Behind the Art. Musings on the Creative Process.
Lately I have been loving smaller. Not in life necessarily. Just on the canvas. Big gestures and large movement are still my first love. But recently, a smaller scale has been calling my name. Downsizing feels more manageable right now.
And truthfully, I do not have any of this figured out. I am still learning in art, in work, in life. I used to think there was some arrival point where I would finally feel like I knew what I was doing. But more and more, I realize I am simply a student of the process. In this experiment we call life. Always learning. Always adjusting.
“FRAGMENTS OF LIFE - NO. 704”
That is usually how creating works for me. Not in grand, sweeping moves, but in the figuring-it-out-as-you-go part. One layer invites the next. A small adjustment leads to a new direction. Sometimes I do not fully know where it is going until I am in it, and sometimes not even until it is finished.
These recent smaller pieces let me explore balance. Black against white. Organic lines next to bold shapes. Softness layered with contrast. Bits of old books, fabric scraps, memories from travels. The gathering and arranging always starts long before anything touches the surface. I spread everything out, shifting, moving, holding pieces next to each other, waiting for something to click. Harmony and contrast. A push and a pull. And when it lands, it lands. Pure magic. Then comes the glue and that familiar hesitation before committing.
Much like life, it is rarely about executing a perfect plan. It is about responding to what is right in front of you. Letting the work teach as you go. And if you happen to be a deep thinker or over-analyzer like me, you know that is not always easy.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it does not. Sometimes it is a large body of work (which I am still figuring out how to do). Sometimes it is three small collages for a local event. Either way, it is still art. It is all part of the process. And honestly, that is where I seem to keep finding myself, learning how to stay present to what is unfolding, without forcing or overplanning.
Of course, it is never just about the art. The same tension shows up everywhere. In work. In motherhood. In building a business. In simply being human. The pull to plan it all. Control it all. Perfect it all. Because certainty gives the illusion of safety, even though nothing is ever truly certain.
But the not-knowing is where creativity lives. The gap between what you can control and what you cannot. That tension between vision and surrender. Between intention and trust. It is where growth lives. It is where life lives.
And maybe that is the real work for all of us, whether you are making art or simply trying to make a life.
To release the outcome.
To honor the place and pace we are in.
To stay curious.
To keep showing up.
To release judgment.
Even in the small batch, manageable kind of ways.
Or at least that is where I am with it. Mind you, that could change next week.
Stay tuned for more glimpses inside the process, inspiration, and new work as it develops. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here.
xx,
Michel