Dreams, lines, and leaves: when the Unconscious meets Art
I’ve always had a rich dream world — full of symbols, strange stories, and hidden meanings. Over time, I’ve learned to look at these dreams through the lens of Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss psychologist who believed our unconscious speaks to us through images and archetypes. Sometimes I even draw fragments of those dreams — shapes, colors, or moments that stay with me — to understand them better. Like the gel plate print below, full of archetypes - symbols (the Lotus Flower, the Crown, the Mandala - fruit cut). I am actually planning to write a full scientific article based on that experience.
Gel plate print, The Lotus, my work from 2025
Recently, though, I came across something new that caught my curiosity: neurographic art, and I did some research, to enrich my point of view.
What Is Neurographic Art?
Neurographic art is a creative method that combines art, psychology, and neuroscience to help express emotions and create a sense of inner balance. It was developed by the Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev in 2014.
The process is simple yet deeply meditative:
You begin by drawing free, curved lines that flow across the page, letting them intersect naturally. Then, at each intersection, you soften the corners again into gentle curves — a symbolic act of transforming tension into harmony. Finally, you fill the shapes with color, intuitively.
It feels a bit like mapping your inner landscape — transforming chaos into calm, and perhaps even shaping the reality you wish to live in.
I’m not leaving my own nature-based techniques behind, not at all, but I find this new aspect of art interesting, this intersection between art and psychology is fascinating. Sometimes, new discoveries simply remind us how many ways there are to connect with ourselves creatively.
Image source: https://marianaserban.ro/ghid-neurografica/
Artists who inspire me
In that same spirit of discovery, I want to share two artists whose work I deeply admire, who also have nature as focal point in their creation.
Atena Simionescu — a senior university professor from Romania, where I first learned the art of printing. Atena works mainly in her studio, away from the trending online spotlight, but with many international exhibitions and inspiring generations of students with her plant-based prints that seem to bloom directly from the subconscious. Her work bridges the natural and the psychological in subtle, poetic ways.
The tree of my thoughts, mixed printing and collagraph techniques, by Atena Elena Simionescu
Gone Rustic Studio & Gallery (Tasmania, Australia) — an artist I discovered online, whose mixed-media work with eco-printing and textiles feels deeply connected to nature. Her stitched and layered pieces carry the textures of leaves, fabric, and time.
(I don’t know her personally, but I love recommending her simply out of admiration for her honest, nature-centered creativity.)
A picture from Gone Rustic - Rita Summers´s art from her website
Inspiration from within and around us
I repeat myself, but I nevertheless say it again: I think it’s important for artists — and for all of us — to keep finding inspiration in others. It helps us see our own practice differently. It enriches our life.
Maybe later, take a quiet moment with a cup of tea, explore these artists’ pages, and let your imagination wander. Who knows what might bloom next?
PS: A glimpse of what’s coming soon: my new eBook on Creativity
In my upcoming book, launching in the first week of December, I’ll share more about how to find inspiration, stay focused, and grow creatively. You’ll learn how to build confidence and achieve gradual, steady, and meaningful results that can truly help transform your life.
The layout and design of the book itself are meant to inspire you — it´s crafted as an artistic experience in itself, much like my prints and mixed-media works.
