What gets someone ecstatic about learning a new skill that's difficult and bypasses all mental blocks? For me, it's different forms of crafts. I've always been into art, but not necessarily artistic. There was this pervasive anxiety constantly riddling me about the validity of being an actual artist and how good my work actually is, but for anyone feeling that way crafts are a wonderful way of getting yourself into the art world, because it's all fun. For awhile I'd paint on canvases exclusively, but sometimes canvases can feel overwhelming, like they needed a purpose, a place to go. Then I'd spend hours worrying about how they'd appear, especially if they ended up on my wall (or an anxiety inducing worse- someone else's). I still overanalyze my wall art sometimes.
Craft painting came to me when I became infatuated with painting rocks I'd hoard from my hikes and walks. I instantly felt more enjoyment in the subject, because it could be something I could play around with, and it sparked a small joy whenever I'd hand someone a small painted rock I'd done. I traded my inner criticism for the pure joy of sharing my art with others. That's when I realized leisurely art was way more compatible with my high stress, high anxiety, maybe sometimes too critical thought processes, because instead of wanting to give someone some very perfect canvas painting, I just wanted to learn how to paint things and concepts I never thought I could manage. I have a lot of respect for people who can do art very well, but my brain is riddled with maybe a little too much detail oriented perfectionism (and I still end up stuck even on craft art).
My very first painted pot was in the beginning of quarantine in 2020. I was talking to someone who sparked a lot of creativity in me since they were an artist as well. I wanted to do something nice for them, but I wanted it to be bolder than a small rock painting. Canvas still intimidated me (I hope one day it doesn't and hey if you have any tips definitely feel free to share!) and I was working in a greenhouse at the time so I accumulated a plethora of terracotta pots. I painted and painted (over and over at least five times because I didn't know how to do any of it - not clouds nor dandelions and my background ended up seeing a million layers to cover it) but I kept at it because I knew that something painted that I could pair with some plants was exactly what I wanted out of that pot. Plants are beautiful, right? You can do anything to pair with them. Then it hit me, this is a great hobby with so much use. I love the shape of terracotta and how you can create movement and depth with the way it curves 360 degrees. I realized there's no penalty for messing up, and the only outcome is success over time as long as I took the time to learn and try again. And after hours of work, it turned out how I wanted it. There was so much satisfaction from planting my first plants in there, and I went with a set of ferns to accommodate the color scheme and scenery I went with.
A couple mistakes though - I did not prime or seal it. If you want to do this kind of thing I highly recommend using a primer and a sealer. It only ended up lasting a few months (super boo) because it peeled and accumulated white buildup (this is normal for pots and isn't mold just mineral buildup) from the water, and it also cracked, which isn't ideal. I still have it nevertheless because it was the first plant sown for this journey to my pot business. Now I exclusively paint terracotta pots because honestly what makes an avid plant lady and artist more happy than pairing the two? And the joy of sharing it with you guys? Priceless!
What's your favorite way to art? ♥️
