“How a graphic artist discovers to free his creativity and have fun” is the alternate title for journal d’une décomplexion graphique, a record of an ongoing journey in letting go of artistic insecurities. A detailed, hand-written note on the blog explains, “I love my job, but I don’t love my work. Few are the projects which I feel proud of and would like to put in a book.” Crushed by deadlines from time-consuming jobs, over years this artist began to feel their sense of creativity shriveling. When do I have fun in all this? Stuck behind a computer all day with no chance to mess around and then coming home too tired to do anything, there was a growing fixation on the idea of taking a pen or pencil to paper.
The answer to overcoming these creative obstacles came by making a resolution to fill up two sketchbooks: One for doodles, and one for a visual diary. It became a daily test in not limiting yourself as an artist, and letting go of the fear of making drawings that are not “up to par.” The journals don’t only stick to pen and pencil doodles either. As the artist’s creativity flourished, unusual media found its way in between the pages more and more. I love photos of the open books where you catch glimpses of strange materials peaking out from previous pages. The final stage of this artistic journey (outlined step-by-step in the blog’s note to readers) is having the courage to show your work. After all, “Can there be real progress if I stash everything in a drawer?”
