Worth Making
I remember thinking,
“I’m not good enough.
I’m not creative enough.
I’m not abstract enough.
I’m not original enough.”
and the list could go on.
I would see other artists’ work and wonder how the heck they would come up with that imagery in their head. How are their imaginations and confidence so attuned to create something beautiful out of shapes and abstractions? “That’s not me.”
And - frankly - it isn’t me. That’s not how I think. I’m not super abstract. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
“What if what I make
isn’t worth making?”
Turns out, I’m a phenomenal emotional storyteller.
Yes, I can capture moments a la animation visual development compositions.
Yes, I can create illustrations that illicit a feeling of a moment, too.
As I continue on my creative journey, I see my strengths in creating emotional memories for my viewers using immersive technology + emotional storytelling + with compassion and understanding of the human experience. I take complex things, hardened experiences, and I make vulnerable safe zones for people to process and feel less alone.
I would tell that Past Estella: it’s okay if you don’t know what to draw. It’s okay that you don’t know how to make the shapes and negative space look like some very cool thought-out composition like you’re some gestalt savant.
What matters is that you’re taking a breath • slowwwinnnggg down • taking small, intentional moments to put marks on the page • connecting with your own self and the paper. That’s all that matters. The result is less important.