One of the most common things I hear when I tell people I'm an artist or that I facilitate creative wellness sessions is, "Oh, I'm not good at art!"
And my response is usually some variation of: So what?!
Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that making art was something reserved for people who were naturally talented at it. Maybe someone told you that you weren't good at drawing as a kid, or maybe you started comparing your work to people who had been practicing for years.
Whatever the reason, so many of us stopped creating simply because we didn't think we were good enough.
But here's the thing: you don't have to be good at art to benefit from making it.
Creativity is an innate human capacity. It's something we can nurture, practice, and develop throughout our lives. And when we approach art-making as an opportunity for exploration rather than performance, we open ourselves up to an entirely different experience.
If you've been wanting to reconnect with your creativity but don't know where to start, here are three things I encourage you to try.
1. Let go of perfectionism
I know, easier said than done.
But one of the biggest obstacles to creativity is the expectation that everything we make needs to be beautiful, impressive, or worthy of sharing.
We sit down with a blank page, and before we've even started, we're already worried about messing it up.
What if it looks bad? What if I waste my materials? What if it doesn't turn out the way I imagined?
Here's your permission to make something ugly.
Seriously.
Make a bad painting. Fill a page with messy scribbles. Use colors that don't go together. Make something that you have absolutely no intention of showing another human being.
When we remove the expectation of creating a perfect final product, we give ourselves permission to actually enjoy the process.
And sometimes, the things we make when we aren't trying so hard end up surprising us.
Other times, they're just ugly. And that's okay, too.
The point is that you showed up and created something.
2. Embrace play
Think about how you approached art as a child.
You probably weren't sitting there worrying about composition, color theory, or whether your drawing looked realistic enough.
You were experimenting. Making a mess. Trying things out simply because they seemed fun.
Somewhere along the way, many of us lost that sense of creative freedom.
One of my favorite ways to reconnect with creativity is to approach art-making through play.
Instead of sitting down with the intention of making a particular piece, try gathering a few materials and seeing what happens.
Mix colors just to see what they make. Cut up old magazines and arrange the images into something strange. Draw with your non-dominant hand. Make a sculpture out of whatever random materials you have lying around.
You don't need a plan, and you certainly don't need to know what the final product is going to look like.
Give yourself permission to experiment, make mistakes, change direction, and follow whatever feels interesting.
The process of creating can be just as valuable as the thing you create.
When we allow ourselves to play, art becomes less about getting something right and more about discovering what's possible.
3. Get curious and remove judgment
This one might be my favorite.
Instead of looking at your artwork and immediately deciding whether it's good or bad, try approaching it with curiosity.
- What happens if I add another layer?
- What would this look like in a different color?
- What if I turn the page upside down?
- What would happen if I just kept going?
Curiosity invites us to explore without needing to have all the answers.
And when we practice removing judgment from our creative process, we also create opportunities to practice being a little kinder to ourselves.
Maybe your drawing didn't turn out the way you imagined. Instead of deciding that you're terrible at drawing, ask yourself what you enjoyed about the experience or what you might want to try differently next time.
Maybe you discover that you love working with watercolors but absolutely hate drawing with pencils.
Great! That's useful information.
You don't have to enjoy every medium, master every technique, or turn every creative experiment into something meaningful.
Sometimes the most valuable thing you can take away from making art is simply learning a little more about yourself.
Start small. Make something today.
You don't need an expensive collection of art supplies, a dedicated studio, or hours of uninterrupted free time to begin developing a creative practice.
Grab a piece of paper and whatever materials you have available. Set a timer for ten minutes and make something.
Anything.
Try not to plan it out beforehand. Resist the urge to judge what you're making while you're making it.
Just create.
The more often you give yourself permission to make art without worrying about the outcome, the easier it becomes to reconnect with that playful, curious part of yourself.
And who knows? You might even discover that you're a lot more creative than you've been giving yourself credit for.
Want a little guidance getting started?
If the idea of making art still feels intimidating, you don't have to figure it out alone.
Through Jasmine Solei Creative Experiences, I offer guided creative wellness sessions designed to help people reconnect with their creativity in a supportive, judgment-free environment.
Whether you're picking up a paintbrush for the first time in years or simply looking for a little more joy and intention in your everyday life, we'll explore different materials, techniques, and creative prompts together.
No experience necessary. No pressure to make something beautiful.
Just an opportunity to slow down, get curious, and make something.
