"From Paint to Paper: A Journey of Creativity and Redemption”

Pic courtesy: Jamna

                                                                                        Pic courtesy: Jamna

Pic courtesy: Jamna

As I was not much of an artist, I was given a challenging task to paint two A1 sheets with different colours and mix and match the colours. Initially, I thought about pouring the paint onto the sheet and spreading it with a ruler or a scale. However, this method would have wasted a lot of paint. I decided to use a wide paintbrush instead and selected a colour close to maroon for my first sheet, and for the second sheet, I chose a bluish-grey colour. I found the combination of these colours with natural materials like stone and wood to be very appealing. I mixed red, blue, and yellow in varying quantities to create the dark maroon colour, and for the greyish-blue colour, I mixed blue, white, and black in different quantities. Although the colours turned out exactly as I wanted, my painting technique was incorrect. I realised this once the paint had dried, and I saw that my brush strokes were uneven. I had tried painting in long strokes, giving it a few more coats of paint before it dried.

Since this was a new process for me, I didn't know how much paint was required, and I had to mix the colours again, which was nearly impossible for me to do as I lacked any significant artistic talent. I tried to mix and match the colours as much as possible, and I left the sheets in the class to dry. During the next class, Belinda, our professor, asked us to sit in a circle and explain the colours we chose and why we selected them. We tried different colour combinations and matching them with the paintings done by the other students. Later on, we were split into three groups, and the sheets were cut into three equal parts and distributed among the groups.

I was in a group with Jamna, Sakina, Uchha, Precious, Aysha, and Mohammed. We started cutting, linking, crumbling, and shaping the papers we received. Each of us did our own individual thing, and once we combined everything, a story and rhythm began to form. We found connections between our individual creations and made a flowing story that connected every object we created. Once that was done, we made a presentation, explaining everything and the connections we made. We were later asked to make something small with the coloured paper that would create a big impact.

I came up with the design concept of a whiteboard with a black dot on it. Every student in the classroom noticed only the black dot, no matter how small it was. Then, a teacher comes up and wipes the black dot off the board with a duster. For me, the whiteboard represented myself, and the black dot was a mistake I made, intentionally or unintentionally. But society, which is the students, only sees the black dot, which is my mistake, rather than the rest of the white, which is good I've done. Then, along comes my professor, who erases the mistake from the board and makes me seem whole again.

With this thought in mind, I crumbled a paper in my hand, depicting my mistake, and the white wall represented my life. The thread tied to the paper was a depiction that all mistakes can be forgiven and taken back. I stuck the paper on the wall and tied a thin thread to it. Once I gave my explanation, I pulled down the paper, saying, "All mistakes can be rectified and forgiven with time with the right guide."

This class taught me a lot about how creativity can bring people together, and how small things can create a significant impact. I learned that even though I might make a mistake, it's never too late to make it right. It's important to have the right guide and to learn from our mistakes, as they are a stepping stone to our success.