It’s strange times. The social distancing we are experiencing during the Coronavirus pandemic has many people dealing with high levels of anxiety and depression. I hate to admit it, but I’m in my comfort zone. I thrive at social distancing. Stay at home and read books by yourself? Yes. Always yes. But my heart goes out to people who are discomforted by the current state of our lives. Something that has been helping me is surrounding myself with creativity – but here’s the kicker: I haven’t painted since mid-February.

     That’s right, you are reading the blog of an artist who hasn’t been in her studio in 8 weeks. My creativity ebbs and flows, and I don’t believe in forcing it. In the past when I have done that, it makes me spiteful towards painting because I’m not enjoying it. That’s not the kind of relationship I want to have with my practice. Instead of going to the studio and sitting at my easel, I am taking this time to soak in the work of other artists.

     Every day I have been enjoying quiet mornings sipping tea while reading books. Reading the words of other creatives inspired me to sit down and let some words fall out of me too. I don’t always have time to read, so I’m soaking in as much as I can while staying at home!

     Another go to? Podcasts. Yes, I am lumping podcasts in as an art form because they take a lot of creativity too. The fantastic thing about podcasts is that you feel like you are in on the conversation. I regularly find myself laughing out loud, and what better thing is there than laughter in these gloomy times? The conversations take away any loneliness because it feels like I’m getting human interaction. One of my favorite authors Brene Brown just launched a podcast, and it’s giving me life! Her honest vulnerability is a refreshing listen. It’s called Unlocking Us if you are interested!

     A way you can work through roller coasters of emotions is with music. Feeling happy, dance it out. Need to cry, through on a heart wrencher and let the tears flow. It’s a powerful medium. Hop on to almost any musician’s social media and you’ll likely find special performances that they have filmed while in “Shelter In Home” as a way to give back to their fans.

     When in doubt, throw on the TV. Movies and television shows can help you feel less alone and keep you entertained. You or someone you know definitely has log ins for streaming services, many of which are coming out with new shows every week! I've definitely gotten more than enough screen time, so I'm trying to limit it, but I'm not getting down on myself when I need to zone out for a few hours.

     So, in essence, if you are a creative person who isn’t “feeling it” right now, you aren’t alone. Don’t feel guilty or feel like you are doing this quarantine wrong. You do not need to use this time to be productive. You don’t need to be building content or creating the newest masterpiece. Instead, consider this time as you are dedicating to supporting other artists.
​
     I hope you and yours are staying safe. I wish you good health, both physical and mental. The storm will run out of rain eventually. 

     When I hit a roadblock and am feeling uninspired, I turn to the words of other creatives who have made a profession out of their work. I find that painting when I’m just not “feeling it” makes me resent the piece I’m working on, and that’s not very fair to the painting! I have read the following six art-related books in the past year and find them all to be motivating and inspiring. I hope you enjoy them too! I’ve written a brief summary of what I took away from each book, but please feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to hear more about them.

​     This book was instantly influential on my art practice. It offers an incredible amount of wisdom on how to best use your time, structure your routine, and keep consistent with your creativity. Each section is written by a different author who is considered an expert on the topic at hand. My biggest takeaways were that when I’m painting, my phone should be nowhere in sight. When I’m in the studio I owe it to myself and my creative career to prioritize making art over answering emails as soon as they come in. It’s important to schedule your creative time into your day and commit to it! Since finishing the book, I have restructured my days so that I get to my studio first thing in the morning. I get in between 6 to 7 a.m. which gives me a few hours of painting before going to work at my retail job at 10 a.m. I have found that mornings are when I’m most alert and productive, and dedicating that time to my studio has already made a significant impact on practice. I’ll write a separate post about that in the future!

     It’s difficult to put into words the divinity of Big Magic. Elizabeth Gilbert encourages the reader to go after their creative pursuit in the most warming, conversational way. She reminds us that all creatives are human. Most people experience a fear of putting their heart out in the air for the universe to see, or don’t know how to give themselves permission to start in the first place. Her encouragement to find what makes your soul sing is contagious and makes you want to start creating immediately! Since finishing the book, I have fallen in love with her podcast “Magic Lessons.” The podcast is a continuation of Big Magic in which she offers direct advice to audience members who are facing creative blocks. It’s one of my favorite things to listen to while I’m painting! I absolutely recommend this book to anyone pursuing a creative practice.

     ​This book is a swift kick in the butt that essentially says, stop thinking and start making! Steven Pressfield identifies many of the obstacles in the creative process which he labels as “resistance.” He then tells you exactly how to defeat the resistance that is keeping you from finishing your work. His writing style is direct, humorous, and motivational. It’s a quick read that should be kept close by for the days you find yourself procrastinating your creative practice!

     Turning Pro is the follow up to The War of Art. It gives more tangible advice on what to expect if you are trying to pursue creativity as a full-time profession. Pressfield straight up tells you that you need to say goodbye to your comfort zone and get ready to make a lot of sacrifices in your social life if you think you have what it takes to make it as a pro. It’s encouraging but not sugar-coated. I’m a big fan of his no-nonsense style. 

     ​This book is a quick read full of humor and illustrations. It tells the reader how to take a compilation of the art that inspires you from several artists and turn that into a style of your own. Kleon stresses that you just need to start. You don’t have to have a defined style at the beginning, it will develop as you keep creating. It’s a refreshing read with practical advice for the modern-day artist. 

