Artist Mi Moop on the joy of creativity

We’re all about finding joy in the little moments, but we’re also advocates for carving out time for big, intentional moments too. As part of our month-long series The Art of Joy, we encourage you to switch off your phone and immerse yourself in the thing that brings you happiness – whether that’s getting creative with a new hobby, finding serenity in a sound bath, or reconnecting with the natural world. For painter Mehreen Ishaque, a.k.a Mi Moop, joy comes from art – created by herself or another – as well as the natural world that inspires her ideas and sparks creativity. We spoke with her about her dreamy paintings, her love of the V&A, and art as a form of notekeeping.

My style is slightly dreamy. It looks like things I’ve seen, but as if you were remembering them in a dream. Colour is a huge thing for me; I like to pick colours depending on how I’m feeling that day. Nature and plants are also important influences; if I look back on my portfolio, there’s always nature in there somewhere, whether that’s a tree, a beautiful plant or flowers. 

Art has always been a form of notekeeping for me. I’ve always found that there are moments that stand out in a day, like a beautiful piece of fruit or a really nice scene, and I’ll just find myself naturally pausing. It’s in those pauses that I’ve got better at noticing what inspires me, and I’ll quickly sketch it down. Plants are also a huge inspiration for me; I find nature super grounding, especially in summer when all the trees are really full and there are beautiful green leaves – when you paint that, you capture that memory of it.

There are two main aspects to being in a creative space. There’s the technical aspect, which is figuring out how I’m going to create something, thinking about what materials I use, and then there is the joy of actually making something. In an ideal world, a good creative space is somewhere where you’re actually having fun making things – you feel excited, there’s some good music playing, you have your favourite TV show on, maybe you have a friend round. It’s a lot more joyful and actually very present. 

I think there can be a lot of pressure when people visit art galleries to understand the technicalities, know who the painters are and the specific paintings, but I’ve noticed in myself that letting go of expectations and seeing what resonates makes the experience more fun. If you approach it as ‘I’m going to see what painting in this room feels a bit of me’, it makes the whole experience much more personal. My absolute favourite gallery has always been the V&A in South Kensington. I live nearby and I have a membership. The V&A East is something I’ve had bookmarked for ages and I like that it’s not just paintings on a wall but it’s actually the archives of all these different pots and random furniture – it’s finding beauty not just in a canvas on a wall but an antique ceramic. 

You’ll enjoy it more if you pick something that you think resonates with you. Maybe go for a walk or go somewhere that means something, with someone you care about, and notice in yourself what stands out to you. Take a picture on your phone, and then I would say make a fun environment. Play some fun music, put a TV show on or invite a friend over. Practically, start small, so you don’t get overwhelmed, and just have a go and see how it is. The less expectation you have going in, the more likely you are to be pleasantly surprised by it.