Here is my original painting, used as the cover for my latest novel, ‘Camau Bach’ (Small Steps). I remember creating it during an inspiring weekend painting course run by the renowned fine artist Andrew Douglas-Forbes. I was on the cusp of overworking it, but was encouraged to make my marks and then leave them.

Of course, there is no such thing as perfection in any creative form, and this idea of letting go applies to the writing process as well. If anything, those instinctive, incidental marks can have the greatest impact. As one redrafts and fine-tunes their words on the page, there comes a point where one can meddle too much – and potentially spoil something good.

Birthing a book, then, is a process of letting go: of leaving the marks, imperfect as they may be, before moving on to the next project. 

Dyma’r llun gwreiddiol gen i gafodd ei ddefnyddio fel clawr fy nofel newydd ‘Camau Bach’ (Y Lolfa). Dwi’n cofio peintio’r llun ar gwrs ysbrydoledig yn Oriel King Street, Caerfyrddin, dan arweiniad yr arlunydd dawnus Andrew Douglas-Forbes. Digon posib i mi fod ar fin gor-beintio’r llun, ac mi ges i fy nghymell i adael y marciau heb stwna hefo nhw’n ormodol. Mae’r egwyddor yma’n wir am y broses o ysgrifennu hefyd, os nad pob ffurf creadigol. Tydi perffeithrwydd ddim yn bodoli wrth greu. Mae cyhoeddi cyfrol yn broses o adael fynd, o adael y marciau yn eu lle, cyn symud ymlaen i’r prosiect nesaf.