Creating as a Path for Self-Discovery

Welcome to Creatives Anonymous, a weekly newsletter that explores what it means to be a modern-day creative. It inspires, encourages, and empowers readers to take back their creative power.

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As creatives, we don’t create only to bring something into the world for others to enjoy—we do it to better connect with ourselves. 

Creating is a path for self-discovery. It’s less about the end product than about how we get there and what we learn along the way. 

It’s about our process and the thinking and emotional vulnerability that goes into it. No matter who we’re creating for, we always put a piece of ourselves in every piece of work that we produce.

The creation process allows us to learn about ourselves and our capabilities. It encourages us to push our limits and boundaries. It challenges us in the best way possible, whether mastering a new skill or technique or turning our musings into concrete ideas.  

Creating isn’t only for expression but for self-reflection.

Making something and putting it out in the world helps us make sense of the world around us and allows us to process the experiences that happen to us. It gives us a way to express our emotions and our thoughts. It allows us to discover a part of ourselves we didn’t know existed. Doing so gives us better insight and understanding into ourselves and our place in this world. 

Additionally, creating allows us to reconnect with a part of ourselves that was otherwise lost. We rediscover who we are and what we like to do through play and following our curiosity. We bring back our inner child and joy when there are no expectations or external pressures. We relearn how to create for us instead of the world around us.

Creating on a public stage allows us to find and discover our voice. Creating in public allows us to express our unique point of view based on our experiences and expertise. We share our thoughts, ideas, and opinions with others, hoping they resonate with them just as much as we do. 

This week, I talked to my friend Heather Raney, a Colorado-based print designer and illustrator, about how she reconnected with herself and her art and how it inspired her to start a side business. 

Heather is a product line manager in the outdoor industry by day, but her free time is dedicated to crafting captivating prints, illustrations, and detailed sketches. Drawing inspiration from Colorado landscapes and her travels, Heather's artwork aims to bring the details and colors of this world to life.

This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness. 

​​You’re in the process of starting a new print design and illustration side business. What inspired you to want to start it?

I often think that this was sort of on a whim, but when I think about it, it wasn’t entirely on a whim! My background has always leaned towards creativity. In college, I studied apparel design and loved the illustration classes, both hand illustrating and technical flats. We learned technical aspects in Adobe Illustrator, which I was very strong at, to the point where I taught many lessons as a teaching assistant in my senior year. So that sparked my interest. However, those print design courses were taught using outdated software. There wasn’t much opportunity to learn the industry-standard Adobe programs or how to combine hand illustration and digital work. I was even in a master’s level print design course, which had my work featured in a gallery at the university, but I was still not feeling happy with my finished collection or process. 

I think, during that time, I felt that I didn’t have it in me to have a “creative” career. So that led me to pursue a career in technical design (fit and patterning) and product management. In the last few years, my role has become less hands-on creatively. I yearned to reconnect with that part of myself. I re-explored art by learning about oil painting, rediscovered my markers, and felt that spark again. My product management experience also proved valuable. I had built up a strong understanding of print design through creating briefs, sourcing prints, doing recoloring/retouching, and ultimately creating a print for the consumer we were after. It felt like the right time to take the (side) plunge and work on launching my own business.

Can you explain how you approach a new pattern/illustration? How do you start each one? What are your biggest sources of inspiration?

My approach varies. Sometimes, I’m inspired by specific brands and research their aesthetics and direction. This helps determine the overall style of the print - painterly, minimalist, bold, etc. I might even experiment with a mix of styles for a touch of tension and contrast.

Then comes the sketching phase. I explore different thumbnails and mediums until I find a direction that resonates with me. Once I have some motifs, I begin creating the repeat layout. This can be a lengthy process involving experimentation and fine-tuning how elements interact. I push myself to finish the piece, even if it takes an unexpected turn.

On the other hand, I also keep a sketchbook for free-flowing exploration. Sometimes, a sketch sparks an idea I want to develop further. This approach is more intuitive and fueled purely by my artistic curiosity. 

How do you blend your hand drawings with digital tools to create your final prints? Why do you favor using both versus just one or the other?

There’s immense value in both hand-drawn and digital art. Hand-drawn art brings personality and a level of detail that’s hard to replicate digitally. The organic lines and textures created with paint and brushes add a unique character. I also feel like I can be bolder in my strokes and more wobbly in my line work.

However, creating seamless repeats by hand is impractical for me. That’s where digital tools excel. I scan my drawings, separate the motifs, and use digital tools to experiment with colors. This allows for quick exploration and iteration. Building the final tile layout digitally is also efficient, allowing for easy adjustments and workflow. Ultimately, delivering the final files and making tweaks makes more sense digitally in our modern times!

While I enjoy working digitally, my connection with hand-drawn pieces remains unmatched.

You’re in the middle of a 100-day art challenge where you’re seeking to challenge yourself to create more art consistently and strengthen your skills. What have been some of the biggest takeaways and lessons learned so far?

One of the biggest benefits has been consistency. Committing to creating art for at least 20 minutes daily has been instrumental, even if it’s not finished. It’s helped me understand the connection between my mental and physical well-being and art. It’s become a form of self-care, a time to disconnect and create. Most importantly, it’s helped me detach from the pressure of perfection. There’s always another blank page and. a new idea waiting to be explored.

Another goal was to improve my use of color. As a detail-oriented observer, I naturally gravitate towards replicating things exactly as I see them. This challenge has pushed me to embrace limitations and experiments with color palettes. It’s a great exercise in pushing creative boundaries.

What’s one creative project that you’re working on now (other than your challenge!)?

While the 100-day challenge and creating a portfolio to start pitching has occupied a significant chunk of your creative energy, I have been pouring a lot of energy into our house and our new backyard—it’s a project that allows me to experiment and express myself visually in a new way! But maybe the most unexpected source of creativity lately has been training my new-to-me Alaskan Husky, Nita. She is a three-year-old, newly retired sled dog who had never lived indoors before I got her. It might sound strange, but hear me out: training requires a surprising amount of creative problem-solving. I have to put myself in my dog’s perspective, devise solutions for both of us, and experiment with different approaches and drives. It’s a constant process of trial and error, but it is also incredibly rewarding to see my dog learn, grow, and bond with me!

You can follow Heather on Instagram at @heatherraneydesign and watch her creation process on her YouTube channel. You can also view her design portfolio and inquire about her services here.  

Interested in being interviewed for a future issue of Creatives Anonymous? Fill out the form here. 

CREATIVE CORNER

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: I binged S3 of The Bear. While I loved the cinematography and storytelling, I didn’t like this season as much as the other two.

• 💡 What I’m Loving: I’ve been playing a lot of tennis and, most recently, started to brush up (more like re-learn) on my Greek.

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: I created a “summer sidequests” list inspired by this post.

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

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I’m so grateful for all of your support!

Alexa Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate creative. She is the founder and Chief Brand Architect at Bright Eyes Creative, a creative studio that helps coaches, creators, and consultants monetize their zone of genius and creativity through courses, content, and productized offers.

Join the waitlist for my new offer, Musing to Monetized, launching soon!