Being as creative as possible by keeping things as simple possible (or learning to draw with my finger)

I used to hunt for the perfect pen. I spent hours (and plenty of money) trying out this pen, and that pen. Reading reviews. Listening to other people’s recommendations. Quizzing artists about which pen they loved to use.

I think I must have been convinced that if I somehow found the perfect pen, I would be able to draw more and draw better. The truth of course was if I wanted to draw better I just needed to practice, if I wanted to draw more, I just needed to pick up my pen (any pen!) and draw.

The urge to make things more complicated then necessary

I realised the error of my ways one day when I was trying to decide which of my many, many pens to pick up and draw with. Wouldn’t it be simpler I suddenly thought to myself if I just had one pen? I’d have nothing to think about when it was time to draw something except that it was time to draw (I’d also have a much tidy a desk and a lighter bag!). So I gave all my pens away (well, if I’m completely honest I gave all but three of my pens away, I’m only a recovering pen addict, not a recovered one).

I thought I’d learnt my lesson, but recently I realised I needed to learn it again.

Relearning the lesson!

Last month I was lucky enough to be able to buy an iPad. I’ve been having so much fun learning to draw on it. It’s the perfect keeping it simple creative tool for me. My normal drawing process usually involved drawing on paper and than scanning the line drawing into Photoshop for colouring. This meant I needed to be in my studio for at least the scanning stage, and that I used a sketchbook, pen, scanner and laptop to complete a drawing. With the iPad I can draw directly on it and also colour. I don’t need to carry anything else with me but the iPad (not even my three pens). I can make and complete a drawing anywhere. Perfect.

Except then I discovered styluses…

There are some lovely styluses out there. For a few days I became quite obsessed with finding the perfect stylus. I read reviews. Listened to other people’s recommendations. Quizzed other artists about which stylus they loved to use…

I was convinced that if I somehow found the perfect stylus I would be able to draw better and draw more on my iPad…

The simplest solution is usually the best

Luckily for my wallet I realised that all I was doing was complicating things (again). That I was avoiding just getting on with learning to draw on my iPad by hunting for accessories (albeit possibly gorgeous accessories!). If I bought myself a selection of styluses then I’d be confronted with choice all over again. Choice most certainly isn’t the way to keep things simple.

In the end I’ve found the perfect stylus, it’s one I carry around with me all the time. My finger. It really is the most efficient drawing implement I own. I always have it with me, it’s free and I’ll never need to buy more ink (I won’t go into my quest for the perfect ink, that would be another very long story!).

Keeping it simple

Some of the things I’ve learnt (and recently relearnt) about keeping it simple:

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Tools don’t make the artist (or the writer, or the poet, etc), doing the work does.

Making things simpler isn’t about trying new things, it’s about using less.

Choice (whether that’s choosing between lots of ideas or tools) just complicates things.

If what you do works for you, don’t change it needlessly.

Start from wherever you are, don’t feel you need new things to discover the best work process (or tools), use what you have.

New processes and ways of working will present themselves as you need them, don’t go looking for them.

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Going further

Of course keeping things simple (so we can spend more time and energy on just being creative) isn’t just about the the tools we use and our working processes, it’s about our environment and how we organise our time too. I’ll be writing more about that in the longer version of this post which will be appearing as a new chapter in the second edition of my ebook, Sustainable Creativity which will go out free to everyone who owns the first edition very soon.