In the fall of 2024, I made a simple commitment to myself: to return to my sketchbook every day.

At the time, I didn’t think of it as anything significant. It was just a small creative habit; something to help me slow down, process my thoughts, and reconnect with art in a more consistent way.

But what unfolded over the following weeks and months surprised even me.

What started as a daily practice became something much deeper. It helped me navigate stress and uncertainty. It became a space for self-discovery. And slowly, it helped me find and refine my artistic voice.

At some point, a thought kept returning: More people need to know about this.

Not just artists but anyone. Because creativity is for everyone.

In a world that feels increasingly overwhelming, we all need tools to support our mental well-being. A sketchbook practice is just one of them: simple, accessible, and quietly powerful.

From Idea to Film

By June 2025, the idea of turning this experience into a short documentary film started taking shape.

There was just one problem - I had no idea where to begin.

How do you find a studio?
A crew?
How do you even write a documentary?

I had more questions than answers.

And then, something unexpected happened.

At a breakfast networking event that same month, I met someone who mentioned Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) Studios in New York City. I went home, did some research, and discovered that once you become a member and attend orientation, you can reserve studio space - at no cost.

For a filmmaker with almost no budget, this felt like a door opening.

Suddenly, the film was possible.

Doubt, and a Small First Step

By early January 2026, the film was finished.

But I wasn’t sure I was ready to share it.

Imposter syndrome crept in. I questioned everything; the quality, the message, whether it was “good enough.”

So instead of jumping straight into film festivals, I decided to take a smaller step.

I submitted the film to MNN for broadcast.

On March 14, 2026, Art For The Soul: A Creative Journey For Well-Being aired for the first time.

Watching it play on screen, something shifted.

I realized this message needed to reach more people.

Taking the Leap

After that, I started researching film festivals. I didn’t apply everywhere. I chose a small number that felt aligned with the heart of the film.

And then I submitted.

Not knowing what to expect.

Hoping for the best.

Preparing for rejection.

A Yes

I’m so grateful to share that my first short documentary film, Art For The Soul: A Creative Journey For Well-Being, has been selected for the New York Short Film Festival.

It will screen on May 16, 2026 at 7:30pm (Shorts Block 5) at Cinema Village in Manhattan.

The kind that slows everything down.

While I don’t need an excuse to create, being indoors for a few uninterrupted days gave me space to settle into something simple: botanical line art bookmarks.

Why Bookmarks?

This bookmark watercolor pad is the perfect format for experimenting with line art techniques.

Think of it as a mini sketchbook.

The smaller surface area feels less intimidating than a full page. If you’ve ever stared at a blank sheet wondering what do I paint? - this format removes that pressure. There’s less space to fill, which encourages play and exploration!

The Appeal of Line Art

I’ve always loved line art for its minimalism and simplicity.

With just a few intentional lines, varied in weight, shape, and intensity, a flat wash of watercolor transforms into something layered with texture and movement.

It’s subtle, but powerful. Line art doesn’t overwhelm. It enhances.

And botanical subjects are the perfect place to experiment.

Gathering Inspiration

Before I begin, I gather inspiration. I’ll search phrases like:

• line art botanicals

• line art flowers

• line art flower bookmarks

Not to copy — but to study. To observe different approaches, techniques and what’s possible.

Two Approaches

I’ve been approaching these bookmarks in two different ways.

Method One: Structure First

Sometimes I begin with a light pencil sketch, mapping out the form before adding watercolor or gouache.

Once everything is dry, I layer in line work to define shape and add texture.

Method Two: Paint First

Other times, I begin more loosely. I paint organic flower and leaf shapes directly onto the paper. No sketch. Just instinct.

After the paint dries, I respond to what’s there with line art, adding structure and detail.

In this method, the lines follow the paint instead of directing it.

Both approaches produce beautiful, slightly different results.

A Small Reflection

It’s interesting to think that some of the earliest examples of line art trace back to prehistoric cave drawings, simple lines used to record animals, movement, and daily life.

A reminder that creativity doesn’t have to be complex to be meaningful. Sometimes it’s just line, shape and details!

If you’d like to see the process in motion, I create a YouTube Short, showing these techniques in action. You can watch it HERE.

As always, thank you for being here and following along with these small studio explorations.

Until next month,
Rekha

I’m drawn to their vibrancy and fluid movement, and to the way they balance transparency with control. Acrylic inks were originally developed as a fast-drying, waterproof alternative to traditional inks, but today artists can use acrylic ink in any way imagination allows! I use them much like I would any paint - in my sketchbook, on paper, and within mixed media collage, often letting drips, layers, and imperfections guide the work.

These explorations led to a small new body of work called Simple Trees.

