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October, even though a most colorful month, is the month of Halloween… and, oh boy, people in my neighborhood have gone all out with yard decor. Me? Not even a pumpkin! (I can’t compete with the squirrels!)

Maybe this is the right month to ask, what to do when creative energy “ghosts” you? It’s the blank page, canvas, or notebook that stares back and self doubt whispers in your ear.

This dilemma is not uncommon at all among those of use who are creative and expressive! I want to speak into that, because I’ve experienced it and it can feel crippling.

Creativity takes courage!
And self doubt kills the creative impulse before we even start!

I have a few ideas that help to regain creative energy. Here are some examples:

• Using prompts for where to start can help break through that wall. They don’t have to be difficult! Using a prompt eliminates the pressure of making a decision about what to create. Here are a few ideas:

  • Choose a color for different days of the week and explore using that color (or that color plus black and white) each day.

  • Choose a quote or scripture verse to sit with and let it inspire a response.

  • Create something in postage stamp size every day for a week

• How about setting up a personal challenge? (Getting others to take on the same challenge with you is fun!)

  • Challenge yourself by picking a simple subject to explore every day for a week (a particular flower, fruit, animal or household object) How can you see it and respond to it creatively in a different way each day?

  • Give yourself a time challenge - such as, at least 10 min a day doing your creative work (which might turn into longer!)

  • Challenge yourself to work in 1 color family and see how many iterations of that color you can make. What would it be like to paint only with that color plus white?

These simple starters can lead to bigger and more intriguing ideas to follow. They break the ice of the blank page and sparse ideas. They cause you to dive in and get started, and they become the fuel for new ideas and momentum.

Tell me how you deal with the blank canvas or page! What do you do when you have elusive ideas?  We all need encouragement for creative motivation!

I really enjoy creating small gifts for my Artful Friends! This little original oil painting will be given to one of my friends in early October. If you aren't one of my Artful Friends yet... there's time to become one! There are great reasons, if you love! You'll get a 1x a month colorful note right in your inbox. Every month, I create something fun for you and also keep you up to date with what's happening in my studio. You'll get some special discounts, opportunities to win some art and art you can download for yourself. You'll never be inundated by email - no one likes an overflowing inbox! Click the link and you'll get a welcome email - and then at the beginning of each month, look for my colorful, newsy note! Let's be friends!!  htps://artfulfriends.subscribepage.io

It's so easy to see what is before us - ordinary objects, ordinary colors - and never take deeper notice.  This is a little plein air watercolor painting I did at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.  It was a very overcast day - no blue skies, a lot of green looking toward a stand of trees.  Pretty ordinary.   I challenged myself to see something more - to imagine deeper colors and to express something beyond ordinary.  

I painted quickly trying to stay ahead of the next rainfall.  I was able to finish it (though it is a small painting) and get to my car before the rain began. :) 

 
This little painting is one of the ways that I give gifts to my Artful Friends each month.  It was a free download with permission to print for personal use.  Some months, I offer an exclusive discount. Some months, I paint an original little painting that I give away to one of my Artful Friends.  (I've given away dozens of little paintings - no strings attached - from coast to coast and overseas too.)  

I'd love to invite you to become an Artful Friend.  You'll get 1 colorful note in your inbox from me with news, updates, interesting things, and something I put together just for you!  Sign up right here! 

I look forward to getting to know you!!  

Do you ever wonder, deep down, whether your creativity—the art you love and the art you make—really has any intrinsic value or purpose?  How does painting a landscape, exploring themes from nature, or creating an abstract painting really matter in the big picture?

In all honesty, this question sometimes rumbles around in the back of my mind. And it gets kinda loud when I'm discouraged, frustrated, or simply feeling dry and uninspired. Do you ever hear a little voice of doubt whispering uncomfortable questions: 
        Does this really matter?
        What am I accomplishing?
        Is my time and effort worth it?

You know…those are the sort of questions that are particularly good at showing up when you're already having a trying studio day!

I'm putting this out there because I have a feeling I'm not the only creative soul who has these niggling thoughts. I've said many times and I truly believe we artists  have a God-given design. And yet, there are times when I wrestle with questions about the value of the artistic work I do.   Sound familiar?

Lately, though, another thought has been brewing in my mind—and it's beginning to speak more loudly than the voice of doubt:

Through our art, we can make visible what only we can uniquely see.

Think about that for a moment.  Every artist has been given a unique way of seeing. A particular viewpoint. A way of noticing, interpreting, feeling, and responding to the world that no one else has been given in quite the same way.

When I look at the natural world, I see the powerful yet gentle hand of God, its Creator. I see His attention to detail. His sustaining care and the incredible variety and beauty of His handiwork.  And when I paint a landscape or a flower—or even an abstract—I have the opportunity to draw attention to what I see.

What I’m doing is magnifying the glory of God as I create.

Magnify. That's a powerful word!  To magnify is to enlarge something, bring it into focus, and make it more noticeable.

