The Benefits of Flow Painting

Hello, everyone! Anna here from Happy Hands Pottery & Art Studio. Most of you may not know this, but I used to do abstract painting before I came across ceramics. And my medium was in alcohol inks, resin as well as acrylic pour painting. And there are so many things that it has taught me and I’d like to share that with you!

1. Letting Go

In pour painting, you only control about 40% of what happens — the rest is guided by movement, gravity, and time. As the paint flows off the canvas, it transforms the image in unpredictable ways. It taught me to let go. At first, it was frustrating. But over time, I learned that the unexpected results were often the most beautiful.

2. Learning to Play & Have Fun

There’s something magical about not knowing what the final piece will look like — and just letting yourself enjoy the act of creating. Abstract painting pushed me to experiment, mix bold colours, and make messes without fear of “ruining” anything.

3. Embracing Flor & Intuition

Working with fluid mediums like alcohol ink and resin helped me connect with my intuition as an artist. There’s a rhythm to pouring and tilting, watching how colours blend and move. It’s almost meditative.

Whether you’re working with paint or clay, the creative process is about trusting yourself, letting go of perfection, and letting your hands lead the way.

If you ever feel stuck or afraid to try something new in art, I encourage you to pour, play, and flow. You never know what beauty might come out of it. And if you’re curious to try this out for yourself, we have acrylic pouring workshops at Happy Hands Pottery & Art Studio! Come on by and create something beautiful!