When I arrived in Montréal for my usual winter stay, I made a decision: this time, I wouldn’t buy any art supplies. No new brushes, no watercolour sets or markers. Since I started illustrating, I’ve compulsively accumulated art materials, always telling myself that each new purchase was essential to my creativity.
I dislike feeling cluttered and over time, I’ve gotten good at resisting the urge to buy too much — despite my love for clothes, shoes, and, as my parents would surely remind me if they read this, the number of coats I own. But art supplies? That’s my weakness. The excuses are too convenient: it’s my job! My expenses are investments! Exploring new media is part of my process!
The Illusion of Perfect Tools
“When I have X, then I’ll be able to create Y.”
This thought has been both comforting and deceiving, a form of procrastination mixed with wishful thinking. And yet, while new materials can be exciting at first, ideas are born from time spent practising, exploring, and making mistakes.
To Create Is to Play
The process has to be playful for me to love what I create. Somewhere along the way, the pressure became too much. I sought tools to improve and to push my creativity further. Each time I unwrapped and tested something new, that sense of play briefly returned. Over time, as I navigated the ups and downs of being an independent illustrator, it became harder to “play” at drawing the way I used to. This is something I hope to rediscover by exploring differently.
Exploring Differently
I love experimenting with new materials and want to keep doing so — but strategically, consciously, not impulsively. This year, I want to explore what I already have: the soft pastels, bought because I was so inspired by Pierre Boncompain that I’ve barely touched. The intimidating oil paints that quickly get packed away. Painting on the walls of my Montréal apartment.
A New Standard for 2025
For me, creativity is above all a personal adventure with one’s inner world. There are no tricks; it’s about curiosity and time spent experimenting. The path is never truly made easier by new art supplies or any kind of wishful thinking. It’s harder, but in some ways, far more accessible than we tend to believe. It asks for nothing more than what we already have at hand.
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