What’s on the Easel: Learning, Layers, and Letting Go

If you stepped into my studio right now, you’d find a work in progress — several, in fact.

Some half-painted canvases. A few swatches and scribbles. A palette still drying. It might not look like much at first glance, but to me, it’s full of momentum.

Not the polished, ready-to-frame kind.

The honest, scrappy, exploratory kind.

Lately, I’ve been giving myself permission to experiment. To try new things. To not know how a piece will turn out. I’ve been shifting from overthinking every brushstroke to asking myself a softer question:

“What if I just play?”

A big part of this has come from working in my junk journal. That space has become my sandbox — no pressure, no rules, just pages where I can scribble, smudge, layer, and let go.

One of those pages recently became a surprise source of inspiration. I was playing with the palette knife, scraping leftover greens across the paper — not thinking, just responding to texture and colour. And when I looked down… something clicked. I loved the marks. The movement. The feel of it.

junk journal, where perfection isn't wanted but where ideas are created.

And now I’m thinking… what if I take that to canvas?

That’s what’s currently on the easel — not a finished piece, but a conversation. Between me and the paint. Between fear and freedom. Between old perfectionist habits and the part of me that just wants to make something.

And sometimes, that process includes completely starting over. I’ve whitewashed a few pieces recently — not out of frustration, but out of curiosity. I’m learning that starting over doesn’t mean failure. It’s just another layer. Another story waiting underneath.

So if you’ve been hovering near your own creative space, unsure where to begin — maybe this is your nudge to just make a mark.

Any mark.

Ugly ones welcome.

Because sometimes the best ideas don’t come from careful planning… they come from letting go.

Thanks for being here, and for being part of this journey.

Let me know if this resonated with you — I’d love to hear what’s on your easel (or kitchen table, or journal page, or even just your mind right now).

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