Day 9: get messy 🤪

and imperfect

Image from @supercaseyland

Hello Creatives!

This photo is of a reconstruction of Francis Bacon's studio. How does seeing this make you feel? What were your immediate thoughts? How would you describe this scene? What kind of art do you think this artist makes?

As someone who finds minimalism very appealing, this picture immediately STRESSED ME OUT lol, then it intrigued me (how does one work or walk around in there?), then it made me feel better about the messes I've made and how I shouldn't judge someone else's methods and the way they work!

After I saw this image, I felt like related topics kept popping up: the “messy middle” (within our creations and our lives), the idea that social media mostly shows perfectly styled images in neat little boxes, and how the process and journey usually look more like this than a straight clean line from A to B. It also made me think of how much fun it can be to make a mess sometimes! (The only bummer is having to be the one to clean it up! 😊)

We can get caught up in being exact, perfect, composed, and restrained. But sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to be more messy, chaotic, haphazard, imperfect, and unrestrained—especially when it comes to creativity! Removing restrictions allows us to express ourselves freely and unapologetically. When we are feeling stagnant, it can help us release the pressure of perfection we’ve placed on ourselves, exhale some of that stale energy, and bring some fresh vibes in!

The next time you feel uninspired, grab a piece of paper and get messy! Gather all your supplies, don’t think, make marks, color, scribble, spill, layer, finger paint, let loose, and have fun.

The messy inspired sketchbook page below is still one my favorites—to create and how it turned out! Here’s a look at the process.

From now on, let’s make more beautiful imperfect messes! :) Talk to you tomorrow,

Olivia Lin | Atiliay