illustrations centered around the themes I used in the scene studies challenge. I wasn’t starting from zero. These prompts gave me a small jumping-off point. The goal for this new challenge was to reconnect with MY artistic voice. To learn to listen to it again. To take the skills I built from the studies challenge and apply them to my own illustrations. But I had another problem.

I wasn’t really enjoying art anymore. The passion and love I had once felt during my creative practice was now replaced with crippling fear and a lackluster attitude. I didn’t simply need to change what I was creating; I needed to change my mindset toward creating.

Now you may have seen these two little creatures over the past couple of years: Bits and Bobbles.

There’s been a fair amount of debate over what kind of creatures they are, but for now, let’s just call them Meadow Folk. They were just about the only thing I still enjoyed sketching. The second I would begin to sketch them, I would let go of any fear and doubt and simply create. I don’t pretend to own these characters and their stories. To me, they aren’t characters. They’re friends. I am merely a sharer of the stories they tell me.

A few illustrations into this year’s challenge, I realized I was still just going through the motions of creativity. Sure, I liked the first few illustrations, and I’m still proud of them, but my heart wasn’t fully in it. So I decided to bring Bits and Bobbles into the challenge. I wanted to explore not just the characters, but their home. Where do they live? A meadow seemed like the ideal, cozy and nature-y place for them, and I began exploring words that start with “M” (I’m a big fan of alliteration, so the meadow most definitely needed an alliterative name.) After a lot of searching, I stumbled upon the most beautiful word:

Meraki.

This enchanting, Greek word means: “to do something with soul, creativity, or love. To put something of yourself into your work.” The moment I read it, I knew this was it. “Meraki” embodies everything that Bits and Bobbles are, and it embodies everything I want to be as an artist. So I painted. I painted Bits and Bobbles’ homes in the Meraki Meadow for the TREES theme, and that long-forgotten, yet faintly familiar fire of creative passion was rekindled.

Since then I’ve explored more of the Meraki Meadow in my illustrations, as well as a few subjects outside of it. But each illustration since has been created with love. Created with soul and the desire to say something with my art, and to share even the smallest piece of myself in it.

With that, I want to show you the sketch for this week’s theme (TRAINS) which features the first actual sighting of Bits and Bobbles during this challenge!

The painting process is well underway, and I’m so excited for you to see the finished illustration! It’s been a true joy to work on it and explore another special part of the Meraki Meadow. I’ll be sharing the story behind it with you soon!!

Thank you for listening to my story and for letting me share my art with you.