The Beauty of Beginning: The Rough Sketch with Josefina Sanders
Some creative moments just hit different. You know the ones – where life and art collide in ways you never expected, and suddenly you're creating from a place that feels both completely new and deeply familiar.
When Home Becomes Your Canvas
Bluey was playing in the background (iykyk), open bags of chips and popcorn scattered across the coffee table, everyone wrapped in their favorite blankets. Just existing in that sweet spot of being home together. It was summer, and we were finally settled after my daughter Emarie's bone marrow transplant. In that moment, something shifted – maybe it was the peace of being home, of knowing everything was okay, or maybe it was just my heart trying to capture the pure joy of that scene.
Finding Beauty in the Raw Beginnings
Before I could even process what was happening, I found myself reaching for my sketchbook. Eight pieces flowed out in just a few days, like my soul had been storing up these images, waiting for the right moment to release them. That's how the Her Florescence collection was born – not from a carefully planned creative strategy, but from a rush of gratitude, growth, and grace.
You see, that season taught me things I never knew I needed to learn. About God, about myself, about my husband and children. About the kind of strength you discover only when being strong is your only option. And somehow, all of that found its way onto paper, one sketch at a time.
A Conversation with Josefina Sanders
Meet Josefina Sanders, a creative freelancer whose journey embodies the raw beauty of beginning again. "I'm a creative freelancer. I am a jack of all trades," she shares, embracing the multiplicity of her creative expression. "I have multiple passions. I love doing different things... I am a calligrapher. I am a sign maker now... I'm an artist and I'm a writer."
From Survival to Abundance
Josefina's story is one of transformation, moving from creating under pressure to creating from joy. "I haven't created out of a place of joy and abundance because I've been in survival mode this entire time," she reflects on her past experience. Her journey through infertility, loss, and eventually the birth of her twin boys during COVID shaped not only her personal life but her creative practice.
"I started taking active steps in my life and in my home to just bring joy and peace and ease into my life," she shares. "That doesn't mean that the anxiety or the depression went away. That doesn't mean that the grief went away, but it was like, okay, I need something that's going to help me just be still and like enjoy life again because I felt like life was sucking the life out of me."
The Power of Release
Her path back to creative joy began with intentional decluttering – both physical and emotional. "I started decluttering and literally getting rid of journals from when I was going through my trying to conceive journey... I just felt like I had to release some of these things to make room for joy to come into my life."
This process of clearing space had an unexpected effect on her creativity. "It was interesting because as I did that, it was bringing back so much joy. Like I was like, 'oh, I feel like drawing today.' So like, you know, when the sink is clogged up and you hear it go, and you still got to clear it out, like you still have to clear out more things to let it flow. I'm in that space of my life."
Reclaiming Creative Purpose
At the heart of Josefina's work is Love Offering, a concept rooted in unexpected gifts of grace. "When you think of a love offering, it's usually at a church, and a love offering is a surprise gift to somebody else... My biggest thing with love offering is to love people and serve well, but I can't do that if I'm in an unhealthy space or if I don't see meaning in my life."
Now, she's embracing what she calls a "slow cooker season" – "where I'm regaining my flavor, where I'm finding the things that used to bring me joy, and where I'm creating from a place of abundance, where it is no longer this space of survival mode."
Her message resonates deeply with anyone who's felt the pressure to create from a place of obligation rather than inspiration. "I'm done creating out of pressure," she declares, choosing instead to trust the process of reconnecting with her creative joy.
Why the Rough Sketch Hits Different
Let's talk about why that first rough sketch is actually the moment where the magic lives. It's like posting that unfiltered photo or sharing that first draft – it's scary, but it's real. That initial pencil-to-paper moment? Pure creative adrenaline. No perfectionism, no second-guessing, just you and your ideas having a moment.
Think about it – we're literally called The Rough Concept for a reason. Because life isn't about having everything figured out from the jump. It's about embracing those messy first drafts, those wobbly lines, those moments when we're not quite sure where we're going but we're brave enough to start anyway.
Fueling Your Creative Engine
Here's the thing about creativity – it needs fuel, and not just the coffee kind (though that helps too). It needs those quiet moments on the couch with your family. Those walks where you notice how the light hits just right. Those conversations that make you see everything differently.
Your Creative Invitation
This week, I want you to get messy with it. Think about what lights you up and how you could pour that into something creative. Maybe it's that idea you've been sitting on, or that project you've been too scared to start. Write it down, voice note it, sketch it – whatever feels right.
I want to know: What's calling out to you right now? What would happen if you just started, without worrying about making it perfect?
Share your beginnings with me at hello@melarieodelusi.com or slide into my DMs on Instagram @melarieodelusi. Let's celebrate those beautiful rough drafts together.
Episode Highlights
For those wanting to dive deeper into our conversation with Josefina, here's your guide:
- 00:00 The Power of Starting Raw
- 15:30 Finding Joy in Imperfection
- 25:45 Creating from Abundance
- 35:20 Embracing the Process
- 45:00 Building a Creative Practice
Remember, every masterpiece starts with a rough sketch – and sometimes those first messy lines hold more beauty than the final polished piece ever could.
Where to Listen & Connect
To connect with Josefina and learn more about her work, you can visit her website at www.loveoffering.co and join her Cuidate Community on Substack. Make sure to follow her on Instagram @loveoffering to stay updated with her latest projects and insights.
Listen to Season One of The Rough Concept Podcast on your favorite platform:
Join our creative community:
Share your creative journey using #TheRoughConcept and tag @theroughconceptpodcast. I can't wait to see what you create!