Excellent examples. I have a third. I was raised that you do your chores first.... before you do anything fun. By the time I finish the cleaning, shopping, cooking, clean up, pay the bills, etc etc etc, I'm too tired to do anything.
Oh my gosh! The toilet has to be clean, the dishes done, the floors mopped, the laundry folded, and the list goes on and on. I can so relate to you Susan, but I'm learning to let go. I'm not saying it's easy, but for me it was scaling down to a tiny house that's easy to take care of, and doesn't run my life.We only have so much time to do the things that bring us true joy, and if you knew you only had X amount of time left, how would it be spent? That might be an important question to find answers to. Have a heart to heart talk with yourself.....write it down and ponder what it is that drives us to deny ourselves the time to enjoy our art making. I retired from hairdressing (52 yrs), four years ago and am still struggling with relaxing and not driving myself nuts because I haven't gotten the things done that I think I should. If you're younger than me (72), please stop and smell the roses, make time to love yourself! I say this in all sincerity. 💕
Oh gosh! I feel the same! I am so happy you said this. I've tried doing art like my favorite artists - then I started just using my hands - no brushes and I felt so free and love what I'm doing!! I sometimes fall asleep with my painting in my hand just loving it!!!
This spoke so much to me! I definitively have the pre-conceived notions on what 'real art' is and what I'm supposed to be making - and listen very little about what makes my heart dance. Part of this problem is also that I like different aspects about different media: the ease (of setup, cleaning, less wastefulness, etc.) of watercolor, but the possibilities you get from working in acrylics or oils (layering, paste-like consistency= paint texture) - and I don't know how to get the best of both worlds. I'm really concerned about cleanup, space requirements (I have a small desk area and no studio), and wasting/ruining my art supplies. Your other video about exploration helped a little with that aspect, but the cleanup is still a pain and I can't really get it too messy, I feel.
I hope you don't mind my wandering in here, but I had a couple thoughts. If you want texture, crumple up tissue paper, spread it back out, and attach some of it to your paper using something like matte medium. Then paint on it. You can use watercolors, and there will be texture in the background from the tissue paper. Another suggestion is to look at Karen Rice's RU-vid channel. Especially if you search her name and the word Brusho. I just learned about Brusho through her channel. She uses it to add interest to her watercolor paintings. (I fell in love, and ordered 20 different colors!!) Now, Brusho can be messy, but it's okay if you're careful. Karen also adds texture using a stick to scrape, splattering other paint, etc. I've learned so much from her. She is great at demonstrating. And all of this could be done in a small space.
@@jeanbaardsen2863 Thanks for your thoughts! I also recently discovered her channel ;) By texture, I meant more the kind you get from heavy body paint (dimensional brush strokes and such), but I am intrigued by Brusho!
@@ThisPaintingLife I have to look into some kind of 'coverup' whether drop cloth or a box maybe... I have two very active cats and soon a newborn ;) - so it'll need to be safe for them they like to lie right in the middle of what's happening ^^
Oh my goodness! I have not enjoyed painting for almost a year now and even thought about just giving it up. I started as landscape painter in pastel and have thousands of dollars in supplies. I have gotten to the point where I don’t even like the feel or sound of them now. Recently, I started playing with some acrylic paint, paper and a palette knife. It was fun and my work was wonderful and I loved it. I haven’t done it again because I just feel that I “should” be painting with my pastels. I took your course last year and thoroughly enjoyed myself, but fell back into the thought that I had to make this work with pastel and went right back to feeling stuck and uninspired. I was so happy to see this video. I think it is really time to pack up what is t making me happy and move on to what brings me joy.
I so resonate with doing what makes you happy. Trying to follow trends certainly did not work for me. And chores, lol, I will clean up when it's absolutely necessary. I wake up and watch my favourite artists on RU-vid, like Louise, and drink coffee, maybe do the dishes, so the sink is available, then I put on meditative music and begin to play with colour. I don't stop until the sun goes down and feel my body is exhausted. I have also experimented with nuero art as a way to calm down and and let the mind relax and allow the subconscious to take over. What I have realised during the past few weeks with the art festival looming, 19th March, is that there's a lot of finishing of the canvasses to be done like sanding and painting the borders and even the back of the canvass which seem to collect splashes and blobs of paint, fixing medium over the painting etc. I would love you to teach us how to approach this part of the process because I am sure I went about it the long /wrong way.
Sometimes you just need a break to recharge the creative batteries! I’ve learned not to force it and to trust that sometimes I just need to take a time out.
I have recently become aware that I have art trauma from childhood. Fear is a huge part of that. That's what I'm working to overcome so I can be free to make art.
This totally resonates....I too make a total chaotic mess when I work..... I realize that I hate cleaning up the mess, and my protestant upbringing won't let me just leave it....So once the studio is cleaned up, I'm reluctant to start mucking it up again.....so...I put off starting again....I'm working on the possibility of just letting it all lie and see how that feels. Thanks for the videos..they are very encouraging.
Thanks Louise. I’ve considered that art making is a matter of Personal Integrity, which seems to be what you are getting at. Integrity is, of course, the point where our actions are aligned with our values.
This is spot on ! These are THE two reasons why I have avoided going into the art room - fear of failure, and not having enjoyed it in the past due to not digging deep enough to find out what I want to paint, and instead trying (and not enjoying) to paint in the same way as artists I admire ! Digging deep, and not needing it to be good are the two key things I needed to learn.
It took years for me to realize that I didn't want to go into a separate room to do my art--it made me feel too cut off. So I moved an art table and some art supplies into my living room and it worked! I just had to get over the idea that the living room was supposed to look nice and tidy in case anyone dropped by. (Not a problem in COVID time, anyway, haha.)
