All photos credit to Mandy.

This is my first time painting such a large piece, and it’s displayed on the wall at CSVPA. It’s a bit embarrassing and heartwarming to think about because I never knew my potential could take me this far. For example, I never thought about painting something so large or that the complexity of the work would reach this level. At first, I drew numerous ideas in my sketchbook. Sometimes, I would experiment with Photoshop to see the effects.

Yet, the final form of my creation was a mystery, unplanned and unexpected. My respected mentor, Mandy Doyle, did not hesitate much and immediately asked me to paint on the wall. She told me to try it out on paper first, to test it multiple times in a small area, take photos of the painting process, and put-up various ideas from my sketchbook on the wall. No one expected that once I started, I wouldn’t stop, painting far larger than expected and completing it in one go.

I believe that creativity often behaves in this way: if it’s meticulously planned, it may not yield a remarkable piece of work, and sometimes it might not even qualify as true creativity.

Such constraints can limit one’s potential. These latent abilities are aspects of ourselves that we may not have been aware of previously. Occasionally, we require an accidental push from someone else—an opportunity presented unexpectedly. When that opportunity arises, even if self-doubt creeps in, we must forge ahead and seize it.

This process embodies self-awareness without veering into arrogance.

這是我第一次畫這麼大幅的畫，還要畫在當時就讀的英國學校 CSVPA 的牆上。說來有些慚愧，也感到非常感恩，因為我從來沒想到自己的潛力能夠達到這樣的高度。比如說，我從來沒有想過要畫這樣大的畫，也沒有想到作品的複雜程度會達到這種程度。起初，我在素描本上畫下了許多想法。有時候用 Photoshop 砌來砌去，看看效果。但實際上，我從來沒有計劃過成品會是怎樣的。尊敬的導師 Mandy Doyle 幾乎沒有猶豫，立刻鼓勵我在牆上畫。她建議我先在紙上試試，在一個小區域多次嘗試，紀錄畫的過程，然後將素描本中不同的想法都展示在牆上。最終，沒有人料到一開始畫後我就沒停過，畫得比預期的大幅，而且是一氣呵成。

我覺得很多時候創作就是這樣，過度計劃是做不出好作品，甚至不是真正的創作，反而限制了潛力。這些潛力是我從未不自知的，有時候需要別人的推動，給你機會。當機會來臨時，哪怕對自己的能力有所疑慮，也要硬著頭皮去做。

咁樣叫做有自知之明而不自大。