I never thought I’d write this down, but thinking it might be helpful. So, here we go!

It was a pattern that I finally saw in myself while I was still studying in San Francisco. During my MFA program, I got a lot of opportunities to unlearn and relearn how to draw, how to paint, and how to see while drawing and painting. It was overwhelming, but one thing for sure is that there was more joy than struggle. After a while, I realized that making artwork is much more than controlling the tools to visualize ideas. It’s also about how not to doubt during the process and when to stop. It might be a very personal interpretation of creating artwork, but if I ever feel connected with a piece, it usually happened during the moment that I catch myself going back to brush strokes or pencil lines that still embed or carry the emotions of its creator.

In the past, I would shy away from my connections with my tools because I thought it was all been done before and I’ll never be as good as artists who have already made it. But then, I started to try to see what I had made and what I love about my work, and I realize I got this tendency to leave hints of the process. It can be something simple like not erasing the sketches entirely or layering colors with low opacity so whatever is underneath can still be seen. I try to not lose this artistic voice but it is easier said than done because I don’t ever feel my voice has only one look, it is constantly evolving and changing. I don’t want to be too careful about it, either, it might be another way to lose it.

Being an illustrator has given me some really cool chances to create visual messages. And I think the tools I use has help me along the way for a very long time; maybe even before I realize it. I guess that’s why I decided to start making nice space for them.

Anyways, I believe this philosophy of caring is probably an old story. But, as rookie as I can be as a very fleating part in the history of humanity, I hope this is something that are still related.

See you next time!