Should Painting Feel Meaningful?

Today I’m presenting a one-day writing workshop in London, auspices of Alternatives. This past week I led a weeklong deep writing workshop here in London, in Bloomsbury, at the London Center of Arcadia University. It’s been a lovely week (with some afternoon drinking...

Good Stress or Bad Stress?

In the psychological literature you will hear about “good stress” (called eustress) and “bad stress” (called distress). But it isn’t the stress that is good or bad, it is the stressor. The stressor or demand may be so-to-speak positive, like a gallery wanting a show...

4 Tips for Boosting Your Confidence

There may be new creative projects that you want to begin or new ways of marketing and promoting yourself that you know would be smart to attempt but something seems to be holding you back. Here are four tips that will lead very naturally to an increase in your...

Do People Walk All Over You?

A painter complained to me that her friends, the organizations where she volunteered her time, family members, and the few gallery owners with whom she dealt regularly took advantage of her. I asked her what her role was in this unfortunate dynamic. She responded at...

The Painter’s Mind You Need

Creating depends on having a mind quiet enough to allow ideas to bubble up. Living a successful, healthy life as an artist requires that your self-talk align with your goals and your aspirations. Your job is to quiet your mind and extinguish negative self-talk. These...