Sophie @the_modern_traditional
Artist of the month December
Sophie Reusche, 31 years
That's me in five words:
ambitious, keen to experiment, unexcited, approachable, helpful
Interview
What role does being creative play in your everyday life? Are you creative in other ways besides watercolor and lettering?
Creative works are (as long as they are not commissioned works) my little islands and time-outs in everyday life. They help me to forget everything around me, at least for a short moment, and to focus only on the here and now.
The creative world is so diverse and the possibilities so great - that's why I love trying out different creative techniques. Besides pure watercolor painting and the Watercolour & Ink technique, I like to make Watercolour Paper Art collages from (old) Waterclour works and combine my love for typography and watercolor painting in them. Also, in the last year I've taken a liking to digital illustration and illustration with colored pencils.
You're traveling to a desert island and are only allowed to take one pen/brush/color - what do you choose?
Since I have to choose one thing and brushes are only fun in combination with paint, I would take a waterproof pigment liner. It works solo, doesn't need to be sharpened, may work on other surfaces, and is durable. 😊
Where do you find the most inspiration?
I love magazines, coffee table books or even
Instagram accounts and blogs that are generally about design and interiors. They are insanely inspiring for me because they have nothing to do with my métier at all, so I am completely free to look at them and because I can draw ideas and inspiration for patterns or color combinations from them at the same time.
A beautiful source of inspiration for my floral motifs are for me also flower stores or "real" bouquets.
How did you manage to find your own style?
I guess, in essence, I observe in other creatives predominantly the technique they use to achieve their results. So, for example, the brush stance, painting techniques or even "rules" in terms of color and image composition.
I then try to implement specific motifs detached from external influences and concentrate purely on the application of the techniques in the creative process.
Excitingly, however, I still find it difficult to "see" my own style. However, I am often told from the outside that my style would be clearly recognizable in my work. 😊
Do you sometimes have a "crea-low" and if so - what do you do about it?
Definitely! I think it's something that every creative mind knows, but often doesn't talk about. From my point of view, the fact that these "crea-lows" exist is also often forgotten, because especially in social media you can get the impression that creative ideas are just flowing in masses.
What I have learned in recent years is to allow "crea lows" and not to fight against them. Because the more pressure you put on yourself to be creative and have to present appealing results
, the less creativity flows. Quite the opposite. The ideas stop flowing. The results no longer meet your expectations. Frustration increases.
Being creative is not a mechanical ability that can be turned on and off or accessed at the push of a button. Instead, I see
creativity more as a source that sometimes bubbles more and sometimes less. But it never completely dries up. If you give it the time to rest, without digging further and further, it will bubble up again all by itself
. That's a promise. I speak from experience. 😉
Creativity and social media - what are your thoughts on this
?
Personally, I see it as both an opportunity and a risk. As a chance, because you can get insights into the work of artists from all over the world, feel inspired and motivated by it and maybe (re)discover your passion for certain creative techniques. It's also a nice way to show your work and exchange ideas with other creative people.
However, from my point of view, social media in connection with creativity can also be a risk. The many external influences can be unsettling. You draw comparisons, lose sight of yourself in the process, and put yourself under pressure. The original idea behind creative work, namely to have fun, to find peace and relaxation and to express oneself through creative works, can quickly get lost. That's why I think it's important to literally switch off once in a while. To let social media be social media and to consume it consciously. True to the motto:
"Inspire instead of imitate." Because creativity has so many facets.
Do you have any role models - if so, which ones?
I don't have a single person who I see as a role model. Instead, it is a colorful mix of different people from
various subject areas who inspire me with their attitude, their development or your work.
Do you have other creative goals and dreams you're looking forward to?
It would be wonderful to see one of my illustrations on a puzzle. Because I love to do puzzles. (Painting anyway. 😊) And to decorate an article of the Flow Magazine with my motives is also a big dream of mine.
-Thank you very much for the interview, dear Sophie.