Creating art can be a test of patience, endurance, and trust, especially when the journey involves stages that look far from the desired final result. In my needle-felting process, which I've developed as a self-taught artist, I know that to produce something beautiful, I must work through the stages of “boring,” then “ugly,” before finally reaching “beautiful.” Each layer is essential, even if the first two can be difficult to look at and even harder to push through.
One of my fibre paintings can easily take 60 hours to complete, and a good 40 hours of that is spent looking at something that looks pretty nasty! The first layer is simply foundational – necessary, but uninspiring. It often looks flat and lacks the depth that will eventually emerge. It’s what I call the “boring” stage. This stage lays the groundwork for what’s to come, but if you peek over my shoulder at this point, you’d probably wonder what it’s supposed to be!
Then comes the second stage – the “ugly” layer. Here, I start adding in darker lines that will eventually give the piece shadow and depth, but it’s pretty rough. This is usually the point when the doubts creep in. If I didn’t trust my process, I’d be tempted to give up or redo everything. But experience has taught me that these initial stages are just steps on the way to something far greater.
Finally, after hours of what can feel like a long uphill journey, I reach the “beautiful” stage. It’s here that the layers come together, the colours blend, and the vision I held from the beginning starts to emerge. It’s a rewarding experience, not only because the piece is finally taking shape, but also because it’s a reminder that my process works – if I trust it and stick with it.
This process serves as a metaphor for any creative journey – or really, any challenging pursuit. When we’re in the “boring” or “ugly” phases, it can be easy to feel like we’re on the wrong path, to think that maybe it’s time to change course or even give up. But if we have a process we trust, we need to hold on and push through, knowing that there is potential beauty waiting on the other side. So whatever your creative or personal journey may be, remember: trust the process, keep going, and believe in the gold that lies ahead.
Would you like to learn how to do my style of needle-felted paintings? Please check out my DIY needle-felted painting kits and patterns and give it a go!
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