Often I like to know how things are going to play out.
- How the impression will print
- How the marks will work together
- How the colors will combine
But this wanting to know ahead of time can stifle creative exploration. So I try to remind myself to:
“Let go and see what happens. It is only a piece of paper.”
When I can suspend the need to know and embrace the attitude of play, then new ideas often show up. It can take some time and warm up exercises to move beyond the need to know. That is one reason that I love the gelatin printmaking process. It is easy to grab:
- a couple of stencils
- stamping tools and
- a stack of paper and start printing.
The feedback I get is immediate and I can quickly adjust my approach to change the results. I say if I get 2 out of 10 prints that I like then that is a success.
What about you? Do you allow yourself the space and time to venture into the unknown? Try it out next printing session and see what happens.
Check out the self study workshops that are available now. And jump into creating and not knowing.