February 4, 2020

The usefulness of constraints

It’s easy to put limits on ourselves. To see these things as barriers that prevent us from doing what we want to do. My desk is too small. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have a ‘space’. I can’t afford to do art. I can’t draw. But barriers are only barriers if you see them that way.

Of all the mediums, why did I start with watercolour? (Apparently, the most difficult, according to oil painters).

Well, because my desk is too small (for acrylics). I don’t have the luxury of time (that oils demand). I don’t have the ‘space’ (to store artwork that takes too long to dry). I didn’t have a lot of money (to afford canvases, brushes, mediums, etc.).

Watercolour, for me, is the ultimate medium. It dries fast. It doesn’t stain my furniture (much). It only needs a piece of paper, which is lightweight and can be as big or small as your circumstances require. It’s cheap to get started. It’s portable, too.

Barriers are only barriers because we imagine them to be. If we try to use our constraints and see them as shaping us, rather than limiting us, maybe we’ll discover something that fits in with life, but still feeds our soul.

Other observations
February 24, 2026

Can I do this?

Where does the motivation for beginning mark making come from? Why would I even try in the first place?

February 17, 2026

Visibility and confidence

How might we become less reliant on other people’s reaction to our work and the confidence to make more of it?

February 10, 2026

Proof of existence

Why do I feel compelled to share my work with anyone at all? Isn’t it enough just to make it for me?

February 3, 2026

Something beyond raw materials

Some work, like some meals, stand out more than others. So what’s on the plate or canvas that goes beyond ingredients or paint?

January 27, 2026

Effort has value

Whether we’re aware of it or not, humans tend to be able to feel the human effort behind work.

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