Doodles are the origin story of every artist, big or small. Scribbled and notes on the margin of books and journals are Act 1, Scene 1 of every aspiring writer. Why then, do we let go of these simple habits when we get more serious about our craft? To use various forms of applications in art is to use our lateral thinking capacity in the subtlest of ways.

What is Mixed Media?

Mixed Media is an art form that uses various mediums to create a visual art piece. It is particularly taken to by artists who prefer experimenting with abstract concepts and surrealism, than those who may take to the likes of fine art and drawing. These mediums can be cloth, paper, wood, and just about anything that can go on our abstract canvas. For all we know, Picasso was only going back to his roots when he created the wonderfully refreshing Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass Guitar, and Newspaper in 1913!

What Does it Offer?

Every artist goes through ups, downs, and plateaus in their creative process. The advantage of mixed media, though not conventional, is to bring back a playful approach to the process of creating. We are now free to experiment with mediums and look around for inspiration in any form.

Our not-so-wild guess is that creative blocks have been around for far longer than this vibrant art form. What mixed media offers is a chance to break away from subconscious notions and conditioning that artists and even non-artists may hold within themselves. This allows for a way to form a creative flow in a different direction, perhaps never before explored. Abstractionists and surrealists would agree, that we are no longer bound by color codes and two-dimensional blockages. It questions our principles, our habits, and the rules we make in our heads that spill over onto our canvas.

While this contemporary art form gives us a chance to break through our creative blocks and declutter our ideas, it clears the way for us to create refreshingly aesthetic visual concepts. Now, we have one less barrier in our process to seek inspiration. Now, we are free to simply keep creating more art.