The past few weeks have been filled with new creative explorations, thanks to the online course I'm taking with Laura Horn. It's called Modern Mixed Media, and it's been really helpful to be given prompts and guidance. Often I find myself staring at a blank sheet of paper, having no idea what to create, but this course has given me so many ideas. I'm the kind of person who craves independence and freedom, but who also benefits immensely from accountability and structure. 

Structure vs. spontaneity, responsibility vs. leisure - it's a battle I often have with myself - do I take out the trash or continue re-watching Parks & Recreation on Netflix for the 12th time? Inevitably, I always end up feeling better when the trash is taken care of, and similarly, I always feel more inspired and invigorated when I'm given some kind of structure around creativity. The thing that feels restrictive at first ends up being the very thing that makes me feel more in control in the long term. If anything goes, then I have no idea where to start (the paradox of choice), but when structure or limitations are put in place, I can move forward with more confidence.

Sage green is a muted, peaceful color. It's a mix of three hues: green, which suggests plants, life and energy; gray, which is the epitome of neutrality; and blue, which is associated with the sky, sea, and serenity. If you look at the leaves of the sage plant, there is a soft fuzzy layer, which makes the green leaf appear more gray at certain angles. Because it's quite muted and soft, sage can be used as a neutral tone to pair nicely with so many other colors - I particularly love it next to peach and brown tones.

Image Sources: linen duvet, sage plant, sketchbook of Maurice Denis, wall shelves, ocean wave, painting by Terrell James, Notebook

Artist Helen Frankenthaler in 1956. Photo by Gordon Parks/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. Copyright the Gordon Parks Foundation. Source.

Helen Frankenthaler was an American Abstract Expressionist painter who is known for her large works on raw canvas. Inspired by the splatter paintings of Jackson Pollock, she made his process her own, doing away with the easel and spreading loose canvases on the floor of her studio. She would pour, sponge, and push paint all over the surface; many of her paintings feel as if they're limitless and could expand beyond the edge of the frame. Helen describes her process:

Left: "Jacob's Ladder," 1957. © 2017 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The Museum Of Modern Art.    Right: "(Bach’s) Sacred Theater,"  1973. Christie's.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this email! If you have any thoughts to share or questions, please reach out on Instagram or email. I'd love to know if anything in particular captured your fascination.