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Artspiration

Do you have any plans for 2020?

Ask not if you are worthy of your goals, ask instead – are your goals worthy of your life?~ John Assaraf I’ve been doing some version of an annual review for almost a decade. Basically, I just ask myself what went well this year, what didn’t, and what I want to achieve next year. This […]

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Artspiration

Building Habits

When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running.~ James Clear It’s that time of year… when many people think about goals and habits and changes they want to undertake as […]

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Artspiration

<Thankful for you

If you’re not grateful you’re not rich, no matter how much you have.~ Sir John Templeton (billionaire investor) There’s a lot going on in the world: good, bad, and indifferent. No matter what your thoughts on the upcoming holiday, it’s worth having an external, fixed reminder to reflect on the good things in our lives. It’s […]

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Artspiration

You will have artistic “misses” – don’t worry about it

If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.~ Vincent Van Gogh A common theme in the replies as you’ve shared your biggest art-making challenges has been some version of “fear of making something less than it could be”  – whether that […]

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Artspiration

Setting aside time for art

A certain amount of boredom is good, it leads to creativity.~ Lisa Cunningham Last week I asked about your biggest art-making challenges. One of the common responses was “making time to make.” I’ve heard it said that you don’t find time – you didn’t lose it in the couch cushions. You make time. Sometimes you just […]

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Artspiration

What do you struggle with when making your art?

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.~ Charles W. Eliot I have been spending quite a bit of time listening to artist interviews. It’s fascinating to learn the different ways that professional artists make their living (10 artists […]

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Artspiration

Do you fall prey to the Toolbox Fallacy?

Geniuses have very limited toolsets — they have a hammer, and their genius is in looking for nails.~ Adam Robinson I recently listened to a podcast that discussed the “Toolbox Fallacy” which basically says someone won’t start a project because they don’t have exactly the right tool for the job. As an example, they won’t […]

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Artspiration

Teaming Up

Great partnerships make any job easier.~ Warren Buffett It always amazes me how much planning, preparation, and work goes into wedding ceremonies (or any other kind). My little sister got married over the weekend – it was a beautiful ceremony and lots of fun. It was also a lot of work behind the scenes. She […]

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Artspiration

Life on Purpose

In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.~ Buddha I was to write a book, it would be titled Life on Purpose. Not that I really plan on writing a book, but I think that living […]

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Artspiration

Work with your seasons

…maintenance and care are necessary—without rest we cannot regenerate. These days I’ve come to believe that it’s natural for many of us to go through periods when we put words to the page and times when we can’t. These aren’t separate, distinct states; rather than agonizing over ‘writer’s block,’ maybe we can accept that we […]