Inspiration

For a long time, I resisted prompts. Resisted is a nice way to say, they frustrated the crap out of me. Not because I was too cool for them. Not because I didn’t  need  them. But because every time I sat down with one, I felt like I was being told where to go, and maybe even who to be, when all I really wanted was to be asked, “Where are you already headed?” I found for me that prompts, even the most well-intentioned ones, can so easily become direction. And direction, when y

Are you looking for creative inspiration? Here are the top 10 places to get your creative juices flowing: Photo by Achim Bongard on Take a Nature Walk: Step outside and immerse yourself in the wonders of nature. A leisurely stroll through a nearby park or nature reserve can breathe life into your creativity. Breathe in the fresh air, embrace the beauty around you, and let nature spark your imagination. Visit an Art Gallery: Delve into a world of artistic expression by visitin

It can be difficult to be creative when you don't feel inspired, but there are some helpful tips and tricks you can use to jumpstart your creativity. Here are some ideas to get you started: Photo by Deeana Arts on Take a break. When you're feeling stuck, it can help to step away from the project and come back to it with a fresh perspective. Take a walk, read a book, or listen to some music. Try something new. Experiment with a new medium or technique. Learning something new c

Photo by Deeana Arts on As an artist, it can be easy to get discouraged when we don't meet our goals or feel like we're not making progress. However, it's important to remember that failure is an essential part of the creative process. By embracing our mistakes and learning from them, we can expand our horizons and become even better artists. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your failures: Acknowledge your mistakes: Acknowledge that you have made a mistake and

Artists hear all the time the advice that you need to find “YOUR STYLE” as if it’s this thing playing hide-n-seek with you. That if you turn over enough rocks you’ll find it hiding beneath. This thinking messed with my head for so many years. It’s something that my son and I were discussing the other day and I told him to let go of the idea of finding his style, but rather to get comfortable with his process. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized doing just that was the

What is Creative Burnout? Burnout at it’s core is exhaustion. Whether that’s an emotional, mental or physical exhaustion it all plays into the burnt out feeling. But what causes the burnout? For me, it typically follows prolonged stress, intense self-doubt, feeling stick in a rut or struggling to manage an unmanageable workload. It’s rarely just one thing, it’s usually a combination of many things feeling way to intense and no real answers or solutions showing themselves. Exh

Each creative must actively wade through the uncertainty that comes with the very act of creating. Whether creating art, music, or the written word...each must explore, question, play and experiment with their subjects and voice in order to find where they sit comfortably and authentically as a creative person. Creatives can't sit by and wait for inspiration or even motivation to bite them in the rear-end and compel them to sit into action. Passion is the driving force. Creat

Being a self-taught artist has brought me both immense joy and overwhelming fear. The joy stems from the freedom to learn my way and to create a style that is truly my own and that reflects who I am and the life I’ve had. The fear seeps into those dark moments where I feel like a fraud or a failure. The moments when I compare myself to others and find my art lacking. Or when I put my art into the world and...crickets. 7 Tips for Being a Self-Taught Artist... 1) Be willing to

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from students is how they can find their artistic style. It’s followed by how do they find it if they are learning…copying…another artist’s style? Finding your unique style is a matter of finding yourself in the art. It’s noticing the little habits or traits that appear in your work over and over. These aren’t thing you choose but rather they are things you’ll find by looking at your artwork and noticing the little things y

When I began my daily journaling practice I was hoping to form a more consistent journaling rhythm as-well-as to form a more honest and personal relationship with myself and my writing voice. Up until that point, I found my journaling to be a list of things I did that day or a long winded dramatic dump of all the emotions I was feeling that day. But the idea of having an unlimited amount of space each day felt overwhelming. I ended up choosing the Moleskine 18-month planner .

I believe we all have a basic 5 rules we live by. The trick is, each of our 5 are not the same. This makes us each unique as we're guided by these rules. These are the things we filter through as we make decisions and move through our days. Our 5 can be partly dictated by our upbringing, our religion and our community. Here are my five~ Do not procrastinate - This was a rule that gathered steam as I got older and suffered major grief, loss of my health and facing my own deat

My husband and I have been self-employed and working from home for 19 years. During those years I homeschooled two kids through graduation. I found in all those years the most important thing is to have a great morning routine. Otherwise your mornings drag out and by the time you get to work your day is half-over. There are a few things you can do to ensure you start your day right. No phone We all want to be informed but looking at the news seconds after waking up will only

This coronavirus crisis has forced many schools to close and has left many parents scrambling to find ways to occupy their kids during the day. There will obviously be schoolwork to stay on top of, but parents are forced to find ways to keep them busy. I homeschooled my two kids from Kindergarten through graduation so I'm quite familiar with finding things to do with kiddos at home. Cook Together This is a great opportunity to get your kids in the kitchen. Many people are eat