Embracing Imperfection

If you follow my work (and clearly you do if you ended up here on my very first Substack post), you probably know me for my vibrant portrayals of women. Digitally made with super clean shapes, those perfected vector lines have been a big part of my style for the past eight years.

But lately, I’ve been slowing down and really looking at my work, and honestly… I’m kinda over it. It’s time for a change. I’ve been asking myself how I can bring more of me into what I make, how I can make space for imperfection, loosen up, and actually enjoy the process again. I’m done thinking about what others may want or expect from me. Right now, I just want to grow, create from a real place, and tap into my creative energy in a way that feels true to me.

One thing that’s helped me move closer to this shift is sketching with no expectations. Sketching has always been part of my process, but most of the time that raw energy gets lost as soon as I throw it into Illustrator and start cleaning things up. As I looked back at older pieces, I realized that nine times out of ten, I actually love the original sketch more than the final version. The loose lines, uneven shapes, and imperfections give the work so much more personality. More of me.

Trying to make things perfect just drains the soul out of it. So now I’m carving out time just to sketch freely, with no goal in mind. Letting whatever wants to show up on the page appear. No more cleaning things up or quieting the energy.

Another way I’ve been loosening up is by stepping out of my comfort zone and just playing with different mediums. I’ve wanted to seriously paint for years but I’ve never been consistent enough to actually see progress, so now I’m forcing myself to stick with it. When I first started painting, I had this strong instinct to run away, but the more I do it, the more freeing and fun it feels.

As I’ve been painting, I keep thinking about how to bring in the rough lines from my sketches while still holding onto the bold, graphic elements I’ve always loved. I’m trying to merge the look of my vector work with the rawness of sketching, still pulling from my pop art and ’70s influences but in a way that feels more textured and real. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I’ve been enjoying getting lost in the process.

Thanks for sticking with me! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and witness this part of my journey. I’ll be back when I have more to share, whenever that may be.

Peace!

Website: jadepurplebrown.com

Instagram @jadepurplebrown