What Cardboard has taught me about Creativity

Ever since Christmas. when my family decided to have a hat-making contest using cardboard and recycled materials- I’ve been a little obsessed with making things out of cardboard.

I think part of why I love it so much is because it’s free. There’s no pressure for it to be good or polished or “important.” It’s pure play. Just experimenting, cutting things apart, gluing things together, and seeing what happens.

What’s been surprising is how much that mindset has started to spill over into my painting process. I’ve noticed myself thinking differently about layering and construction - adding elements the same way I build up pieces of cardboard. It sounds a little silly, but somehow working this way has made certain things click in my brain more clearly than before.

It’s been a good reminder that creativity doesn’t always come from pushing harder or trying to be more productive. Sometimes it comes from giving yourself permission to play without an agenda.

That’s usually when the interesting ideas show up. When I stop overthinking, loosen up a little, and allow myself to experiment, I start seeing possibilities I wouldn’t have found otherwise. That’s where creativity really comes alive for me... somewhere between curiosity, play, and making something out of almost nothing.

--Michelle