The Importance of Play

Art can be a hard job. To say nothing of the administrative tasks that one must complete, it’s a job that can take a lot out of you. Burnout is all but a certainty in most people’s practices, so how do we push back against the coming tide? We play.

Naturally this will look different for every artist, but it’s important that we find the best way for our work to allow room for the play. Now, for me this has always been something of a challenge. There was a time I thought it meant drawing or painting for personal projects or exploring studies and other technical exercises (and that’s another part of this equation we’re not going to get into today), but what I really needed to do was work in a way that’s counter to my need for tight control. This is where crayons come into play. The Neocolor II by Caran D’Ache to be exact. They’re great. Nice and rich with the colors. Smooth and buttery with the application. But what I really appreciate about them is I can’t be precious with my line work. There’s literally no way to erase the wax (even though the Neocolor II are watersoluble once a mark is down it lives there forever) and while I’ve been able to get a fine (ish) line with them, the thicker tip makes getting detail rather difficult. So I can’t physically get stuck in the details as I am wont to do when I’m working in my sketchbook.

This is really just the latest little joy I found away from my main work. As a large-format oil painter I do enjoy delving into watercolor as a way to interrupt the tendency towards formulaic thinking. The important thing is to find something that is maybe a shift in the way you think about an approach art. Are you a highly technical representationalist? Try something more abstract! Are you a mixed-media artist? Maybe pick up some clay! Are you a digital concept artist? Try traditional painting! The point isn’t to start over with an entirely new discipline, but to reintroduce a little bit of that struggle to help shake things loose in a constructive way. Plus, if you’re anything like me, it means you get to buy a few new supplies. And when is that ever not fun?

If you’ve been stuck and not sure what to do or where to go next, this is your permission to go out there and experiment. Make a little bit of a mess. Maybe get into a little bit of good trouble. But HAVE FUN!