Watercolor Mornings, Collage Afternoons: My Favorite Creative Rhythm
Hello there! It’s been a while since I wrote, truth be told I am terrible a keeping to a blog writing routine. There is too many things to be distracted by… painting, creating, bird watching (yep, it happens when you are in your fifties!), and I just can’t seem to remember to do it! But, here goes… a little bit about my daily routine!
Before the noise, before the lists, before I decide what’s “good” or “productive”—I reach for my watercolor palette. This is my time to listen. Not to the world, but to myself. To breath, to color, to the gentle voice that emerges only when I slow down.
My morning practice is simple but full of intention. Sometimes I start with a short walk or qigong. Sometimes I just sit with tea and a journal, scribbling dreams, thoughts, or words that feel important. Then I let water and pigment move together, guiding each other across the page without agenda. The brush becomes a meditation. Some pieces turn into affirmations. Some are torn or layered later. Some are simply portals into the next moment of the day.
Afternoons are a different kind of magic.
This is when I dive into mixed media collage, the first art form I ever truly loved. With torn papers, vintage books & magazines, marks, textures, and a little wild energy, I build layers from what the morning offered. It’s a conversation between intuition and emotion… sometimes playful, sometimes revealing. A way to make meaning from the fragments.
I call it my rhythm… watercolor in the morning, collage in the afternoon. It’s how I returned to myself after losing access to my creativity following a stroke from COVID. At a time when I couldn’t paint, I could still feel—the pull of nature, the whispers of spirit, the invitation to stay present. Eventually, they led me back to color. To story. To art. To what I love so much!
Five years later, this rhythm still feels like a gift.
It grounds me. Inspires me. Heals me.
And it’s something I love to share with others—especially those who long to reconnect with their creativity in a gentle, meaningful way.
Whether you’re an experienced artist or simply curious, blending intuitive watercolor with expressive collage invites you to listen more closely—to what wants to be felt, remembered, released, or reimagined.
And the best part?
You don’t have to know where it’s going.
You just have to begin.
If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your creativity, or you're searching for a gentler way to return to it, know that you're not alone. Sometimes, the quietest rituals lead to the loudest breakthroughs.
This is how I begin again, every day.
With water, color, paper, and trust.
Happy creating… XO,
Krista