     ​This is a book about making good art. It’s about ordinary people creating at a level that isn’t genius, but important nonetheless. The authors comment on “the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn’t get made, and the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way.” It confronts fears about yourself, the opinions of others, and finding yourself in the vastly diverse artistic world. 

     I am a bookworm by nature and already have several more books sitting on my nightstand in my “to-read” pile. I will write another blog post in the future about the following:

• Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way
• A Big Important Art Book
• The Artist’s Way
• Art Before Breakfast

 
     If you have any favorites that aren’t on my lists, please share them with me! I’m always on the hunt for books that will help me on my way towards an art career. 

     Earlier this week I was trying to remember what I did last year for New Year’s Eve. I feel so silly that it slipped my mind because that was a pretty monumental day in my life. Instead of getting all dolled up and going out to a party, I spent the night in my sweatpants painting the walls of my first art studio. I wouldn’t have had it any other way! It feels like I’ve been in my studio longer than a year now because 2018 has been filled with one big event after the other. At the end of the year I like to remember the big moments because in our go-go-go culture, it’s easy to forget what you’ve done as you’re conquering the next item on your to-do list. So, I figured why not share my 2018 experiences with you while I reminisce about the year?
     The first quarter of the year was almost entirely spent denying that I had homework and studying to do because I was so excited to get everything situated in the studio! It's hard to be disciplined in your studies when you have an art studio calling your name all hours of the day! I graduated from Eastern Washington University in March with degrees in Marketing, Operations Management, and Communication Studies, and have been focusing on my art career ever since. Even though there are a million other careers I could pursue with my degrees, I don’t want to regret not going after my dream!

​               I’m still convinced that this is all a dream I constructed in my head and that I’m going to wake up any minute. Today I was featured in an ad in Times Square, New York. Vista Print was running a small business spotlight promotion, and they picked my business cards to be one of the featured businesses! My cards have a picture of “Bed Head” on the back, so that means my painting was up in Times Square. Let me say that again. My painting was up in Times Square today! Unreal. 

​               I had posted a picture of my new cards on the Instagram account I have for my artwork (click on the Instagram icon at the bottom of the page to follow!) and tagged Vista Print. A few days later Vista Print commented on the picture asking if I’d like the opportunity to be featured – which of course I said yes to! As an emerging artist who is just starting out, I can’t pass on the opportunity for this kind of publicity. 

​               On Friday, May 25th, I woke up and immediately got on Instagram. I followed the link to Vista Print’s live footage of their Times Square Ad. The ad was on one of the large electronic screens on the south end of Times Square. I sat and eagerly waited as other small business’s cards appeared on the slideshow. Then, it happened. I recognized “Bed Head” on the screen and I felt my stomach drop. It couldn’t really be happening. My painting couldn’t actually be on a larger-than-life screen in Times Square. I am a homebody from Spokane, WA, not an established artist who has their work shown in New York. But here I was, up on the screen in front of thousands of people. 

​               My card was on the screen for no more than 10 seconds, but the fact that I was included has completely overjoyed me. I am only 2 months post-graduation and am still getting my footing as an emerging artist. To be featured in such a monumental location this early in my career as an artist is such an enormous opportunity. I am so humbled, grateful, and honored. Deciding to pursue painting after racking up almost $30,000 in student loans on two business degrees was unnerving. I think this feature is a big fat sign that I am heading in the right direction. 

​               No, I don’t use windows to make my paintings look like you’re looking out a window at a giant flower. Although, how cool would that be in real life? To wake up in the morning, look out the window, and be engulfed in the petals of an enormous dahlia would be a magical start to the day. Talking about it has inspired me to eventually do a landscape painting in that manner, but until that day, there are several other reasons I prefer using old windows instead of traditional canvas frames. 

​               Growing up, I spent a lot of time on the job with my dad who is a contractor that specializes in older buildings and historic preservation. One of my favorite things about his projects is that he always finds a way to reuse materials. He has used older windows in several of his projects and I guess I just fell in love with them at a young age. Whereas he will use the windows as room dividers, I use them as canvas frames. I’m a total “daddy’s girl,” so naturally I got inspiration from him.
               If I were to build a canvas from scratch, I’d have to build a frame first. My theory is why build a frame when I can use one that is already intact and has decades of character? Getting a window ready to have canvas stretched into it requires a hefty amount of elbow grease but I believe it’s worth it. I just pop out the glass, sand the frame, and then scrub it with bleach water to clean it up.
               There is something to be said about the contradiction of the older windows with floral subjects as well. Some of the windows I have are almost 100 years old! They have weathered the storms and are still in great shape. When I pair an old window with a flower, it’s a contradiction of lifelines. Flowers are seasonal, at least in the Inland Northwest where I live. They bloom in the spring and are gone by the fall. So here we have a frame that is decades old holding a flower that has a life span of sometimes just weeks; I think that is a beautiful pairing. 

​               I want to thank everyone that has been so generous in gifting me windows to use. My collection has grown and grown, and now it is starting to take over the basement of the warehouse my art studio is in! Some of my favorites are from the Spokane Courthouse and one of the buildings at Riverfront Park that got demolished recently for the park’s remodel. I’m excited to get painting with them and find them the perfect home.
               Thanks for taking the time to read my first blog post! You are awesome.