Unravel stories within art piles

Short video: finding old art that unlocks a flood of cherished memories

Hi! Welcome to Happy Surprise, a weekly newsletter about creativity and creative practice. This week, I wanted to share a short video that ended up crafting its own story. If this creative space inspires you, please consider sharing the love and leaving a comment. Thanks for tuning in! Susan. x

In this (4:19 mins) video, I might be going off on a bit of a rumble, but you can always catch a summary below.

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While tidying up my artwork a couple of days ago and reorganising my pieces to find particular ones, I was reminded that I had a video recording of this collection sitting on my desktop. Watching the video triggered a cascade of memories, recalling what was happening at the time.

Around this time of year, I created a watercolour and gouache painting as part of a 31-day Poisonous Plant Collection, following prompts from someone else. On the final day, the featured prompt was the Yopo plant, a subject I was unfamiliar with, and I found the final painting to be disappointing at the time.

This painting, along with the others from a week before, sparked my emotions immediately.

A week before painting this, I was really sick and had been in the hospital (a story for another time). Despite that, I persisted, choosing not to sketch beforehand and aiming for creative freedom over realism. However, I still found the process frustrating due to its unfamiliarity and intricate details. I wasn't feeling it that week; I was tired.

I notice that artworks become narratives, recounting specific moments, people, or places—almost providing connections to the past.

Piles of artwork memories | Painting of a Yopo plant panting from the video | Getting ready to paint on that day that I fell ill.

You could say that creative pursuits can go beyond being mere reflections of the present; they can be vessels holding stories from the past, patiently awaiting their moment to unfold with time.

Uncovering artworks from the past presents an interesting twist—there's a greater chance that you now appreciate that artwork more than when you initially painted it.

You may discover certain aspects of your artistic expression quietly lingering, influencing your current work without immediate awareness.

When you decide it’s time to move on and step into completely new territory - that is an exciting place to be.

I'm curious to know, what stories or memories are hidden in your artworks or creations, that you could share with us?