Hello and welcome to creative workbook #001!
The cover art above features a piece by Kamisaka Sekka, titled One Thousand Butterflies. After looking at one thousand butterflies myself to put this workbook together, I knew it was the perfect choice for the cover.
But not only that, the title also perfectly captures the idea behind this workbook. There is no single way to make a butterfly. Give the same subject to one thousand people and you’ll get one thousand different interpretations, shaped by their materials, the details they notice, and the choices that make their work their own.
But most of us aren’t in art class anymore, and nobody hands us creative assignments. To get making, you have to gather inspiration, come up with an idea, decide it’s worth pursuing, and then muster the confidence to begin.
That’s a lot to ask for a Tuesday night!
I want these workbooks to offer one way around that hurdle. Each one takes a simple subject and picks it apart for inspiration, activities, and challenges to get you making.
I’ll give you some places to begin, and you decide where they take you.
Welcome to the first themed workbook: Butterflies! 🦋
How to use this workbook
You can follow along right here in the post, or download the PDF to print or use on a tablet if you want to make things a little more workbook-y.
Feel free to move through it in order, skip around, or head straight to whatever catches your attention.
The workbook is divided into three sections designed to move you from inspiration to making:
Gather inspiration is your place to borrow: a color palette, a quote, and a small scavenger hunt to gather inspiration.
Getting started is for low stakes making: Silly sketchbook prompts, templates to start from, and crafts that anyone can do.
Creative challenges are your opportunity to turn the inspiration and ideas into something of your own. I’ll provide you with a prompt; you decide what to make and what materials to use.
Gather inspiration
Let’s spend a few minutes with our subject. There is so much tucked inside one tiny thing: color, pattern, symmetry, movement, transformation, and strange little markings.
Here are a few threads to pull on in your creative work: a palette, a quote, and a few places to look.
Colors
Milkweed flower: #D68EAB
Monarch: #D33410
Chrysalis: #C6E6D2
In flight: #A9DBF8
Faded field notes: #F0EDDB
Morphus blue: #59A1F3
Get off your phone (and get inspired)
Go out into the world and meet your muse somewhere other than Pinterest. Seeing butterflies in context gives you so much more to borrow than a pretty wing pattern. Inspiration might come from the way they move, the places they gather, or something strange you learn about how they live.
Here are four places to start:
Visit your local butterfly garden or conservatory: plan to bring a sketchbook or a camera to take notes on what you see, like these photos by @35mmbychiara.
Grab a vintage field guide: these vintage books contain endless references to work from. This one: A field guide to butterflies by Klots, was recommended by an artist I follow.
Watch a butterfly documentary: Sure, you’re trading out the little screen for the big screen, but you might pull inspiration from what you learn about the strange and remarkable lives of butterflies. (I personally recommend Wings of Life on Disney for all the beautiful footage by Louie Schwartzberg! )
Set up a butterfly feeder in your backyard: Even if you don’t attract a visitor right away, you might find something that catches your attention.
Warm up
This section includes some warmup exercises, approachable craft tutorials, and templates for various mediums to get you started.
The goal is simply to make something with your hands, not create a masterpiece. Choose one craft, template, or sketchbook exercise to start with.
As they say, inspiration finds you when you’re working. You might stumble upon an idea to carry into the creative challenge ahead!
Patterns and Templates
Free butterfly stained glass pattern by The Handmade Home (@thehandmadehome). Ashley also has so many beginner friendly resources to get started with stained glass on The Handmade Home website!
This embroidery kit by EightoclockcraftsArt is a bit of a splurge, but it comes with a frame and all of the supplies you need, plus step by step video tutorials. It should only take you 4-6 evenings of cozy crafting!
Butterfly and Cocoon knitting pattern by Susan B. Anderson (@susanbanderson). This pattern get’s great reviews for clarity and easiness, and the designer, Susan, also owns her own American made yarn company Barrett Wool Co.
Vintage butterfly pullover knitting pattern, sold by GingerDogCrochetCo. I make no claims that vintage knitting patterns are easy to follow. But I had to include this one anyway for the gorgeous design. Someone please try it!
The Monarch butterfly cardigan crochet pattern by Biyabimi (@biyabimi). Who said crochet doesn’t make good wearables? Comes with a video tutorial and thorough written instructions.
The Butterfly Collection Tapestry Crochet Pattern by Nathalie (@the_crochet_painter)
Olive the Orchard Butterfly Amigurumi Crochet pattern by Christin (@wildcrochetbychristin)
Old World Swallowtail Pattern from Stumpwork Studio: Mastering 3D Embroidery by Megan Zaniewski (@megembroiders). Not only does this book include this beautiful pattern, it will teach you everything you need to know to get started with 3D embroidery with 14 other projects.
Butterfly Fields Quilt Pattern by Jenny Pedigo (@jennyscreativeplace)
Sketchbook warmup
Grab your sketchbook and some drawing supplies and set a timer for 30 minutes. Warm up by drawing as many or as few of these prompts as you feel. Keep your pen moving and don’t worry about making them look good. The goal is to loosen up and get your imagination going.
Part butterfly, part another animal
A butterfly made up of household objects
A butterfly based on a feeling
A butterfly inspired by an article of clothing
A butterfly inspired by your favorite snack
A butterfly postage stamp design
A butterfly with two completely different wings
A butterfly inspired by a pattern or texture in sight
A butterfly drawn without lifting your pen
Crafts for anyone
Crafts for anyone
Try these playful butterfly crafts that simple materials and are easy enough for anyone.
Create a butterfly fold-over bookmark from a drawing or painting. Tutorial by @artsyyvinita.
