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Relight Creativity Like a Child

A First for Watercolour Illustration

This was my first time painting an illustration with watercolours, and the experience was both eye-opening and challenging. We were given the freedom to choose any van photo provided by our instructor and then reconstruct it into a food truck or a mobile vendor. Being a coffee lover, I instantly envisioned transforming my van into a coffee truck, offering hand-brewed black coffee, espresso, lattes, and some light snacks.

A Creative Challenge and a Small Mishap

I decided to experiment with light colours for the background this time. However, while outlining the van with a black pen, I accidentally left a small black stain on the roof. This tiny mistake bothered me for most of the day. 😩

My instructor, who is in her 60s, had a completely different perspective. She playfully remarked that she wouldn’t be concerned even if an entire bottle of ink were spilled on her artwork. 😄 Her lightheartedness was contagious, and even us perfectionists—myself included—were lifted by her words. Our classroom was soon filled with laughter.

The Creative Gap Between Adults and Kids

As we shared our paintings, many of the adults found it difficult to imagine what their van would sell, where it would be set, and who would be working there. In stark contrast, the young kids seemed to overflow with creativity. Their vans were selling everything from balloons, teddy bears, and donuts to burgers and succulents.

It became clear that adult creativity often becomes constrained by stereotyped thinking, ingrained since childhood. Many of us struggled with the task of “imagining and reconstructing,” especially when compared to simply painting a physical object from a display or photo. It turns out that creativity can quietly diminish as we age.

Instructor’s Wisdom

Our instructor offered some sage advice: “Paint boldly without thinking too much. Let your imagination roam free—illustrations don’t have to be realistic; they’re meant to be creative.”

“Sometimes, to relight our creativity, we need to approach art with the uninhibited imagination of a child.”