Creativity is EVERYWHERE
Creativity is everywhere…but do you see it?
8 days and 500km via bike, exploring landscapes I had never seen in a language I did not speak with a travel watercolor kit I had never used.
I had so much to learn.
First 15min plein air watercolor attempt at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Portugal.
A recent bikepacking trip to Portugal combined my best forms of meditation – BIKING and PAINTING. I have had only mediocre success with mainstream meditation techniques, but my thoughts can freely meander while monotonously pushing pedals around and around and my mind is totally in the present for hours at the easel.
My trusty gravel bike allowed me to slowly absorb the dramatic Atlantic coastline and more deeply experience the vibrant culture through all of my senses, most notably the smell of freshly baked pastéis de nata which became a staple in my daily sustenance. My predominant vocabulary was “ooh” and “ahh” and “bom dia”, but those weren’t exactly the words I chose while pushing my 70+lb bike across sandy beaches and up steep side roads, or while pedaling frantically to shake off a feisty little dog that had latched its jowls around my pannier (thankfully it wasn’t my calf!).
My watercolour journal that I committed to adding something to each and every day consisted of similar contrasts. Most days my route passed by landmark landscapes that I attempted to portray en plein air, like Cabo da Roca and Nazaré, but some days were seemingly nothing but long hot miles along no name roads without seeing anything that would ever grace a postcard from Portugal.
As an aside, can I just say how incredibly humbling it is to try working in a new medium! After my meagre watercolor attempts I have even more respect for masters of this medium – check out a few of my faves who use varied styles - Jennifer Annesley, Andrea England, and Emily Beaudoin.
Never more than a 15min plein air pitstop, then back in the saddle to make more miles.
Despite the diversity, I stayed true to my commitment to create daily, and it was the least spectacular days where my most spectacular epiphany emerged.
Creativity and the ability to create is EVERYWHERE!
Yes I saw beautiful examples of the country’s best artists in museums, but I also saw impressive anonymous creative expressions on abandoned buildings. Yes I painted at some of the “must see” places in Portugal, but I also found beauty along random dusty roadsides – massive wind turbines and endless heather blooms and blackened burnt trees.
In our world it is way too easy to get caught up in sharing the shiniest moments on our socials. And as an artist I know I can get caught up conveying what I consider the most captivating landscapes. Slow travel in Portugal reminded me that it is ok to also share the not-so-shiny and also express the simple beauty right before me.
In that light, I very humbly share my first travel journal collection of 15min plein air watercolor sessions. More from the miles and landscapes leading up to these far-from-masterpieces can be found on Instagram.
Step out of the hamster wheel. What do you see? What can you celebrate?
Pause.
Paint everything.
Praise the everyday.
Small wins - successfully navigated the streets of Lisbon to the National Museum of Contemporary Art.
Artventuring on, Sab
