Expanding My Creativity: From Pixels to Paint + Mixed Media

Stepping outside of our creative comfort zones can feel both exhilarating and intimidating. For me, the digital world has always been home—pixels, layers, and color palettes are where I thrive. But recently, I’ve felt a tug to reach beyond the screen and explore new ways of making art, the kind that leaves paint on your fingers and paper scraps scattered across the table.

The quote in the graphic above appears on the cover of a Simple Notebook Becky Higgins once sold in her shop. While the notebook itself is no longer available, the quote seems to keep finding its way back into my world—showing up in my social feeds, in magazines, even in books. Lately, I’ve taken it as a nudge to expand my creativity through mediums other than the computer.

Don’t worry, I’m not leaving the digital space—just to clarify! But over the past few months, I’ve felt this undeniable pull (okay, a full-on craving) to make art outside of the RGB/CMYK pixel environment.

Back in the spring, I bought a watercolor set and a spiral-bound notebook and took them along on a camping trip. I dabbled, watched a few beginner tutorials on YouTube, and simply enjoyed watching the colors bleed into the water and spread across the page.

And it lit a spark.

I want to get my hands messy.

I want my workbench cluttered with paints and markers.

I want to play with art supplies I’ve never touched before.

I want to step out of my comfort zone and create something unexpected.

It feels almost eerie how the universe—or maybe just algorithms—responds to these cravings. Over the past few weeks, ads for The Fodder Challenge 2025 by Willa Workshops kept popping into my Instagram and Facebook feeds. It’s not a competition, but rather an introduction to mixed media and collage art.

So, I joined.

Throughout October, twelve mixed media and collage artists will share mini projects through instructional videos. Wendy, the host, encourages participants to see the projects as invitations rather than assignments—no pressure to complete all twelve, just an open door into the mixed media world.

Since I’ve been creating digitally for years, my stash of physical art supplies is pretty limited. After reviewing the supply list from the artists, I’ve gathered what I could from home, ordered more through Amazon, and even made a trip to Blick Art Materials about 40 minutes away. Oh. My. Gosh. If you’ve ever been to one, you know—it’s magical. I think I’ve found a new favorite store.

So, in addition to sharing pages from my October Captured Album, I’ll also be sharing glimpses of what I create during the Fodder Challenge 2025. I can’t share tutorials or processes (that’s part of the rules), but I can certainly share the joy of experimenting with something new.

It all begins tomorrow, and I can’t wait.

Alongside this, I’ve been reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Have you read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts—or your recommendations for other books about expressing creativity and art.

This October feels like the beginning of a new chapter in my creative story. I don’t know exactly what my mixed media experiments will look like, but that’s part of the fun—letting curiosity lead the way. I hope you’ll follow along as I share bits and pieces of this journey. And if you’ve ever thought about stretching your own creative wings, maybe this is the nudge you’ve been waiting for too.