Create a butterfly inspired color wheel. Tutorial by @lesmercredissouslapluie:
Create a sky-blue pinboard complete with butterfly push-pins. Tutorial by @heykrystalann.
Create light catching wearable butterfly wings with colored cellophane sheets and leftover cardboard. Tutorial by @motherblue._.
Create a butterfly wand using leftover plastic bottles. Tutorial by @sibster
Create 3D butterfly wall art from children’s art cutouts. Tutorial by ebbesweet
Challenges
Choose the challenge that sparks an idea, then interpret it in your own medium and style. Use the featured work as inspiration, but let creative instincts lead the way!
Challenge 1: pieced together
Create a butterfly-themed artwork with wings that lift away from its surface, or appear to.
That could mean raised wings, sculptural embroidery, thick paint, cast shadows, or simply using perspective and values to make a flat butterfly look dimensional.
Dimension showed up over and over when collecting inspiration for this issue. It helps capture the movement and delicate nature of our subject.
Mia (@redhat.creative) makes handmade clothing from recycled materials, down to the thread.
Julie Griffin (@gladyourehereco)’s mixed-media collage features a monarch butterfly nestled in a blooming garden.
Elisabeth Hays (@eghaysart) combines hand-torn wings with delicate gold wiring to create her whimsical taxidermy series.
Quinn Nichols (@quinn_creations_) recycles old paintings by cutting them apart into intricate, nature-inspired collages.
This decoupage lampshade by Angela Kent turns an everyday object into an art piece.
Roan (@robohtman) creates digital collages from analog sources, placing butterfly wings in an unexpected setting.
Butterflies and flowers are prominent motifs in Ben Giles’s (@bengilesart2) nostalgic portraits.
Carolyn Gavin (@carolynj) layers hand-torn paper pieces with watercolor and ink to create expressive butterfly artwork.
Challenge 2: lift-off
Create a butterfly-themed artwork with wings that lift away from its surface, or appear to.
That could mean raised wings, sculptural embroidery, thick paint, cast shadows, or simply using perspective and values to make a flat butterfly look dimensional.
Dimension showed up over and over when collecting inspiration for this issue. It helps capture the movement and delicate nature of our subject.
Signe Scharling (@signe.scharling) creates detailed 3D paper butterflies from colored pencil drawings
Ayeska Hübner (@ah.bordadoamao) starts with embroidered wings, then transforms them into 3D butterflies using wire.
Morgan Daniel (@mad.artist) creates the illusion of depth in her vibrant painting, Monarchs on Blue.
Lou Madhu (@mariposa_london) hand embroidered this book cover with a 3D peacock butterfly to create one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen!
Lilly Fisher’s (@art.by.lilly_) paintings feature paper butterflies that pop-off the canvas.
Hope Olson (@hope_olson_)’s painting, “Peony Poised” features a simpler take, featuring a brightly colored butterfly that stands out from a muted background.
Jiří Kolář folds fragments of a portrait into raised butterfly wings.
Can you spot Elvis Presley & Elizabeth Taylor’s eye’s in Riikka Fransila (@vintageart_originals)’s 3D Butterfleye collection, made from vintage magazines.
Extra credit
Did you know a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope?
If you felt especially drawn to this issue’s subject or enjoyed the challenges, take it a step further by turning it into a series.
This “extra credit” challenge is all about committing to a similar form with small adjustments each time. Try changing the colors, patterns, and shapes to push the original idea in new directions.
Repeating one simple idea removes the pressure to constantly invent something new. Instead, you get to experiment within a familiar form and discover possibilities you probably would not have found the first time around.
For this challenge, make your own rule. Set a daily or weekly goal, choose a total number to work toward, or keep going until your kaleidoscope feels complete.
Jordan Clark (@jordan.stellaire) has a studio ritual to paint a butterfly, moth, or beetle each time she starts something new, as a way to loosen up and experiment.
02 Nicole Shara “Pico” (@picomakesthings) has made over 300 of these little stained glass wall-hanging butterflies.
Anna Kesäniemi’ (@anna_kesaniemi)’s ceramic butterflies show how a repeated form can lead to a large collection of unique artwork.
Beth Hoyes (@rabbithatdesigns) started with a goal to create 100 embroidered butterflies in her Kaleidescope series and is currently working on the last few to meet her goal, nearly 5 years later.
Bonus: in my cart
Shopping isn’t exactly an important part of making, but surely a few new supplies can’t hurt. 😉 Here’s what’s in my cart:
Real butterfly wing earrings from Jupiter Oak Jewelry
Anthropologie bistro tile garden collection mug
Mackenzie Childs Butterfly wall decor set
Swallowtail butterfly claw clip
Hygge and West butterfly wallpaper (comes in peel and stick)
Anthropologie butterfly dress (styled by @landryjojo)
Wolf and moon butterfly earrings
Rifle Paper Highgrove Butterfly House Wool Hooked Rug
Beaded butterfly clutch from The Well Appointed House
Handmade stained glass butterfly bookends
Caitlin McGauley butterfly linen fabric
Butterfly 2-inch cutout punch for collaging
Tiny paper butterflies from Moth and Myth
If you’re still here, yay! I poured so much into creating this little workbook. One of my primary motivations is to create things that I love and I am personally proud of. And I decided that with this Substack project, I am going to 100% lean into that and hope that it helps others along the way!
I have so many random subjects in mind for future issues: rocks, digital nostalgia, comic sans, Grandma’s house, candy, and more..
I’m sure I’ll keep learning and changing things as I go. Of course, I’m open to any feedback you have, please share in the comments!
And don’t hesitate to share your creations as well. I’ll be working on my butterfly artwork this week as well!
With love,
Rachel