Thank you for being so real with your talks. I love the videos and have already signed up for the course. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas for it to start. I am a very beginner and you make me feel that I can do this!! Joy comes to me with color and paper and paint and all those hands on activities.
Louise as usual you are so right! I can’t stand when my husband comes in and critics my work! Makes feel like a failure! My number one fan is my youngest daughter! Everything I paint she loves it! I’m anxiously waiting for June 3rd!
Thanks for the pep talk, very helpful. I do have bad feelings at times when I go into my studio. I have down days and up days, very manic moments in the studio at times. I get a bit overwhelmed with the cost of paint and the fact that I feel like I am wasting it. I guess it is the only way I can move over to figuring out who I am though and maybe I need to tell myself that this is the reason the cost of suing the paint I this way is worth it. BTW, Louise, your hair looks very nice today.
With me it's a little different, painting makes me happy. I am never disappointed with what I produce, I actually always love it and am so positively surprised, proud and happy. I just unfortunately have a problem with self-care - as already described in the previous video comment- and that's why I hesitate and avoid to start: because I don't want to confront myself with this huge problem that I don't love myself the way I should and would deserve. I absolutely agree that everybody can make wonderful art - it is just beautiful, when people express themselves.
Thank you Louise, looking forward to your course, yes I get today's video and it strikes a chord etc., getting out of that mode of thought of what others close to you think of your work and what it should be' and painting from within only to please yourself! I struggle with this on occasions, and sometimes they end up being mud! But working hard to enjoy what I paint!
Yes, haha, this is great. Motivating myself to eat ice-cream doesn't take any energy at all. Same when I find my groove in painting. It's magic. Until then, meeeeehhh.... haha. Thanks Louise.
I like how you talk about being messy yourself and that if you are not like that, it's okay too (or words to that affect). I really need my space to be clean and organized in order to start, so I often spend time tidying when I could be painting. I feel better about that now and, as I love to plan, I'm sure I can sort that out. I am also still getting my art making space in order, taking over more of my living space. Thank you for this!
I really needed to hear this today! I began as a realistic landscape painter. I’m bored with that and have enjoyed playing with abstraction. Not sure if the results are there yet, but loving the process. That said, I do feel that pull to go back to what I know. When I do, I’m unhappy again. Why is it so hard to let go of that realism?
love your teachings! you make everything seem so easy. I have 2 main fears, one is about shipping large canvases (even though i shipped a few, i still have no idea how to do this continuously, i find the whole process fearful and exhausting,from needing to find the right boxes, to the care with which packages should be made, etc), the other is about not finding the eco friendly paints like i used to, because i cannot use the toxic chemical ones due to an autoimmune disease. There were several companies selling ecological paints for artists and now theyre all closed. I experimented with the idea of creating my own paints, but its again, so exhausting. Every time i want to paint i think about how much painting material i still have and where else i can find new options. I even tried watercolor, pigments, but theres nothing like acrylics in an ecological form. Theres only one company now that sells these products but its really expensive. So so stressful. Anyway, i wish you would make a video on how you make the perfect package for shipping, especially for larger paintings. Even though there are few videos out there on this topic made by other artists, there is so much ambiguity and confusion about this. Everyone is suggesting vaguely how to do this, and the advice to be honest is terrible. I wish there was a step by step process that is easy to follow, so that any shipped canvas can arrive safely at their destination.
thanks again louise for another very inspiring video...............for many years I tried to draw realistically taking many drawing classes, but when I gave that up and started doing abstracts I was soooo much happier
So happy to have discovered you Louise. I've been watching your videos and listening to the fabulous Art Juice podcast that you and Alice Sheridan do. Am getting so much from your words. You really speak to what I feel as a beginning artist. Thank you! Looking forward to the course!
I'm new to your channel and you have taught me sooo much. My work is soo much more dynamic and so much more me. Anyway I'm excited, I signed up for the class. I'm excited to learn even more from you. Thank you for all that you do.
I've registered for your Find Your Joy course but i will miss the first day due to a pre-planned trip to visit daughter in another state. I hope I can catch up quickly. I'm in Australia (EST) so we are 9 hours ahead of you. Working this out does my head in a bit :) but I think I have it!
Thanks for all your videos. So looking forward to the free course. I hesitate to do my art because I honestly don't know what "good" art is (nor what is "bad" art. I don't know how to confidently critique. Any thoughts?
Louise, thank you for these pre-course videos! Question - how long do we have access to the free course videos/info? I will not be able to take off of work, though I don't work away from home every day (my second job I do from home).
Louise, thank you for the wonderful youtube presentations. I am one of many people you helped to start understanding themselves. I am probably also the only one who can’t figure out how to sign up for the course-tried all available buttons without any results. Please, advise.
Hello, how do you make a series of abstract paintings with the same set of colors so they all have harmony with each other and go well with each other? Do you stay with the same color palette? Thank you I am just trying to understand so I can advance in my art :)
There are so many beautiful "types" of art, and I want to try all of them. That will get very expensive. I've done alcohol ink for several years and want to try something new but I don't know what that new thing is. Any suggestions?
I want to do the course a friend would love to as well but I can't see any links on my phone. I'll need to see on a laptop I guess hold me 2 places please 😀
Is there somewhere to sign up for the course please? I've found my emails now and sorted! I've travelled from France to UK and a little confused!! Doesn't take a lot at the moment 😁
@@ThisPaintingLife High Sensitive Person! It is a personality trait, pretty common but recently discovered.. and knowing about it has dramatically changed and improved my life and normally the lives of every HSP that discovers it! Take a look in google, and if you think you are one, read Elaine Aaron books! Also, there are FB groups where we share with HSP peers Cheers!!
