(This post is part of a weekly series for subscribers exploring the creative process—one prompt at a time.)

This week’s prompt: Work in a series

Because sometimes, once is not enough

Part 1: Backstory

Mama believed a proper education required Latin. Not a little Latin. Three years of Latin. In middle school where life sucks enough. And we weren’t even Catholic. So it wasn’t like it was gonna save my soul or anything.

While my classmates were off learning French or Spanish—languages they might actually use someday—I was busy conjugating verbs from a long-dead empire.

To be fair, it wasn’t all wasted. Those other kids might’ve grown up able to navigate a French menu or the Paris Metro. But I could–AND STILL CAN– pick Latin roots out of ANY word and smoke the competition when it comes to word games.

So there’s that. Which brings us to–

Part 2: Ex uno, plura

Out of one, many.

With my Latin street cred (and Google Translate) firmly in place, let’s dive into this week’s prompt: painting in a series.

One idea.
Many interpretations.
Infinite creative potential.

Take Big Hairy, for instance—I’ve mentioned Hairy before, that giant, moss-covered boulder along my favorite trail. A landmark for me but to Maggie, Hairy is nothing short of Doggie Disney—a magical kingdom where squirrels, rabbits, and other woodland critters are always just out of reach.

While Maggie dives nose-first into every crevice and hidey hole like the prey driven canine she is, I’m nearby, sucking up to courting the muse with lots and lots of photos.

Back in the studio, I use them as jumping-off points. Quick, loose acrylics on paper. No pressure to make anything “good.” Just movement, marks, play. Sometimes they turn into studies for bigger pieces. Mostly they’re just me warming up, shaking off the preciousness, and letting the Muse run the show.

Then comes the fun part:
Rip. Tear. Rearrange.
I cut the paintings up, shuffle them around, collage them into new compositions. I add a few more marks, maybe some paint.

What I end up with is a whole batch of studies—raw, expressive, layered little pieces that get glued into my sketchbook. I refer back to them when I need a creative nudge.

Eventually, when the mood strikes, I’ll create a whole new series of larger paintings inspired by these littles. Will they look anything like the studies?
Absolutely not.
But that’s the magic of working in a series—you never know where one spark might lead.

Part 3: Now it’s your turn

Try this: Pick one subject—an object, a photo, a feeling—and make five quick variations. No overthinking. No preciousness. See what shows up.

And then RIP THEM UP. And put them back together again–only different.
(Then tell me how it went.)

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments—I want to know:
Do you work in series? Do you destroy your own work only to make it better? Have you met your own Big Hairy? (did I go too far with that last one?)

‘Til next week-