The Mindful Artist

How to Start a Painting?

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I had a fabulous, meaty question from a subscriber recently who wrote to say she had recently switched from a 30-year graphic design practice to painting and was finding it tough.

She asked “How do I start a new painting? My paintings have no consistency.
Do I just let it flow? Or does in need to have a set direction?”

This is the question that comes up when we begin to take a more focused approach to painting. When it becomes for us more than a pastime or hobby and becomes a passionate pursuit or profession.

Usually, it’s not the painting that’s tough, it’s the thoughts that come up – the judgments, the inner critic.

Here are some things I suggested she try:

1. Create a studio journal. Writing before starting a painting. Blurt everything out.
2. Step back from the thoughts that are coming up. Become aware of what the quality of the thoughts you have while painting.
3. Set a timer during your painting process and step back, pause every 20 minutes or so and notice what is going on. Check in with your body, emotions, thoughts.
4. If the thoughts are not supportive, replace with more supportive thoughts.
5. Take out all your paintings completed thus far and look at them as a group. Journal about them from a curious, non-judgmental perspective. Don’t worry whether you love it or hate it. Just get curious. Write down from a neutral voice what you are noticing.
6. Think from a broader perspective about what the paintings are about. What are they teaching you? What are they showing you?

 

 

Artists & Money: Interview with Financial Therapist Bari Tessler

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I had the pleasure of sitting down for a video chat with dancer, mama, financial therapist and mentor Bari Tessler last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glWTEwlGpmg?rel=0

Artists and Money – it’s a hot topic.

When I was young, I somehow picked up from the culture that being an artist meant struggling financially.

I was willing to make that sacrifice (at least when I was 23 years old!).

But, I hear time and time again that many creatives were discouraged from pursuing their dream because they were told they would never make any money.

Another cultural myth is the stereotype that artists are flakey in general and specifically with money. We can’t handle it. We spend it too quickly. We don’t keep track. Our heads are in the clouds. We never have enough money. When we do have it we spend it too quickly. We are unrealistic. We aren’t good with numbers.

While these stereotypes are damaging and unfair, they have may have some basis in all those qualities that make us so wonderful. Creativity is centered in the right hemisphere. It accounts for our immense capacity to vision and dream, but it’s the left hemisphere that plans, projects, analyzes, calculates, handles figures and so forth.

The bottom line is many of us – artists or not – have a lot to discover about our relationship to money.

What is our story around it?

What is our family history with money?

What are we neglecting in our financial lives?

What are we very good at?

What do we still need to learn?

What about budgets?

Can we fulfill our dreams on our income?

Where do we have shame around money?

Bari Tessler is a wonderful guide on this journey. I took her Art of Money course in 2013 and was so enthusiastic about it that my sister signed up the very next year and one of my dearest friends has signed up to  take it in 2015!

If you are interested in learning more about Bari’s comprehensive holistic approach, please click here.

Create a Consistent Studio Practice

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Don’t you just love being read to? I do! I loved it as a kid and I still love it as an adult. Just one of the many reasons I love to listen to audio books.

My little holiday gift to you – I’m reading a chapter from my book Seven Essential Practices for the Professional Artist: Create a Studio Habit – Consistency

I hope this gives you a little boost to get in the studio if you’ve been having trouble making that a regular habit.

Many artists I’ve worked with struggle to create regular time for art making. It seems as if everything else always gets in the way!

It’s easy to fall into this trap. Why should it be so hard when it’s what you love to do?

One reason is that many creatives, in all fields, have a highly developed inner critic. But it can be a problem when you let this inner critic run rampant in the early stages of creating something.

We also doubt that we have ideas that are worthwhile. I’d like to go on record as saying even if only ONE person in this world benefits from your studio practice – YOU –  the entire world has benefitted. You are no more important or less important than every other being on this planet. Your happiness, satisfaction and sense of deeper connection with All-that-is that creative practice engenders spills out and touches all in your circle. When you have it in you to be creative and you fulfill that promise, it feels as if everything is right in the world. Have you notices? And in turn your family, friends and colleagues get a happier more fulfilled version of you. Then they in turn touch every one else in their circles with a greater sense of satisfaction and peace and so on.

