Bit of both really.
After years of trying to recreate other peoples styles (not helped by the fact I've had to use my artistic skills to earn money and illustration often means doing what the client wants not what I'd prefer)...
And, years of not being able to afford nice materials and therefore being a bit scared to use them, because they're limited and expensive and I don't know when I can next afford them...
I've really been pushing myself, now I can afford some nice stuff, to experiment, find what I really like and enjoy!
I've done some fun abstract stuff, pouring watered down watercolour paint in dribbly wobbly circles, starting quite pale and getting darker, using granulating paint (the pigment separates out and sits in the texture of the paper) as well as non-granulating... and then having to let it dry.
I can't control what it does, it does its own thing.. and then the resultant mess is embellished with fine liner, shimmery mica paint, imitiation gold leaf... and looks weird haha! But it teaches me a lot about what the pigment will do and pushes me to let go of control. Im generally a very 'tight control, perfectionist, super fine details' sort of artist, so this is hard!
I've also started using sketchbooks, nice hardback ones, to try out ideas in and somehow this has made me much more productive, I think its having all the ideas in one place, vs loads of scattered bits of paper everywhere.
This weeks work:
Tree in fine liners, dark grey and black. Biggest pen used was a .5 and it took 5 hours!
Dribbly watercolour messes... as above.
It all keeps my brain-weasels happy too, having something tangible at the end of the day.