Sometimes Artists just have to…Quit!
Sometimes artists just have to…quit! That’s what I did. In fact, I didn’t paint or draw anything for over seven years. What happened? I developed chronic anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Then I began painting again to help quiet my mind and loosen the stranglehold of anxiety. I had no intention of showing my paintings to […]
10 Ways Perfectionism Kills Art and Joy
I am a recovering perfectionist. Perfectionism is a misguided attempt to avoid failure and to gain approval. Why do we want perfect? Because we all want love and respect. I wanted “perfect” at as a child so that I would be “good” in the eyes of two very critical parents. I wanted even more […]
What I Learned from Tony Robbins About Selling Art Without Feeling Like a Sell-Out
What did I learn from Tony Robbins about selling art without feeling like a sell-out? A lot! I just returned from a week in Florida where 3500 people from 66 countries came together to participate in Tony Robbin’s “Date With Destiny.” It was amazing and affirming. I recommend the documentary about this event, “I Am […]
Perfectionism Kills Creativity
Perfectionism kills creativity. It killed mine, off and on throughout art school, and then this disease lingered on until I created no more for over seven years straight. Perfectionism is, for me, an innate tendency. Maybe it’s the Virgo in me? But then I learned that it’s not about quality, it’s about quantity. Yes, you […]
I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life — Georgia O’Keeffe
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.” — Georgia O’Keeffe This wisdom from Georgia O’Keefe reminds me of my friend Jonathan Fields’ newest book. But Jonathan takes O’Keefe’s wisdom to another level of practical understanding and […]