Friday, September 25, 2009

It's All About The Process

I love when writers and artists share their process. Afterall, what's that phrase? It's not where you end up but how you got there that matters. Its the journey, the discovery - that's the fun part. So, when I came across the preliminary sketches of, children's book author and illustrator, Madi's new book I'm A Little Bit Scared Of... you can imagine my excitement.

The book is amazing! I mean I adore mixed media in general, but her use of collage work in this children's book is just stunning. Here take a look and see what I mean...

Madi's use of fabric, paper, and original drawings all meld perfectly together to form a cohesive world for her characters. Speaking of, let's take a look at some of the behind the scenes work that Madi was kind enough to share on her fun website. As I browsed through, myself, I couldn't help but wonder what the weight of each page in her sketchbook must feel like; with all the layers of fabric and paper glued around and on top of her sketches. It's definitely one sketchbook that I wish I could finger through personally.


Finding Madi's website reminded me to enjoy the process. I'm always in such a rush to get the mundane things done and out of the way with that I often miss the beauty in them. So, this weekend I'm tasking all you fabulous ladies with a little challenge - try something new just to see what it feels like. If you always need music on when you clean the house, try it in silence instead; listen to the sounds of the activity at hand. Try a new food just to process the smell of it. Take the kids for a mystery ride just to enjoy getting them ready and loading up the car.

Whatever it is just be mindful of the process and enjoy the journey. Don't just rush and hurry up to get things over with so you can start the "fun" stuff. Life and everything in it is the fun stuff. Take the time to notice all the little things. Afterall, we only get this one chance, this one life to experience. So soak it up while you can and enjoy each and every moment. Besides, even if its painful or boring you're lucky to have it.

2 comments:

  1. That is so cool! I love the mix of paper and fabric.

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  2. I know it makes for such a fun look! Just perfect for a children's book.

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