Ok, so I have a little confession to make. I started to spring clean the house this morning with the intention of sorting out some of my fabrics. I then discovered some baubles that I'd bought at Christmas to paint, but had forgotten about. I may have got slightly distracted with said baubles and decided to make some spring decorations instead of cleaning and honestly it was the best decision I've made in days. I spent two hours painting in the sunshine and it was luxurious.

As I spend so much of my time working on a laptop or computer it feels intuitive for me to pick up my stylus to draw. However, something really magical happens when I draw or paint onto a physical object whether it be a canvas, into a sketch book or onto ceramics. Working with physical tools creates a much more tangible experience. Holding a pen or paintbrush and feeling the resistance as they make marks gives the encounter a tactility you don't get by simply drawing on to a screen. Like reading a physical book in comparison to a Kindle, my brain relishes the immersive experience which I feel enhances my focus and engagement causing me to become more relaxed.

While of course there are many benefits of drawing with a stylus onto a screen, including the multiple editing capabilities, there is something lovely about making a mark then being able to rub it out or draw on top of it while not completely erasing the original trace, which all adds to the character of the piece. Colouring or re-colouring artwork can take seconds in a computer program, where as layering or mixing to create the exact shade or hue takes time using traditional methods. These can however be very therapeutic. Blending colours can evoke different emotions, but even the act of mixing the colours is an act of creation itself, before you have even made a single line with them. All of these elements contribute to form the narrative of the piece, something which I am very passionate about.

So if you're looking for a project to distract you from your screen for a while, I would highly recommend picking up a paintbrush or pencil and get creating. I wouldn't swap my screen and stylus for the world, but sometimes the energy from a physical project is a welcome reprieve.

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