Art Supply Love Affair
Art Supply Love Affair
Here, it's okay to have a 'small problem' with art supplies
What do your supplies tell you about your artist?
Most of the creatives I know love their supplies. We might even spend more time, money, and energy buying stuff than actually using them. I get it! And, I believe that consuming is the weakest form of creativity. Sure, we get a thrill from choosing and buying the perfect pencil or pen. But if we don’t use them, we are just a shopper. Not a maker.
I have a pair of theories:
The more you are talking about writing, the less you are writing.
The more art supplies you’re buying, the less you’re actually making art.
When I teach sketchbook and drawing workshops, I ask folks to bring only their favorite supplies. It’s like I have asked them to leave a limb behind! Sometimes people show up wheeling a cart full of all the art supplies they own. What if you had to limit your choices? What comes up when you have to choose?
And yet, the fondness we have for our objects fuels our work. Touching our tools gives us access to our creative state. I often start a creative session by tidying up my studio desk. I put pens back in their cup. I rinse out my water pots and refresh them with clean water. I roll out some washi tape to embellish a page for no reason other than for fun.
Our pens and brushes and notebooks and knives become our allies. They partner with us in what we make. We rely on them to support our vision and bring our dreams to life.
Artist’s Invitation
Take inventory of your artist’s besties. Dare to exclude stuff!
Gather your most cherished items together and reflect on how they are your allies. Take a photo, make a sketch, write an ode.
Most importantly, use them. Make a goal to use up all your art supplies instead of hoarding them.
Lastly, consider getting rid of old supplies you don’t use. You can take them to the thrift store, or perhaps there’s an art recycling center near you.
Affirmation: I have all the right tools to support my artist.
In the comments: What are your favorite tool?
I don't know why but I don't hoard art supplies (I never hoarded yarn when I was knitting either). I do hoard books though.
My favorite art supplies are watercolors and oil pastels. I'm not attached to a brand of watercolors, but Mungyo and Caran d'Ache are my favorite oil pastel brands. Watercolor is so unpredictable and free, and I use super soft squirrel brushes. Oil pastel can be layered and layered and layered. They both just feel good when I'm putting the colors onto paper. I also LOVE my iPad with Procreate.
Being a writer and photographer my tools (i.e. supplies) are my camera and my computer. They are not as warm and fuzzy as your paints and pens. And there is a steep learning curve to using them well.