Radials
This semester, my learning has informed my personal art practice by shifting importance to the act of making itself rather than the finished product. The ritualistic creation of radial watercolor forms removes personal blocks of what I should make, maintaining the physical process of creation without having pressure of knowing what images to produce. Emphasizing sensory and kinesthetic components such as manipulating water and colors minimizes personal judgements, and energy can be focused on creation.
The repetitive nature of the process has promoted a more prolific art practice, which has led me to the benefits of making more often, including slowing down, centering myself in the present moment, emotional regulation, and therefore, enjoyment. Previously, my relationship to art involved self depreciation and negative thought spirals if I was not yielding large quantities of work because of social factors like comparison or unintentionally subscribing my art practice to capitalistic ideologies. Over contemplating how the art would be received bypassed what the art did for me. This semester, I’ve forced myself to reshape my artistic biases in order to make my eye to see art through a therapeutic lens, which in turn has allowed me to deepen my understanding of what art making does for me at every step.
My relationship to art has benefitted so much from this program because I have pushed myself to be free to make stuff unconditionally. Placing significance on process rather than product has translated as a metaphor for other areas of my life as well, as I grapple with mindfulness and being present in a culture that wants you to always be at your next destination rather than being content in the journey. I think about the privileges I have that make it to where I can spend a couple hours in my house painting each week, and it helps me release myself from the creative constraints I’ve struggled with. Ultimately, I just feel lucky that I get to do this. The gratitude helps me meet my practice with peace.
Star Cluster, 2025
This semester, my learning has informed my personal art practice by shifting the importance to the act of making itself rather than the finished product. The ritualistic creation of radial watercolor forms removes personal blocks of what I should make, maintaining the physical process of creation without the pressure of knowing what images to produce. Emphasizing sensory and kinesthetic components, such as manipulating water and colors, minimizes personal judgements, and energy can be focused on creation.
The repetitive nature of the process has promoted a more prolific art practice, which has led me to the benefits of making more often, including slowing down, centering myself in the present moment, emotional regulation, and therefore, enjoyment. Previously, my relationship to art involved self-deprecation and negative thought spirals if I was not yielding large quantities of work because of social factors like comparison or unintentionally subscribing my art practice to capitalistic ideologies. Overcontemplating how the art would be received bypassed what the art did for me. This semester, I’ve forced myself to reshape my artistic biases in order to make my eye to see art through a therapeutic lens, which in turn has allowed me to deepen my understanding of what art making does for me at every step.
My relationship to art has benefited so much from this program because I have pushed myself to be free to make stuff unconditionally. Placing significance on process rather than product has translated as a metaphor for other areas of my life as well, as I grapple with mindfulness and being present in a culture that wants you to always be at your next destination rather than being content in the journey. I think about the privileges I have that allow me to where I can spend a couple of hours in my house painting each week, and it helps me release myself from the creative constraints I’ve struggled with. Ultimately, I just feel lucky that I get to do this. The gratitude helps me meet my practice with peace.
