where to go next?
figuring out what to do
yancey towne’s art making is a weekly peek into the art studio to share learnings, current projects, and inspiration. Making art is for everyone, here’s to finding yours…
January was a month of full of resetting and recharging with a side of planning. I have ideas of projects I’d like to take on and places I’d like to end up in my art practice this year. Planning is something I avoided when I was younger, but now realize actually helps me get more done. I think I loved the excitement of surprises by not planning, but I have grown to love having goals and checking them off.
Part of what derails me from planning is thinking that I can’t deviate from those plans. I realize that all my plans are written in pencil—easily changed and adjusted, but I am also stubborn and will continue on to make things work out. What I am aiming to change is the stubborn digging in and continuing to work without taking a pause to double-check that the effort is effective or necessary.
Some other aspects that I have been considering is what exactly is driving the goal in the first place, where is it going to lead me, and will it help me continue on my path. For me, the answer to these questions bubble up in the quiet moments (especially when I am painting and drawing), so I have to make sure I create space in my day to hear and take note. I carry sketchbooks to write notes to myself and capture ideas. It feels like I am on a scavenger hunt finding clues and collecting inspiration.
Once I gather a few ideas and goals I start playing and finding opportunities to work toward them. This year in particular, I want to work on strengthening my illustration. It’s been a side focus for years—my mind has been a trickster—telling me that I don't want to draw realistically. I spent some time playing in sketchbooks and sitting with the idea. I’ve realized that illustration is not limited to realism, so I am ignoring the bits of advice from my mind and challenging myself just to see how far I can go with it. Practice always leads me to new discoveries.
The interesting thing about all of this is that when we engage in our creative practice we open the space for our hearts to begin speaking. The process of making art strengthens the connection we have to our core, it is one of the most effective ways to get quiet and listen. Our creative work gives us the space to practice discerning between the chatter of the mind and the knowledge of the heart. Making art of any kind is what connects our heart to our community… 💛
current projects
knits: I made it to the color part! I’m having such fun knitting with both colors. It’s comical how much I enjoy it after avoiding color work for so long—my brain kept telling me it was too much. It reminds me not to trust what my mind is telling me to steer clear of.
watercolor experiments: I’ve taken a bit of an unexpected detour with these experiments. I thought I was going to be exploring making my creatures with watercolors, and maybe that will be the next stop, but for now I’m drawn to these abstract scenes that remind me loosely of colorful maps. They’re places I’d be drawn to explore.
patterns: I’ve had this fabric washed and ready to go for a while now, but I never took the time to iron it so I could make the dress I have planned. Once I get a few more details taken care of, I can dive into the actual sewing.
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