A Go-To Medium

It can sometimes be a challenge to take advantage of time that becomes available to make art. A moment presents itself for creative output and yet there are either no concrete ideas of what to work on, too many ideas of what to work on, projects already in process that are in a waiting stage, or projects in process that require more time than the present moment allows for and all of a sudden – this moment – once so full of exciting possibility feels a bit squished.

Very often this moment of indecision has completely stalled artistic expression for me and has left me feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and at some moments, just plain lazy, with the temptation to by-pass a chance to make something seem like an easy out. While there is a time for rest and other activities in life that are fulfilling – there is a joy, energy, and satisfaction that comes out of the creation of art that – for me – is unique to that process. To have the chance before me to delve into the creative process and to let that opportunity pass me by can be disheartening.

The keeping of an art log (see Art Log entry for more details on art logs) has been one approach to overcoming this situation. When the problem is a lack of in-process projects or a blank canvas that is causing the visual equivalent of writer’s block, the art log is a great resource for getting the next project kicked off. However, very often these moments for artistic expression arise when other obligations present time constraints and this particular creative opportunity may not be the moment to start something new. The solution I have decided to explore in these moments is to have a ‘Go-To Medium’ – a pre-selected medium to work with that can be considered an ongoing project and is a natural selection of what to work on when some unexpected time for art presents itself.

A go-to medium serves two purposes – it breaks the spell of what to work on before it has a chance to stagnate the moment and it offers and opportunity to practice new or familiar mediums on a regular basis. My current go-to medium is pen & ink drawing this means that I am keeping my ink and drawing nibs readily accessible so that at any moment I can grab them and jump into sketching (you can see one of my pen & ink sketches below). This has been my go-to medium for two months now and, while I have not turned to it as often as I might have expected to in that time period, it is a comfort to always have a project to work on a moment’s notice.

Go-To Medium projects are meant to be explorations of that medium or to offer the freedom to just experience the creative act without the expectation of a finished product. Letting go of the expectation of creating a piece of art can very often open up the process to allow for exploration of a medium in a way that may, unexpectedly, become a finished piece on its own – or may offer insight into applying that approach to a more polished piece in the future. Either way, the goal of the go-to medium is to allow for a seamless transition into art making in unexpected moments of creative opportunity.