Reflections on Finding and Creating Meaning in My Art

I’ve been thinking about meaning in art recently.

As I work on drawings and ideas for new canvases, I often ask how meaning is created within a piece. The work I connect with most tends to hold something personal and not immediately obvious; something that unfolds slowly, like a flower coming into bloom, revealing its complexity over time and through repeated viewings.

So, how do we create this without leaning on clichés or forcing a narrative?

What I’m learning is to work more slowly, and to allow meaning to emerge rather than trying to impose it too early. I’m often caught between overplanning and not planning enough. What seems to matter is finding a balance: having enough structure to begin, but leaving space to respond, adjust and discover something in the process.

The meaning of a piece doesn’t arrive fully formed. It develops through the act of making, and then through reflection, taking time to understand what has actually been brought into the world. In many ways, it mirrors how we process our own lives. We don’t always understand things as they happen; clarity comes later, with distance and attention.

There can be an expectation that artists work with a clear vision of the final work, moving directly towards a fixed outcome. But if everything is decided in advance, there’s little room for discovery. For something new to emerge, the process has to remain open, shaped not just by intention but by what reveals itself along the way.

Perhaps the reminder here is simple: not to expect too much, too quickly. To begin without having everything figured out. To make, to pause, to reflect, and then to move forward with a clearer sense of direction.