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Many visual artists have no particular trouble starting pieces but lots of trouble finishing them. Why is finishing a work of art problematic for so many artists? In this series we’ll look at twelve reasons. Here’s reason number ten: Reason 10. The fear that this is...

Many visual artists have no particular trouble starting pieces but lots of trouble finishing them. Why is finishing a work of art problematic for so many artists? In this series we’ll look at twelve reasons. Here’s reason number eleven: Reason 11. The hard bits won’t...

Many visual artists have no particular trouble starting pieces but lots of trouble finishing them. Why is finishing a work of art problematic for so many artists? In this series we’ll look at twelve reasons. Here’s reason number twelve: Reason 12. The actual painting...

“Sell you cleverness and buy bewilderment”—Rumi An everyday creative person makes an effort to embrace bewilderment, even though she dislikes the feeling, because she knows that she has no other good choice! Every creative journey is marked by patches and even long...

If you’re an artist and one of your chief complaints is that your day rushes by in such a way that it is hard to secure real chunks of time to paint, then you must get very clever at organizing your mind, your equipment, and your life so as to make the best use...

We tend to associate the word “grandeur” with events like royal weddings and sights like the Grand Canyon. Hotels are grand, canals are grand, and cruise ships are grand. But something about that way of thinking prevents us from demanding grandeur from the other stuff...

We have to break our habit of routinely and reflexively turning to one of our “distraction addictions” to while away our free minutes! As a matter of routine, and without thinking about it, people nowadays check their email, browse the news online, turn to Facebook or...

An everyday creative person celebrates, honors, and lives with mystery. When you create you lose yourself in mystery. Unfortunately most people hate the idea that they’ve been dropped into a mystery that requires unraveling. They want simple answers and unequivocal...

What tiny things does an everyday creative person do in support of her creativity? When she has an idea, she writes it down. When something catches her eye, she sketches it. When she walks down the street and something catches her attention, she is not embarrassed to...

How do you get started on a creative project? One way is to wait until inspiration arrives. But who knows when that flash will come? A better way is to get into the habit of working! Carve out a little time each day, maybe bright and early before your “real” day...