How to have an art experience
Take a creative break with Hazirah Rosli of Room To Imagine, who shares what an "art experience" is and its benefits
When you’re looking for a breather or for ways to express yourself, do you think: Hmmm… art?
Maybe it’s about time you do.
If you’re in Singapore, there’s Room To Imagine – “a boutique art studio that specialises in Fluid Art, namely Acrylic Pour, Resin and Alcohol Ink Art”, explains Hazirah Rosli, their studio assistant.
Room To Imagine is headed by Cindy Neo, artist and founder. They also offer unique art prints, pieces and supplies, as well as homeware.
“We design a variety of art experiences – from public workshops and VIP launches to private events such as bridal showers and birthdays,” Hazirah adds.
“Our classes are beginner-friendly, and great for those who want a break from the busyness of everyday life and to get in touch with their creative side.”
Ready to immerse yourself and “go away” for a little while?
Step #1: Look at the activity as an art experience
This way, we might “enjoy them and find the activities therapeutic”, Hazirah observes.
What is an art experience?
“To me, an art experience is when one learns, or if not, improves a creative skill. It’s when the creator puts care and effort into the artwork, and has an attachment to their creation.
“Through the creative process, it teaches the artist to be aware of their emotions when they pick colours or designs, and understand why they picked them.”
Thinking of it as an art experience might also help us get rid of preconceived notions and have a deeper session. To do this, Hazirah suggests the following:
“Try to sign up for courses, if not workshops; they’re great as they’re often more specialised, and the knowledge you get to learn is more in-depth,” she says.
“Definitely enter the class with an open mind. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the class and process more. From personal experience, I find that the times where I let go of strict expectations are also when I gain the best memories and absorb the most knowledge.”
Step #2: Choose your materials
It will get your creative juices flowing.
“Personally, I love messing around with resin colourants the most,” Hazirah admits.
“Since resin is just a clear, viscous liquid, there are so many things you can add as colourants, such as pigment powder, acrylic inks, as well as metallic pigments. You can even mix the different colourants together to get a variety of unique colours and textures. Pearlescent pigments mixed with metallic pigments often give a very interesting look to the resin; it’s why resin colourants are a lot of fun to work or play with.”
Step #3: Just create and experiment
Then stand back and appreciate your own art experiences.
“I remember the first time I tried Resin Pour – I was mesmerised by the way the pigments blended somewhat with each other but also retained their individual colours when I did the Dirty Pour method,” Hazirah recounts.
“It was so interesting to me how I just layered a bunch of coloured resin into one cup and for it to pour out into such a beautiful strip of colours. Fluid Art really taught me to let go of certain expectations and be less rigid about things.”
Here’s another. “I had a young customer, a girl aged 14. She and her brother were making coasters, and both of them put a lot of thought into the colours and mixed their own as well. At the end, they named each and every coaster and explained the reason why they chose those names. I thought it was adorable and thoughtful how they put a lot of care into the artwork.”
Step #4: Maximise your art experience
“Be patient and trust the process until the end,” Hazirah says.
“By making the most out of the creative process, it helps you retain the information better so that you can carry this knowledge and experience throughout your life.”
Step #5: It’s alright to care about art, and your art especially
Your “results”, whatever they are, matter.
“Art is a very intriguing topic, as it’s often a type of medium that’s not so straightforward in terms of meaning – it’s often up to individual interpretation.
“Personally, this encourages individuals to think out of the box and give their own meaning to the creation. It’s a lot of fun to listen to others’ interpretations as they might be similar. If not, it’s interesting to break down the thought process behind the different interpretations. This way, we might even learn a thing or two from others’ thought processes.”
Step #6: Set up your own creative sanctuary
So you can do art, and have an art experience, whenever you feel the need for self-expression and you just want to… be.
“It’s important to have a creative sanctuary, as art has been proven to be healing and therapeutic. It enables us to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life and indulge in some creativity,” Hazirah says.
“Creativity helps to connect us to our inner soul and dreams; it gives us the freedom to create whatever our mind desires. This sense of freedom often feels liberating and heals the soul. Through art, it can help one to acknowledge and recognise their feelings, as well as have an emotional release, which help to improve one’s mental health.”
What is art, too, anyway? Well, if there’s something to take away from this post, what art is, is really up to you, so long as it fulfils you and gives you a chance to create anything you wish without judgment. (Lord knows we need it.)
Find Room To Imagine here and on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.