Starting from Scratch: Overcoming Creative Burnout & Making Room to Play

Almost a year ago, I spent all my spare time drawing. I didn’t expect the following year to unfold the way it did, and now I find myself feeling like I’m starting from scratch. A big part of that unexpected detour was a project I threw myself completely into.

Why I Closed My Art Print Subscription

I launched the Seasonal Club, which lasted for three editions. I wanted this snail mail club to work so badly that it ultimately became my worst enemy. It was the hardest lesson I’ve learned in a long time. That might sound silly since it’s "just" a print subscription, but I poured all my creative and logistical energy into it, only for it to become the exact opposite of what I was preaching: mindfulness and slow living.

The beautiful messages from subscribers resonating with my art and letters were what kept me going. However, the stress of lost envelopes, emails from worried customers, and the pressure to finish another drawing on a strict deadline all added up. I realized I was creating art to fit the subscription format, rather than making the best work I could.

Making art on a rigid schedule just doesn’t suit me while balancing a full-time job. It was incredibly hard to give up because I saw its potential. It was a dream to share my work affordably with so many people.

The Lesson: No matter how badly you want something to work, you have to dig deep inside and make sure it’s the right thing for you.

Giving Myself Space to Play

Finally, I decided it was time to give myself space to experiment with other mediums. My art journey was just beginning, yet I was already building walls around it. It was a pity to keep neglecting the part of myself that simply wanted to play. This desire had been written on my wishlists and journal pages for years; it’s strange to look back and find the same message repeated over and over.

My first instinct is always to add rules and guidelines. I considered having an "art residency" at home, committing to a new medium every day, until I realized that was just another recipe for burnout. The best decision I made was giving myself a dedicated weekly timeslot to explore whatever medium I felt drawn to, completely free of commitments.

Monotype Experiments: Glass Plate & Gelli Plate

My first few weeks were dedicated to monotype. I’ve been fascinated by this printmaking medium for so long, and it was the most exciting thing on my list. I’ve tried several techniques so far and still have a few more to explore.

I also started a new sketchbook to collect all these experiments, interesting textures, and the little bits that fuel my imagination. I think I’ll call it my Textures Book or Lab Book. Right now, it houses black and white monotypes and India ink textures.

Some of the techniques I tried are glass plate transfers, glass transfers on inked watercolor paper, gelli plate prints, leaf prints, and mixing together a gelli plate print with a glass plate transfer. Tracing monotypes were the most difficult on thick watercolor paper. The India ink techniques are flat washes and glazing, charging with water, wet-on-dry gradients, cauliflower blooms, dry brushing, sponge textures, and splatters over a masked area (which inspired me so much!).

Facing My Fear of Color: Watercolor Mixing Charts

Something you might not know about me is that I grew up with the belief that “I’m bad with color”. It honestly scares me, but color is so beautiful, and I deeply crave it in my work. I currently use watercolor washes to tone the paper, but that’s about the extent of it. While I don’t plan to paint realistically anytime soon, I want to explore the role color could play in my art.

I started by watching some great introductory YouTube videos and built a basic palette of six colors, not counting earth tones (ok, not six, more like sixteen). The most fun part was mixing them all, creating color swatches, and being completely amazed by the results.

The main six pigments are: Winsor Yellow PY154, Permanent Rose PV19, Vermilion PR255, French Ultramarine PB29, Helio Cerulean PB 15:3, and Phthalo Green PG7.

What Comes Next?

First, I need to finish a drawing that has been sitting on my easel for far too long. I finally understood why I was resisting it: once it was finished, I didn't know what I wanted to do next. It was much easier to ignore it and play with colors or monotypes to quickly scratch that creative itch.

After that, I want to take my time and answer all those creative questions and wishes sitting in my journals. Whatever emerges on the other side, I hope it will be true to myself.

If you want to keep up with these journal updates, I’m sharing them first in my newsletter → subscribe here.

Shop Update: Worldwide Print Shipping

In the meantime, despite the current economic turmoil, I’ve decided to open standard print shipping for only €10 worldwide (sadly, this excludes the US for now, as standard tracked shipping still isn't permitted, only private parcels).

Shipping prices have become insane and it’s difficult to keep up with all the changes. I’m still offering a courier option for original artworks and for those who wish to receive their parcels faster.

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Until next time,
Adina 🖤