We were lucky to catch up with Christine Ferris recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christine, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Keeping my creativity alive has been a challenge. When you create art for content and post it online. I think the biggest fear is that the creative spark will wither up. There’s so much out there. That occasionally you do find yourself comparing your creative output to others.
I didn’t always have the fuel for my creativity. For a long time it had dimmed. I didn’t like my work. My paintings. Nothing was good. I thought if I forced it then I’d find it again. Which had more of the opposite effect. For several years. I barely made anything creative.
Then after taking a step back to reevaluate my skills. My time. My interests and how they evolved. Is how I came to start making Masquerade Masks. Growing up I loved masks, they looked so cool. On people. On cartoons. I decided to feed my creativity for that.
Taking time to learn how your creativity is fed and flows. It’s important because then once you have that understanding of your own creativity. How it makes you feel. Happy. Sad. Empathic. Can then feed into how you want to use it.
I keep my creativity alive by occasionally stepping away from it. Taking a break, if I’m sitting there for days staring at blank space. Go visit a friend. Hang out outside. Go do something I haven’t done in a while. I learned that it’s important for me to do that. In order to have the energy for my creativity. Taking those breaks is so important.
I usually try to keep a way for me to maybe write or sketch something with me during those breaks. While I may be cooling down from a non-stop creativity session. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t stop. It sparks at the weirdest times.
So knowing how to capture onto that spark but also setting it aside for later. Has a huge added benefit to helping my creativity.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
So during the day I work as a drafter. Putting building drawing packages together. After that, I go home. Most nights after my dog, Radar, and I get finished with walks. Eating dinner. Between social media breaks I’m painting.
Creating masquerade masks of all sorts. From LGBTQ pride to masks inspired by literature. It’s when I get to the final touches on a project. I feel the most success. Knowing that something I’ve made has brought someone happiness. Made them feel seen.
It’s why I create what I create. I’ve made masks for newlyweds because they wanted something unique and theirs. Doing what I can for others, outside of creating. I’m helping friends that also create. By supporting them, they can keep creating.
I want to always be able to do that. Supporting as many as I can.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Oh man.
The first is support. I had people who supported the start of this creative journey for me. Without them. I probably wouldn’t have gained the confidence to keep going. Support can come in so many ways. Online. Friends. Co-workers. Random people who share the same passion.
The second, is giving room for growth. No matter what you do. There is always room for growth. Never limit yourself to a single aspect. Try something multiple times until you have it. Then keep growing from it. Painting skills are one of those things that can always growing.
The third, for me, was having had a few ceramic classes. Learning how to work with clay. It taught me to be patient. Not just with clay but with myself. Nothing can be gained or learned overnight. By having that patience with myself. I learned that creating is not pushing yourself to a breaking point. It’s keeping yourself from that breaking point.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed or I start to feel it. I’m lucky enough now to have a couselor I can turn to. It still happens though. If I can’t meet my counselor and I’m overwhelmed.
I take myself from whatever is overwhelming me. I might go on a hike with Radar. Go hang out somewhere that I don’t stress about. Whatever the thing that’s overwhelming. I find a way to either remove it or spend time playing a game to figure out why is it overwhelming me?
Is it the subject? The reason I’m making it? The material?
I once had a teacher say with drafting. It’s about working smarter. Not harder.
I try to emulate that with my art. If the approach I’m taking isn’t working. Cover it. Repaint it. Toss it. Burn it. Take that overwhelming thing. Then tell yourself, it’s okay to restart.
Life has so many sudden stops and twists. Letting it be overwhelming makes it all that much worse. Restart. Take a step back and reevaluate the thing. Reevaluate how you want
to approach it again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pumpkinmasquerade.com/
- Instagram: pumpkin.masquerade
