Start Small

The allure of grand, sweeping projects. We all fantasise about that epic mural or the sprawling series of masterpieces that will finally launch our career as successful artists. But the reality is, if you’re like me, your free time is spread very thinly between, parenting, your ‘paying the bills’ work and boring adult duties. I mean, sure, jumping headfirst into some monumental creative endeavor sounds exhilarating until you realise you also need to, you know, eat, sleep, and maintain the illusion of having your life somewhat together. Why not start smaller? Design a simple tote bag or sticker and work your way up from there.

Seriously, mini-projects are your new best friend. Think of them as the snack-sized version of creativity—just enough to keep you going without causing a full-blown creative indigestion.

Here’s the beauty of it: with a tiny project, there’s no pressure. You can play around with that weird art style you’ve always wanted to try or test out a new medium that’s been gathering dust in your studio. And if it’s terrible? Who cares? It’s small enough to crumple up, toss in the bin, and pretend it never happened.

Plus, starting small means there’s less at stake. You’re not investing weeks or months into something that could turn out to be a disaster. It’s more like dipping your toe into the water, instead of cannonballing in and immediately regretting it.

Once you start accumulating these mini-projects, you might stumble upon something you actually like. Something that clicks. Suddenly, without even realising it, you’ve found a style or medium that resonates with you. And then? Well, that’s when you can consider scaling up—now with confidence that you won’t immediately flop.

So go ahead, pick up that pencil or paintbrush, and let yourself play. You might just surprise yourself. Or, worst case scenario, you’ll have a bunch of tiny, forgettable disasters—either way, it’s a win!