Creative Process & Development | February 2025
Birdfest Continued in February:
The daily practice of drawing birds, inspired by the "Birdfest" challenge, remained a crucial part of my creative routine. Despite shifting work commitments, I found ways to keep this practice alive—on the train, as a daily reminder when I wasn’t at my desk. The adaptability of this exercise reinforced how essential continuous creative engagement is, regardless of circumstances.
Another highlight in my continued journey of learning to draw animals was a drawing session on seals. What a joy to draw these beautiful creatures!
Visual Expression as Resilience:
During a resilience workshop that I hosted, participants spent 30 minutes drawing, with one remarking, “this is like therapy.” This moment underscored the healing power of creative expression. It reminded me of Kate Sutton’s book Drawing on Grief: Exploring Loss Through Creativity, which provides prompts to help navigate loss through visual art. Revisiting this theme made me reflect on the deep connection between visual creativity and emotional resilience.
The image in the centre and on the right below are taken from the book & translated into German.
Reflections Through Past Visual Journals:
Looking through my visual journals from two years ago, I was struck by how much creative expression contributes to personal resilience. These old sketches, ideas, and visual notes captured emotions and insights that might otherwise have been lost. They served as a reminder that the creative process is not just about making art—it’s also a way of processing experiences and fostering growth.
Visual Expression & Co-Creation:
Another recurring theme this month was visual iteration in co-creation. Working with others, sharing ideas, and visually developing concepts together resulted in unexpected yet enriching creative outcomes. This iterative process highlighted the power of collaboration in creative work. Also, I got really hung up by a framework someone shared in a workshop (there is a part of me that really really loves models and frameworks!). Drawing this again and again really nourished and guided my thinking processes in fresh ways, which I’m so grateful for.
Visual Work of an future gathering
What I Created and Didn’t Like:
I made a visual note for a gathering I co-hosted, but something about it felt off. Perhaps it was the constraint of limiting myself to an hour, including a bit of prep work. It didn’t feel "right," and I found myself wanting to transform it into a "visual story"—something that felt more complete and worth sharing. I took a fresh approach and drew a couple of thumbnails that feel way more like I would want to feel the story there is to tell about the gathering. I’m curious for its next stage!
Thumbnails
Final Thoughts:
This month reinforced the connection between creative expression and resilience, highlighting the importance of maintaining a reflective and evolving creative practice. Whether through daily sketches, revisiting old work, or co-creating with others, these experiences deepened my understanding of creativity as both a personal and shared journey.
P.S.: March is about trees … here’s a first glimpse
