The Power of Reflection.
Navigating Discomfort and Finding My Voice.
Lately we’ve been reflecting on the idea of blogging as a powerful tool for self-reflection — a way to map our creative journeys and connect the dots between our thoughts and our work. This is only the second blog I’m putting up, and honestly, I don’t yet know what the long-term benefits will be. There’s a part of me that feels apprehensive about making my reflections public. It’s uncomfortable, and it leaves me feeling vulnerable. What if my thoughts are misunderstood? What if sharing makes me feel too exposed?
But I’m choosing to lean into that discomfort, hoping that in time, it will lead to growth. There’s something valuable in putting these thoughts out into the world. Even though it’s uneasy, I believe there’s strength in being open — especially as an artist, where the act of sharing is part of the process. By reflecting on why I do certain things, I hope to find more clarity and maybe even reclaim a bit of power in my voice that I haven’t fully tapped into yet.
One of the things that struck me during the discussion was how much blogging can reveal about your own interests. I thought I knew what I was drawn to, but I’m starting to realise that certain themes — like the contrast between urban and natural environments—are more important to me than I first understood. Blogging might help me connect those dots, allowing me to recognise patterns in my work and life that weren’t obvious before.
It’s also a way to practice valuing my own perspective, something that I’ve struggled with. I tend to be analytical, an observer more than a participant. This puts me on the fringes at times, and it’s a habit that I’m working on changing. I want to reclaim my voice and appreciate it as a valuable part of my practice. I might not know yet exactly how this blog will help, but I hope that through reflection and sharing, I’ll start to see the strength in my own thoughts.
I’ve noticed that certain habits — like the music I listen to while painting — are deeply intertwined with my creative process. I always paint to fast, intense classical music or classical-EDM hybrids. It helps me disconnect from the outside world and fully enter a meditative state. There’s an energy in those moments, and when I look at my paintings later, I don’t just see the visual elements. I hear the music that formed them, and I feel the emotions that were present when I created them.
These reflections make me question where I want to take my art next. I’m drawn to contrasts — particularly between natural and man-made spaces—and I want to push that further. I’ve been thinking about exploring this through larger, elongated works, playing with scale to capture the tension between the two. There’s a vibrancy and energy in our environments that often goes unnoticed, and I feel compelled to highlight that in my work.
At the same time, I’m trying to bridge the gap between the two sides of myself: the analytical and the intuitive. They’ve often felt like separate parts of me, but maybe they don’t have to be. If I can bring them together, I think it will deepen both my process and my understanding of why I create. I’m not entirely sure how it will all come together, but I hope this blog can help me figure that out over time.
Ultimately, this blog is an experiment—a way to track my thoughts and creative shifts. I don’t know yet what I’ll gain from it, but I do know that there’s value in speaking your truth into the world, even when it’s uncomfortable. And maybe, in looking back, I’ll see that these reflections were the key to unlocking new insights about myself and my art.
