How to Overcome the Creative Block of Fear

β€œIn order to learn the important things in life, one must surmount a fear each day.” β€” Ralph Waldo Emerson Fear is a formidable creative block for many reasons and manifests in many forms. Here are a few I've encountered along my artistic journey. Fear of Failure Creativity requires you to venture into the unknown where possible …

Courage is Accumulative

I believe that courage is accumulative. The more we make decisions to overcome our fears and do what we know is right, the more our minds and spirits increase in strength and resolve.Β  Small courageous steps take us a little bit further down the path of our destiny. Yet although they are necessary, they are …

Art Takes Courage

Art Takes Courage Courage to create without restraint. Courage to try something new you never dreamed you could do. Courage to push away from a project until more inspiration graces. Courage to return to a project and produce imperfection. Courage to share your imperfection with the world. Without courage, art hides in the shadows frightened …

In Need of Grace to Paint and to Give

Why do I torture myself so?Β I ask myself this every time I start a new portrait. The beginning seems so easy: ideas grace the mind…an outline drawn…the hollow of a mystical person appears. But then it doesn’t take long for excitement to give way to feelings of helplessness as I enter into that dark space …

Warrior Princess, New Mask Painting in Process

I’ve been working on a new acrylic painting, Warrior Princess, inspired by a mask my daughter, Elya, made and a poem andΒ postΒ I wrote. Far from finished, this painting has truly been a delight, as I explored contrasts of black and white and the use of bold colors, such as orange and red. Here’s a few …

I’m braver in the morning.

I’m braver in the morning. What curls my toes come nightfall, wiggles them when the sun peeks over the horizon. Most new projects overwhelm me before my head hits the pillow; but in the morning, I dare to dream big. Perhaps I inherited (or learned) this tendency from my mother. Ask Mom for anything past …

We choose our own subjugation.

Why are you not giving yourself permission to live? What is it in you that refuses to pursue your potential? What do you dream ofΒ doing that if only________were not in your way, you could? Recently, I pondered these questions while thinking about someone I care about whoΒ isΒ fearful of pursuing her dreams. Her situationΒ reminded me of …

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