I recently spotted a well-established artist talking about the self-doubt and fear she was facing as she thought about starting a new body of work. I stopped scrolling, read her caption, and remembered how many times I had felt the very thing she was describing. I recalled a conversation with another artist friend, and the look of astonishment and relief that crossed her face when I said to her something like: "Oh I get it, you're terrified that this time you won't be able to do it. That this...

Sometimes during its creation a piece of art is just NOT WORKING. It 's flat , too busy, too much going on, there's nowhere for the eye to rest. It might be that the composition is off, the pattern is boring, there's no contrast between the various elements or colours. Maybe there's no textural interest. Perhaps it's perfectly pleasant, but there's nothing to draw you IN, nothing to catch your breath and give you tingles. Sometimes life can be like this It's FLAT, too busy, nowhere to rest,...

Ever heard of The Hero's Journey ? Every masterpiece of storytelling follows this arc. (You know them: Lord Of The Rings, Star Wars, Moana , Men In Black , even Kung Fu Panda !) Artists follow this story arc with every painting - you don't see the whole arc in a piece, but believe me, all the beats are there: Hero gets the call to adventure ( I have the coolest ever idea for a painting! ) Hero takes up the call, encounters challenges and temptations ( Starts painting, discovers the idea is...