A New Creative Chapter: Learning to Paint on an iPad

There’s something happening in my creative world right now that feels both brand new and strangely familiar.

For years, I’ve lived in visual spaces—building websites, chasing good light with a camera, editing until everything feels just right. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I’ve always carried this quiet wish: I want to know how to draw. I want to sketch. I want to paint.

Not for work. Not for a product. Not for a polished end result.

Just… to create.

Enter: Procreate

Back in July of 2025, I downloaded Procreate on my iPad, mostly out of curiosity. I didn’t have a big plan. I didn’t have “artist” on my resume. I had no idea what brushes to use, what layers even meant in this context, or how people make digital paintings look like they’re made of actual magic.

And yet—almost immediately—I was hooked.

Because Procreate feels like freedom.

It’s the kind of creativity where you can try something, mess it up, undo it, and try again. Where you can experiment without wasting supplies. Where “I’m not good at this” doesn’t stop you, because you’re not trying to prove anything—you’re just playing.

The best part? I don’t know what I’m doing (and that’s kind of the point).

I’m learning in tiny pockets of time. A petal here. A color palette there. A brush I love one day and hate the next. Some nights I open the app with a goal… and end up just making marks because it feels good to move color around.

I honestly don’t know what I’m building toward with it yet.

I just know that I’m enjoying every minute I get to draw and paint for fun—and after years of creating with deadlines attached, that feels like something worth celebrating.

Why this feels so special as a web designer + photographer

As a designer, I’m used to structure. Grids. Strategy. Intentional choices.

As a photographer, I’m trained to notice—light, shadow, texture, emotion.

Digital art is stretching me in a totally different way. It’s teaching my hand to do what my eye has always wanted. It’s helping me slow down and create without needing the “why” to be productive or profitable.

And maybe that’s the whole lesson right now:

I’m allowed to have something that’s just mine.

Some recent pieces I’ve been playing with

Lately I’ve been drawn to soft florals, watercolor textures, and the kind of color palettes that make me want to keep exploring. I love anything that feels airy and delicate—dreamy washes, imperfect edges, and that quiet kind of beauty that doesn’t need to shout.

Below are a few of my most recent Procreate paintings. They’re not part of a “collection” or a “launch” (at least not right now). They’re simply proof that I’m showing up, learning, and letting creativity be fun again.

If you’re a creative who’s been craving a fresh outlet—or if you’ve been telling yourself you’re “not artistic enough” to try something new—consider this your nudge. Start messy. Start curious. Start for fun.

I’ll be over here… painting petals on my iPad and loving every second of it.