Each piece is hand-painted on textured, handmade paper and finished with pen and ink details. The rough surface adds depth and character, and I love the interaction of the loose ink with the more deliberate line work.

The collection reflects themes of growth, stability, and abundance, ideas I keep returning to as the year begins.

Alongside the artwork, I’ve been doing some behind-the-scenes resetting:
My Etsy shop has been refreshed, and my website reorganized to better reflect my current creative focus. It feels good to have a renewed digital presence as the year unfolds.

I’ll be using this space to share monthly notes from the studio, works in progress, and reflections on process.

Thanks for being here!

Until next time,
Rekha

I share updates about my artwork, exhibitions, and creative process here on Substack. If you’d like to stay connected, please do subscribe (it’s free).

Opening Reception: December 5, 5-9pm
Show runs through January 24, 2026

About the Collection

For the past 20 years, New York has been more than a place—it’s been home, muse, and teacher. Since 2004, I’ve lived and worked in the NYC metro area, and this city has shaped both my personal journey and my creative identity.

Ode to New York City is my way of honoring those memories: long walks through city streets, bustling subway rides, stunning skyline views that never cease to amaze me, and the quiet refuge of parks where green spaces invite reflection and renewal.

The Process

Each piece in this collection is created with layers of hand-painted papers and photographic transfers. I use acrylic paint, acrylic ink, paint pens, and my original NYC photographs printed on tissue paper to build up texture and depth. Every collage weaves together the city’s grit and glamour, capturing the rhythm, color, and texture of New York through my eyes as an artist.

The five pieces in the complete collection each focus on iconic NYC scenes:

• Skyline Up Close

• Skyline

• Hustle and Bustle Times Square

• Brooklyn Bridge

• The High Line

See Them in Person

If you’re local, I’d love for you to experience these works at the opening reception or during the show’s run. There’s something special about seeing mixed media collage in person—the layered textures, the interplay of painted papers and photographic elements, the depth that builds with each viewing.

The show features over 300 artworks by 133 local artists, making it a wonderful opportunity to explore our vibrant creative community.

Art House Gallery
The Hendrix: 345 Marin Boulevard, Jersey City
(between Morgan St. and Bay St.)

What’s Next

The complete collection includes five original works, each 11x14 inches and priced at $250. For now, you can purchase the three pieces on display at the Affordable Art Show. The full collection will be available soon through my Etsy shop and DivineNY.com. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and as works sell, I’ll continue creating new originals inspired by these same NYC themes.

Thanks for following along with my creative journey! I share updates about my artwork, exhibitions, and process here on Substack. If you’d like to stay connected, consider subscribing (it’s free!) for future posts.

Fall is in full swing in NYC! Cool mornings, warm days, and cozy evenings—perfect for creating. 🍁

My art table has even taken over the dining table for extra space. One day I hope to have a dedicated studio room…fingers crossed!

New Watercolor Pieces

Daily sketchbook practice continues to inspire me. Some rough sketches spark ideas for “official” paintings, like these:

Whimsical Garden 1 & 2 – watercolor, fine liner, gel pen, and ink (9”x12”)

Indian Pink Palace – watercolor with gel pen and fine liners (9”x12”)

See the full blog post for a closer look at these pieces and their sketchbook inspiration.

Limited Edition Prints Coming Soon

After some research and a studio tour at a local printer in NYC, I’m exploring creating limited edition prints of my artwork.

Learned about scanning, color correction, and proofing—excited to see where this goes!

Etsy & Website Shop Revamp

Big changes coming this fall!

• New Etsy banner & updated categories

• Original artwork, limited edition prints, and note card sets

Old inventory moving to “Last Chance Finds”

Website shop will get a similar refresh—stay tuned!

Immersive Art Experiment

I’m exploring how to turn my hand-painted watercolors into an immersive art experience.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

• Started in my sketchbook

• Recreated digitally in Procreate (layers for each element)

• Experimented with rotation, opacity, and scale in After Effects

• Added music in Premiere Pro to create a concept video
  

In Conclusion

My art and creative career are evolving—new projects, new directions, new challenges.

I don’t always know the next step, but I keep moving forward, one project at a time. If you’re pursuing big creative goals, I hope this inspires you to keep going toward your passions!

I’m excited to share that a brand new episode of Art For The Soul is live! 🎉

In this episode, I show you how to fill a sketchbook page with simple shapes and doodles. You’ll just need a few basic supplies, and I share tips to make the process calming, mindful, and fun.

👉 Watch the episode here

✨ New Artwork
I’ve also completed my first mixed media collage for a larger collection I’m working on called Travel Escapes. This piece, inspired by my 2019 trip to Rouen, France, blends travel photography with layers of hand-painted and repurposed papers. It’s part memory, part imagination — and the start of an exciting new journey in collage.

