Last week I had some really difficult days in terms of the creative process. I think it's really interesting to tell you about this, because it's a way to show you a little bit about how the whole process works.

I sent some sketches to David and we talked about the illustrations for pages 1 and 2 of Book 3 of the Let's Meditate Series.

I decided to make some changes to the sketches so that they would truly express David's text.

A few ideas came to mind, but the truth is I was dealing with a huge creative block and spent many hours sitting at my kitchen table staring at a blank sheet of paper.

When working with creation and art, creative block is a major concern, as I really need this flow of ideas coming from within me, and if I feel blocked, the whole thing doesn't work.

So what I did was take a breather, give it some time, and finally the sketches flowed.

I find that when I'm working on the drafts, I'm using my rational mind more, because I have to transform David's words into images and I have to take various measurements to ensure the drawings are aligned, considering margins, bleed space, and everything else.

 

When things don't go as planned...

After sending the sketches to David, I use carbon paper to transfer the drawings onto watercolor paper.So when everything is ready, it's time to start painting.

I took some photos of the process to show you. These photos show the painting process which took a few days of work.

I consider the painting process a form of meditation, at this stage, I put my rational mind aside and let things flow. I don't usually think too much.

 

I’m not sure how you feel about these pieces, but to me, the colors just didn’t talk to each other. There was no flow, and I refuse to put out work that feels that way. It’s not about being pretty or ugly, after all, art is personal expression, it’s just that it wasn't conveying what I wanted it to. I went to bed hoping that some rest would shift my perspective, you know? That hope of waking up and seeing everything with fresh eyes. But this time, it just didn’t work. 

I finally decided to surrender and stop fighting with them.

The next morning, I made a decision: I stopped fighting those illustrations and decided to start from scratch. I cut the paper, transferred the design, and when it was time to color... nothing. A total blank, no ideas, no colors. That’s when I went back to the text and a light bulb went off. A tiny voice seemed to whisper in my ear: Hey, you’re working on a series about meditation! Only then did it hit me: I hadn't meditated in days. How could I create something about presence if I wasn't being present myself?

I completely stopped everything I was doing, went to my room, and sat on my bed. At that moment, I intended for my higher self to clear everything that was blocking me and work through me. I don't even know how long I stayed there, but emotions began to surface within me, and I was able to visualize the feelings I was struggling with. 

The daughter who is leaving home.

I’m not sure if I have shared this with you all yet, but I’m a mother of two girls. My oldest, Letícia, just turned 18 and got into a university in another state. Between all the boxes and preparations for her move, I thought I was handling everything just fine... until I sat down to meditate. In the silence, the 'empty nest' feeling hit me hard.

I realized I had been running away from the longing and the typical worries of a mother. I cried a lot, but it was a necessary cry. Since I stopped running and started embracing these emotions during meditation, I have been feeling so much lighter.

This is me with my two daughters Leticia (white t-shirt) and Amely. 

Letting my light shine again.

I always say that meditation is my way back home. Sometimes we dive too deep into our worries and forget our own essence. I spent the last week immersed in silence, sending good intentions for my daughter's new chapter and for my own creative process. 

There is so much being healed inside me, much more than it seems. But the truth is that as I reconnect, the creative block dissolves. My art and my world have already taken on new colors.

In the end, I am a collection of all of it: my emotions, the roles I play in life, and this constant search for my essence. When I create, the colors come from that deep place. My art is a reflection of my journey back to the surface. It is an honor to share this dream, which began with David's invitation to illustrate the Let's Meditate Series and now extends to our store.

Every stroke and every product carries my purest intentions and the care I put into everything I do. When you hold one of these books or bring something from the store into your home, may you feel that light. My intention is for my art to embrace you and inspire you to reconnect with your best self. We are all connected.

 

Sending you warmth and light from Brazil,

Thaís Suizo