There are stages and seasons of uninspired struggle, despair, and lack of incentive to continue your art practice. As artists, we can get lost in this sea of struggle and lose focus. Losing focus can stall our movement and crush our spirit. But, there is hope! In this post, I will address how to challenge your inner critic and renew your art practice. Asking Key Questions First, you need to ask yourself some questions to determine what the struggle sounds like. Are you struggling with ... continue reading...
How to Find Your Creative Confidence
Confidence is like a muscle, you have to exercise it to make it grow. Yes, some artists are naturally gifted with more confidence than others but I am almost certain it came from practicing their art, accepting failure, learning from others, doing what they love and challenging their inner critic. In this post I will guide you through these five essentials for how to find your creative confidence. 1. Experiment Firstly, don't be afraid to try new mediums. Spend a few hours in an art store, ... continue reading...
How to Set SMART Goals
Just as I spoke about in the recent post, How to Do a Brain Dump, you need to stay focused and on track in order to accomplish your creative goal. It is important to have a reference to measure our process against. SMART Goals are exactly that. It should be used as a continuous check in for you. In this post, How to Set SMART GOALS, the process requires you to ask important questions that keep you on a very specific goal path. What is a SMART Goal? It is a well-known acronym for five key ... continue reading...
Free Printable Goal Sheet
September is a new year, a new beginning for so many. Change is in the air; hopes and dreams are renewed towards accomplishing our goals. Each month, I send out a free printable goal sheet or task list. This September I have a beautiful freebie for you! One of my favorite flowers are sweet peas. They are so fragrant and delicate and remind me of my wedding as we had them in the bouquets and on the guest tables. I have a small but beautiful array of these beauties trailing up my veranda ... continue reading...
Two Essentials for My Quiet Time Routine
Along with the release of my monthly Free Printable Task list, I like to include a sampling of new products for my shop. This month I have released four new products (journal and coffee mug) with my two favorite flowers; peonies and roses. I love the peonies and roses that adorn our front flower garden. Keep reading for learning the two essentials for my quiet time routine. Along with taking in the beauty of my garden each morning, there are two constants to my morning ritual; my journal ... continue reading...
How to Create From a Place of Joy
As artists, we create for many different reasons. We may feel called to create, maybe we naturally fell into it because of our environment or due to the need to provide financially. Someone or something inspired a creative spark that we chose to follow. In this post, I will explore why creating from a place of joy is important and how to make this happen in your creative practice. Why does this matter? Creating from a place of joy matters because you have to have purpose behind what you do ... continue reading...
How Creative Play Can Teach You Patience
Recently, I laid out large pieces of watercolor paper all along my kitchen island and invited my eight year old son to participate with me in a laying down watercolor strokes. The idea was to get the brush, water and paint moving to build a collection of marks. These marks would be sifted through to become contenders in my current pattern collection work. Even though there wasn't a specific plan, I knew we would both learn something. And hopefully have fun and bond at the same time. What I ... continue reading...
How to Start a Pattern Collection
As a beginner in pattern design, I am humbly sharing my process. I am not an expert by all means but I have been creating patterns for almost three years. As I grow and learn, my process becomes more streamlined and refined. In this post I will share all of the initial steps I take when I start a pattern collection. Tell a Story I often weave where I am in my journey as an artist and a coach for artists when I think of the overall story of my collection. For my first collection, ... continue reading...
What Sewing Taught Me About Art
When I used to think about someone who sews, a seamstress or a pattern maker, I rarely equated this practice as art. But now, when I think of it, at its core, sewing is creating something functional, wearable or creative from a two dimensional piece of cloth. It is the epitome of creating something from nothing. That certainly sounds like art to me. In this post I will share my journey with sewing, sewing as art and what sewing taught me about art. My Story I grew up in a family who ... continue reading...
Seven Essential Confidence Tips for Artists
In order to show up and share your work as an artist, you need confidence. Confidence is one of the key reasons that artists succeed. Confidence is like a muscle, you have to exercise it to make it grow. Yes, some artists are naturally gifted with more confidence than others but I am almost certain it came from practicing their art, accepting failure, learning from others, doing what they love and challenging their inner critic. The following seven confidence tips you as an artist, with ensure ... continue reading...
