I’ve had the joy of seeing my art on all kinds of products over the years.

Most of my finished pieces are created in Procreate or Illustrator, and for a long time, I only drew on my iPad. I loved the "undo" function on Procreate, but I started to notice that working digitally was pulling me into perfectionism. The endless ability to undo or redraw meant I spent too much time making sure every stroke was just right. Instead of feeling creative, I started feeling stuck.

What I really needed was to come back to drawing from a place of play.

In the summer of 2023, I pulled out a box of crayons to draw alongside my son. It was incredibly freeing. I couldn’t erase, so I had to keep moving forward. That simple shift helped me push through self-doubt and loosen up in my art practice.

Not everything I draw ends up becoming a finished piece, and that’s the beauty of it. I can sit quietly, draw whatever I feel like in the moment and let that be enough. Sometimes it’s flowers over and over. Sometimes it's rainbows and sunshines, which I've loved drawing since I was a kid.

Since that summer, I’ve drawn every single day. Even on the days when I don’t feel like making something new, I remind myself it’s okay to draw simply because it feels good, without pressure to “level up” or make something marketable.

One of the things I love most about crayons is how accessible they are. They’re inexpensive, and many of us already have a box lying around. Unlike fancy art supplies, crayons don’t feel too precious. I’m not afraid to “waste” them, which makes it easier to experiment and draw just for fun. Using them brought me back to the playful headspace I had as a kid, when I’d fill page after page with rainbows and suns without a second thought.

When you focus on play, you tap into your intuition. You stop worrying about whether your art is good enough to sell or license, and you simply enjoy the process. That’s when creativity opens up. For me, moving my hands, even in the simplest way, helps me quiet the fear of the blank page.

Want to draw along with me and get my process for approaching the blank page?

Come join me at Art Oasis: A free online creative retreat hosted by Jessica Swift!