Summer of Inspiration: Artist Date Week 14
When I first set my Summer 2025 goals, my main objective was to go out and do things. I wanted to venture outside my comfort zone to embrace opportunities that I never had in Malaysia and find communities that share the same interests and ideally, values, as me.
Reading the post again made me see how far I've come.
Since writing that post, I've found communities that I feel safe and comfortable in. I have tried so many new things that I never thought I would in such a short amount of time! From a screen printing workshop to an introduction to RPG, I am proud of myself for committing to these artist dates as well as putting myself out there and seeing what happens. Going to an unfamiliar space alone, where you know no one, can be an incredibly daunting task, but I have found comfort in doing so.
The final post of this series feels fitting as I discovered a new library resource while exploring different art mediums.
Towards the end of summer, I signed up for a 5-week Sketchbook Session at the public library's creative arts center. The creative arts center itself holds multiple arts-based workshops ranging from a wide variety of artistic pursuits. You can find acting workshops, creative writing group critique sessions, and even an introduction to shrink plastic. Everything is free, which makes for a great public resource, allowing people of all ages to explore and experiment with art in an accessible way.
I was drawn to the sketchbook session as it introduced the sketchbook as a space for creative exploration. Looking back, it's funny how limited my view of the sketchbook was before the 5-week series.
Throughout the sessions, we were introduced to collaging, mixing media, experimenting with colors, and drawing. The instructor would provide us with a prompt and some inspiration from artists, but the majority of the session was free for us to play and experiment. She would encourage us to walk around and see what everyone else was working on, which was one of my favorite parts because everyone had a different approach. No one made anything similar to each other, showcasing the range of creativity in a small group of people.
I allowed myself to have fun and not take myself too seriously, resulting in unlocking new creative pathways in my mind that I never considered.
For one of the weeks, I even made a paper sculpture while collaging plain white construction paper to add depth and dimension to the piece. By cutting holes and creating spirals, I was in a deep flow state until the instructor gave us a time check. 90 minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
The 5-week sessions were extremely reinvigorating, allowing adults to integrate play and art in our daily lives.
Play is vital to our imagination and creativity. It's sad how many of us lose the capacity for play and make-believe once we transition into the workforce. Myself included. However, these sketchbook sessions, coupled with the past few artist dates, have awakened the desire to incorporate play, creativity, and whimsy into my everyday life.
As the days get shorter and colder, I have some ideas on how to do so:
1) Solo RPGs: As someone who loved writing fiction and building worlds as a kid, this sounds like a great way to recapture that spirit and imagination. There are a few recommendations on TikTok that are on my wishlist!
2) Sketchbook sessions: The library gave us the sketchbooks to keep, so now I have plenty of blank pages to experiment with mixed media. I'm gonna see if I can incorporate household items into these explorations.
3) Sims building: Caryn and Connie are two creators who build the most jaw-dropping homes in the Sims. Inspired by their many creations, I plan on building some homes for my Sims based on the tips and tricks they share.
4) Board games: I've been learning how to play chess again, so the idea of playing it seems less daunting now that I know the basics. We recently got Scrabble too, so I foresee many evenings indulging in board games.
5) Zinemaking: With my newfound knowledge on zinemaking, I want to explore different formats, folds, and shapes in my approach to making zines. If you love making zines and want to do a zine swap, drop me a message!
