In my last post, I wrote about how exploring your curiosity can breathe life into your creativity. Over the past few weeks, I've been putting that idea into practice, and I've taken it a step further. Along with experimenting with new concepts for my Halloween series, I've also been experimenting with storytelling.
In this new series of Halloween drawings, I've been imagining a town where strange glass containers mysteriously appear in the town center as Halloween approaches. These vessels contain vintage worlds, visions showcasing scenes from Halloweens throughout the centuries. Each is beautiful yet haunting. Flowers are the centerpiece of these displays that also contain elements of Halloween such as bats, trees, spiders, and graveyards. Stories handed down by the town’s inhabitants tell of ghosts bringing these to the town square from the old Victorian house up on the hill. How do they get there? Why do they appear? What does this all mean? Imagine ghosts, often viewed as scary and frightening, were actually friendly and caring? What if these glass containers were trying to preserve the history and treasures of Halloweens and help the villagers remember the fun and beauty of the season before those memories are forgotten?
Halloween circa 1483. Scene #1 showcasing a dark rose with bats and a crescent moon.
Okay, I admit it's a stretch, but how else could I bring flowers and Halloween together? I needed a story to connect the different elements I was imagining and make the flowers feel like they belonged in a Halloween world. The fun part was that I kept thinking about these ideas even when I wasn’t drawing. When on my morning runs or while walking to work. It was a fun and stimulating way to think and be creative.
The images above showcase various Halloween scenes and elements that will be used in the story.
I enjoyed it so much I started thinking about my recently released spring flower collection. What if these flowers, which look enchanted to begin with, grew in an old oak grove where the ground itself has been touched by magic? Maybe there's a mysterious history to the grove that explains why these enchanted flowers are different.
I'm still working through these ideas, but that's part of the fun. This exercise got me thinking more about the benefits of storytelling and how that can enhance my art. I'm finding that thinking about the world behind a drawing gives me more creative possibilities and could create community and connections with audiences looking for the deeper meaning behind art.
I've Always Loved a Good Story
To be honest, while I hadn't thought much about creating backstories before, I've always appreciated good storytelling. I love immersive worlds like those in Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, and Game of Thrones. There's something appealing about getting lost in a different place and time and exploring a world beyond our own.
I'm also a big Disney fan and visit the parks often. Storytelling is one of the reasons I keep going back. I enjoy a fun roller coaster as much as the next person, but there's something special about riding through the Himalayan mountains and encountering the legend of the Yeti on Expedition Everest. The setting and story turn a fun roller coaster into a thrilling adventure full of detail and intrigue.
As I think about it more, storytelling has also been part of my professional life. Before moving into digital marketing, I worked as a graphic designer. I loved creating visuals, but I was also interested in branding. To me, branding has always been about more than logos, colors, and typography. It's about the images, style, feelings, memories, and connections that develop around a company or organization. Visuals are important, but they're part of a bigger story.
Why it Matters
Looking at my art now, I can see how those interests are coming together. Thinking about all this has made me realize that storytelling is more than just fun but a form of expression and communication. We want to share our art and the reason we create it and stories can help.
Storytelling also opens new creative possibilities. One idea leads to another: a magical event inspires unusual flowers, an old oak grove becomes an enchanted place, or a Halloween town develops a history of its own. Storytelling scratches that itch for curiosity and discovery, and sometimes it leads me toward ideas I might never have thought to draw otherwise.
It can also give audiences a deeper connection to my work. A beautiful drawing can catch someone's eye, but the story behind it can give them another reason to care. I wonder with all the doom scrolling if fans even get beyond the visuals to the deeper meaning but only time will tell. Someone might enjoy botanical illustration, while someone else is drawn to fantasy, Halloween, folklore, or mysterious places. Stories can bring those interests (and people) together.
I think storytelling will help make my work distinctive. On the flip side, it could also cause some people to think I’m crazy. Either way, it feels like a natural path for me to explore. There are a lot of talented artists out there, and some create work that appeals to the same audience I hope to reach. I can't control what other artists are making, but I can differentiate myself through my stories. The stories and worlds I create can help give my work its own identity and create another layer that makes my art authentically mine. In a crowded online space, I think that's worth exploring your imagination and pursue the ideas and your imagination and what makes you…. you.
