Time Management for the Creative Change your Mindset

It’s as if the two sides of my brain collide; the artistic, unrestrained, go with the flow crashes against my responsible self.  Do whatever you want whenever you want wars with organize thyself.  Chase after every idea butterfly as opposed to schedule a time to clean your toilet.  Elya loves to paint butterflies! Paint away …

Become the Artist and Writer you Want to Be!

Years ago, I bemoaned my lack of artistic talent. Impatience percolated until the pour oozed with bitterness. I wanted to be further along than I was. I longed to be a published author, an extinguished artist, a person of influence, but the road ahead was long and rocky, and I was impatient. Then from out …

Fresh Starts Await!

There are times when your life’s canvas gets wiped clean.   You find yourself faced with a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to do things differently. Maybe you’ve graduated from college, gotten married or divorced, lost your job, or changed jobs. Perhaps a loved one died, or an unexpected turn of events left you …

Cocoon yourself to Create

Sometimes life circumstances set us aside, and we find ourselves holed up at home: Caring for the sick Helping family Battling illness Managing home-improvement projects ________ (insert your reason here) Our normal running around turns into staying put. I’ve been thinking a lot about how what cocoons us also creates opportunities for art.  "Chrysalis" by …

The Feral Cat of Inspiration

Inspiration is like a feral cat.It stalks around in the shadows.You never know when it will grace you with its presence. When you're trying to catch it,inspiration slithers away. But when you give up the chase,inspiration comes and finds youwhen you least expect it to. It's a waiting game.An idea starts to form in the …

The Parting: Marketing Art

Personal paintings become a part of the artist by guiding one's creative path. And like good friends, artwork can be difficult to say good-bye to when we decide to release our art into the marketplace.  Sometimes this is because of sentimental reasons. For example, this watercolor my sister and I created reminds us of those …

Depression and the Artistic Temperament

If you’re an artistic soul, then you’ve battled depression, this enemy of soul. You’ve got this light, bright side most people see and admire, and then there’s the dark place only those closest to you know you crawl into at times. Berit Grogard D.M.Sci., Ph.D.’s article, “Positives of Depression on Artistic Expression,” presents a scientific …