👉 Read more about this artwork and my creative process here

🎨 A Relaxing Demo
Finally, I recently shared a short watercolor demo on YouTube Shorts — a peaceful, quick watch if you need a creative breather.

👉 Watch the watercolor demo

Thanks for being here and sharing this creative journey with me. 💜

I'm also excited to share that a new episode of Art for the Soul is now live on my YouTube channel! Whether you're here for inspiration or just a gentle nudge to create again, I hope this post brings a little color into your day.

🎨 Creative Play

I had an old notebook sitting on my shelf that I wasn’t sure what to do with, so I tore out the pages and gave them new life as hand-painted papers.

After applying a base coat of acrylic paint, I layered on marks, textures, and patterns using gel pens and paint pens. It was so satisfying to turn something I nearly discarded into something beautifully intentional.

Read the blog post

Now I have a fresh batch of hand-painted papers ready for my next mixed media collage - I’m not sure what it’ll become yet, but that’s part of the creative magic.

Catch video highlights of this work on my latest instagram reel.

📖 July Sketchbook Recap

Here’s a peek into what I’ve been painting in my sketchbook this past month, lots of color play, expressive mark-making, and visual journaling.

👉Want to see each piece up close? Check out my latest Instagram post!

🎥 New Episode: Art for the Soul

The next episode of Art For The Soul is now live on my YouTube channel! In this video, I share how to begin a sketchbook practice - this is Part 1, and the focus is all about gathering your supplies.

I actually wrote a blog post about this last year (you can read it here), and always planned to create a video version. I finally did, and I hope you enjoy watching! The episode also includes a demo where I create a calming, expressive sketchbook piece.

🎥 Watch: Getting Started With a Daily Sketchbook Practice – Part 1: Supplies

✨If you enjoy it, I’d love for you to subscribe and join me as the series continues to evolve!

Thanks, as always, for being part of my creative journey 💛

For the month of May, I’ve been embracing a nomadic life as I explore bi-coastal living options. My journey started with a week in Los Angeles followed by a few weeks in Toronto, Canada - now back home in a new apartment in New Jersey (for now).

Los Angeles is definitely calling to me as a potential place to relocate. But instead of jumping in all at once, I’m taking a phased approach - making more trips out west to explore neighborhoods, build connections and attend industry events. The goal is to land a new opportunity in film, digital media or content creation before making the big move.

Of course, being a nomad didn’t mean pressing pause on my daily art practice - it just meant I had to be more intentional about what came with me! I focused on packing only the essentials, keeping in mind luggage weight and airline restrictions.

Here’s what made it into my portable art kit - and a peek at the art I created on the go:

On-the-Go Art Travel Kit

• Meiling watercolor pan paint set

• Kuretake paint set

• Fine Tec Pearlescent Colors

• Collapsable water container

• Winsor & Newton fine liners

• Mechanical pencil

• Eraser

• Ruler

• Gel pens - gold and white

• Paintbrushes

• Small sketchbook (watercolor, cold press paper)

All of this fit into two small canvas bags - perfectly sized to include in a suitcase or carry-on travel.

If you’re planning to travel this summer and want to keep your creative practice going, I highly recommend putting together your own simple travel art kit!

👉 Read more in my latest blog post, and for travel snapshots from L.A. and Toronto, check out my posts on Instagram. (I’ve included some of my favorite travel photos in the blog post, too!)

Read Blog Post

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I use these pastels in two main ways:

1. As a flat background color

2. As a base layer or underpainting for watercolor designs

   

Here’s a peek at what I’ve been playing with:

• Soft, blended pastel backgrounds for watercolor art

• A layering technique combining watercolor and pastels

• An experimental floral piece that surprised me in the best way

  

  
  

👉 Read the full blog post here

Would love to know — have you ever tried soft pastels in your artwork? Or has this inspired you to give them a go?

In the video, I'll take you through the steps I follow to create these botanical note cards using watercolor paints, fine liners, gold gel pens, and gold pan paints. I hope it sparks your creativity as much as it did mine.

Be sure to check out the full blog post on my website for more details!

Happy painting and creating!

Travel has always fueled my creativity, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2025 than with a two-week journey through India. While I explored several vibrant cities, the highlight of my adventure was definitely my time in Lakshadweep. This beautiful collection of islands, with its crystal-clear waters and serene landscapes, truly captured my imagination.

I’ve put together a short video to showcase the highlights of my time in Lakshadweep

For a deeper dive into my Lakshadweep adventure, check out my full blog post here.