Plans Unplanned, Cymplified!

Prior to leaving for Singapore last April, I planned a few things I will do to feed my creative craving. Inspired by the artist @abbeysy‘s travel journal filled with lettering and doodles, I plotted an insertion of these activities into our tour itinerary BEFORE the cruise, so I could leisurely paint on the deck:

• Visit Art Friend in Bras Basah Complex.
• Buy Art Spiral watercolor sketchbook, as seen from an Instagram account I’m following, @bananabellieboo.
• Buy a watercolor pan with waterbrush for traveling.
• Draw then paint on the said sketchbook using the said waterbrush pen and watercolor paint.

But, surprise! All of the above did not happen.

What did happen were the unplanned. First, my hubby and I visited Art Friend not in Bras Basah Complex, but in Plaza Singapura, AFTER the cruise. It must be a smaller one since the Art Spiral sketchbook was not available here. I bought the Daler-Rowney Aquafine brand instead. It’s unfortunate that Bras Basah was too far for walking from where we were staying, Concorde Hotel along Orchard Road.

Instead of a handy watercolor pan for traveling, I chose the big box of Inktense blocks, which goes to show that I am too lazy to mix my own colors. Definitely contrary to Tippy’s instruction from the watercolor workshop I attended. Oops! I did buy waterbrush pens though, four actually. Three kinds of tips from Zig and a #1 from Derwent.

unplanned purchases (except for waterbrushes)

I opened and used my Inktense blocks and waterbrushes AFTER we have returned to the Philippines. I did not get to paint on my watercolor sketchbook at all. This was what happened to my art travel journal:

first tray of breakfast onboard singapore airlines

first plate of breakfast at concorde hotel singapore

first dinner onboard star cruise superstar gemini

Food, food, food! I drew all these on one page of my Starbucks planner using Micron pens provided in the Abbey Sy x Make It Blissful lettering workshop that I took part in earlier this year.

Using my Art Friend loot, I then planned to do a painting of a woman who was “bleeding”, “sweating” and “crying” with three separate colors overlaying on her – blue for tears, green for sweat and red for blood. Then there are words written on top of these colored lines – blood, sweat, tears read from the bottom up. Simple, right? But, sometimes, what I imagine in my head does not come out the same on paper.

Unplanned were the additional elements I made to the painting.

When we went to Hotel Kimberly Tagaytay, I bought my tote bag of painting materials, thinking I could spend some time alone capturing the different view using my waterbrush. That didn’t happen either.

I was busy enjoying the last summer getaway with my husband and our children; and I think that was the better choice.

I could make plans again, but time with my loved ones I cannot get back. When plans become unplanned, it’s not the end of everything. We need to take into consideration the needs of those around us. There are other means to attain the same goals. There are other paths to the same destination.

• I still  set foot in Art Friend, but to a closer one since hubby and I didn’t know how to get around Singapore. We were afraid of getting lost.
• I still got to buy watercolor sketchbooks, brushes and watercolor paint.
• I did not paint but we took lots of photos.
• My painting did not appear as simple as I wanted it, but it came out unique.
• I did not paint but I had a wonderful time with my family in Tagaytay.

How do you cope when your plans do not push through?