In teaching creativity, I often have to remind students to play, or at least give them the permission to do so. This is why I ask students to make 100 sketches on one idea. This process forces them to plow through all of the logical, usual answers to get to the good stuff. It frees them up to make mistakes … helps students become adept at generating ideas faster and unlocks a wealth of possibilities. … New and innovative work comes from the unexpected places, not the “right” answer, and it’s our childlike sense of wonder, curiosity, and play that makes it possible.
James Victore, “Feck Perfuction”, Chapter One:07
Stop worrying about ‘wasting’ your art supplies by doing lots of painting without intending for it to be a perfect piece, doing it merely to see where it takes you. Art supplies are not helping your painting develop if they’re sitting on the shelf being saved for a special painting. Be generous towards yourself. Those paints we bought two, three, five, 10 years ago? Time we used them. Sure, replacing them will be more expensive than when you bought them, but hoarding them doesn’t benefit your creativity. Paint with them, play with them, mix and explore to see which colours you enjoy the most. Replace your favourites.
Got a colour you no longer use? It might be a friend’s favourite. Swap it for something. The colours no-one wants, mix them all together and spend some time playing in the colour world of browns and greys.
This is so encouraging Marion