For the past few years, I've been illustrating slideshows and creating sketchnotes for the company where I work. So, by the time my workday was done, I wasn't reaching for my art supplies and sketchpad.
My Paper Dali website became like that room in your house that's packed with old, beloved projects; half-completed ones; and endless bits of scraps and papers with ideas scrawled onto them. Every now and then, I'd peek into this creative space, muse over previous work, and very rarely add another little coloring page to the pile.
But this past year, I've had my job go to 100% editorial work, meaning all I do is edit, coach writers, and write... with only one illustration project all this time.
That shift in my workload has created the exact opposite of what I anticipated. I had thought that no longer drawing for work meant that I'd lose my enthusiasm for drawing, that I'd shove my art supplies in a bin, that I'd resign myself to being that gal who used to draw.
The opposite has happened.
Organizing This Creative Space
With my work being strictly with words, I find myself once again reaching for my markers, pencils, and paper in the evening.
Instead of drawing being something I must do, drawing is something that I want to do. The freedom of choosing what to draw and when to draw has given new life to my drawing... and a renewed desire to blog once more on Paper Dali.
Coming back to Paper Dali is like coming back to a little shop I loved but didn't visit for a long time.
I've been looking through the archives to see what is here (goodness, did I really launch Paper Dali when my daughter was 9? She's 15 now!), to compare drawing styles (my early drawings look so primitive and hesitant compared to the more elaborate patterns I favor now), to look at where my thoughts once were (Annie Oakley, how we loved you)...
Moreover, I noticed cracks in the ceilings and dull paint, so I've repatched some links and brightened this creative space with more pops of orange and blue, even a new header.
In rummaging through Paper Dali, I realized just how very difficult locating my free coloring pages are. And so, you can now find them all in one easy-to-see tab.
I also updated the About Me section because readers and old friends may want to see what I've been up to these last few years. (Or not. But if they do, the info is there!)
What I'll Be Sharing
As the new header says, Paper Dali will not just be a place for free coloring pages but also a place where I'll share doodles, drawings, ideas, and musings about creativity, art, and the creative process, all from a Catholic worldview.
I plan on blogging regularly once more as well. I've missed writing about these things I love so well and sharing my work with you. I also look forward to seeing what everyone else has been up to and looking at your creative projects and going-ons as well.
Blessings galore,
Vee
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