I’ve found it highly beneficial when stuck in the studio and having trouble getting jump started to have a commitment to regular, inviolable studio time. Even fifteen minutes a day makes a huge difference!

Creativity is like a muscle. Use it regularly and it gets stronger, firmer, more toned and ready for action.

Once you cultivate this regular practice, it becomes like a loyal friend. It will not let you down it will be a comfort and solace in the good times and not-so-good times.

If you have your own ideas to share about how having a regular habit of getting into the studio has helped you, please do in the comments below!

Or perhaps consistency has never worked for you and you prefer a more sporadic studio practice – let us know about that! There is no ONE way for every artist. The mindful artist community is designed to help you find YOUR unique path to a satisfying and enjoyable life as an artist.

By the way, Iris mentioned in the comments that she hadn’t realized the book was available in print. If you are in Canada, you can purchase copy directly from the publisher, Editions FrI, and have lower shipping costs. (The may even have a few signed copies left!) 
http://fissaly.wix.com/editionsfri#!m…
Or you can get it here on Amazon: http://goo.gl/ngnDI

Drawing Kit Giveaway December 2014

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I’ve been cleaning up my studio and deaccessioning many of my supplies. I  put some of the nicest things aside to giveaway in the coming months to you, my loyal subscribers. Here’s a video I made talking about different types of charcoal and erasers and what they are used for as well as showing you the other goodies in the kit.

Here’s what you’ll need to do to complete your entry.
1. Like this video and mention in comments below that you are entering.
2. Share one of your favorite videos or blog posts I’ve made on social media and please mention in your post why you like the video.
3. TAG me on Facebook Michele Theberge artist
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michele-Th%C3%A9berge-artist/141639189231397
or Twitter @MicheleTheberge so I see it.
That’s it! Once you do those 3 things you’re in and I’ll contact you on January 7, 2015 if you’ve won. I’ll announce the winner in the next giveaway video.
GOOD LUCK!

New Year Studio Declutter!

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This fall I got on a big decluttering kick. Many people have told me how much the videos and tips on organizing and decluttering helped motivate them, so I decided to share my latest strategies and discoveries in a new video.

Let me know what you think and please share your ideas for keeping your space orderly if that is the space you work best in OR if you work best in a more cluttered space, tells us about that, too!

For some, watching a quick video is enough but if you’re like me having someone break thigns down into smaller tasks and assignng them one by one makes all the difference.

I’d like to help those of you who

What Do You Do if Everything You Make is Crap?

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I hope you don’t mind me being so crass.

But I’ve been going through a phase the past couple of weeks. I’m just not excited about anything I’ve made.

It’s disappointing.

It’s even a bit disheartening.

And I’m willing to bet at least some of you have been here before, too. Am I right?

What do you do when nothing you make delights you?

You know that lovely feeling when you look at what you’ve made and there’s a quickening, a sense of delight and enjoyment and perhaps exhilaration at your own creation?

I love that feeling!

But I’m not having it right now.

What I do know to do is to keep showing up.

I keep going to my studio or some mornings I get up and draw after my morning meditation.

whiteonblackarcs

I continue to make time for the work. I continue to make the work. Because there’s one thing that meditation practice (and observing lots of other creatives) has taught me. Consistency is key. You don’t give up because you have a bad day.

I know I will get through this.

I know more delightful work is on the other side.

I know I even made delightful work as recently as three weeks ago. (I checked my instagram feed for confirmation!)

I know I have a website full of projects, drawings and paintings I feel satisfied and pleased with.

I know this feeling can’t last forever. But sometimes it feels as though it will!

I have a box full of recent drawings that I want to discard, but I don’t have the heart to yet. I guess I’m hanging on to them as a drowning person hangs on to a life raft. It’s all I’ve got right now.

boxofcrap

Which is why I am asking you – what do you do when everything you were making looks like crap?