That's what I'm doing when I paint.   Through my particular perspective, my style, my colors, and the way I arrange shapes and elements, I'm essentially saying:

"Look at this! Come see what I see!"

Glory is a little harder to define. It carries the idea of something having weight and importance—something that rises above the ordinary. Something beautiful and extraordinary.

These are true  words I need to remember when doubt, frustration, or discouragement begin to creep in.  And they give even the ordinary work of the studio a little more meaning.

I am magnifying the glory of God by making visible the wonder
I see in His created world.

When you hear that little whisper of doubt in your own creative mind, maybe it's worth asking yourself:   What has God uniquely given me to see—and how can I help someone else see it, too?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.  What has God uniquely given you to see—and how are you expressing it through your art?  Leave a comment, your thoughts are important! 

As an artist, I really love to be an encouragement to my artistic friends.  But, for these last few months - for a variety of reasons - it has felt more difficult to arrive at encouraging words.  Even in my studio work, it has felt a little sluggish and "stuck".  I'm still sorting out all the reasons why, but I think it points to how our creative minds ebb and flow. 

                          Photo credit - Leif Linding

I’ve allowed this creative ebb to give space to be still instead of pushing on. For me, that has had an echo of scripture “be still and know that I am God.” And it’s been really life-giving to my heart and mind as important reminders have come into focus. I hope sharing this with you will be an encouragement to you; not just for your creative pursuits but in other realms of living.

I’ve been reminded that my design isn’t accidental. It is purposefully given to me and isn’t dependent on circumstances or opinions for validation. This is important because, by nature, there is vulnerability in creativity and putting our work out there.

By exploring and using the gifts of creative expression within my design, I am doing more than just expressing myself. I am uniquely, in my own voice, releasing goodness and beauty, thoughtfulness and understanding into the world. I’m bringing the unseen into the realm of the seen. What has not existed before is now tangible.

Do you find this to be pretty amazing and encouraging — beautiful — in a world seemingly so devoid of beauty? Couldn’t creative expression be just a small dose of antidote we get to provide?

Just in the last few weeks, I’ve been greatly encouraged and surprised by people on several different occasions responding to something I’ve created with how it has touched them, encouraged them, or helped them to see beauty… how they’ve felt connected through the art. I’ve had several unexpected opportunities to speak face to face with people viewing my art and that’s been a beautiful connection.

This season of ebb has reminded me that my creative design and the work I do as an artist is not random. It’s needed. It’s a way in which the goodness of God flows into the world; individually with purpose. It’s something I believe. And it’s something I need —we need — to be reminded of, especially when life’s demands and challenges make it easy to forget.

If you’ve been in an ebb of creative flow, I hope this is an encouragement to you, which we all need from time to time.  We need some times of stillness to rest and re-energize, to re-imagine, to observe, and to gather ideas. 

It’s been a place for me to shift my mind from everything I have to do, and rely on God’s peace and presence to bring calm and lead me gently. If this is a season of ebb, don't be discouraged!  It's just the time you need to quietly listen, watch and let new ideas come to life.  As the tide goes out, it also comes back!  

I'd love to hear from you!  As we connect, we give encouragement to one another.  

I'm always interested to see how a painting came about!  There are things to learn - ideas that inspire - and just the fascination of watching something that was in the artist's mind come to life!  See the video at the link below to watch how I took a rather dull and uninspiring photograph taken on a December day and gave it a different point of view.   My approach was a little new to me, and it might surprise you as it took on life.  You can also see more about the painting, Amber Afternoon, at this link.  

https://youtu.be/Kubay1GdSqg

Leave a comment.  What took you by surprise in the way this painting was planned and created!  

If you are like me, winter can be a little debilitating...  On long, cold, gray days - I just want to sit by a warm fire, wrapped in a cozy throw with a cup of tea and a good book.   It seems like my creative  impulses may be hibernating!  

So, it's a good time for me to remember - When I express myself creatively, 
I am bringing JOY to the Onewho created me.

We, as creatives, have a beautiful God-given design.  It's seen in our creative desires and expressions.  When we imagine, design, and create, we are reflecting something important!  One of God's characteristics.  Even more than what we make, there is delight in the process!  It's a grand adventure, isn't it!?  We don't always know the outcome, but we discover along the way as we express our creativity.  Each expression is unique and personal, so every one of our voices is needed! 

I imagine that God delights in the artistic work we do.  I imagine his smile at the particular way we use the elements before us and grow in our skill and abilities.  These are His gifts to us. 

So, what helps me emerge from hibernation this time of year?  

  * I experiment and explore in my sketchbook.  I use new colors, I try new ideas... and I withhold judgement!  
  * I create small works that don't feel overwhelming 

  * I look for inspiration that can come from a variety of places - I try to see common objects with new eyes. 

  * I intentionally look for glimpses of what is lovely, beautiful or intriguing  

  * And, I let myself slow down to rest and recharge - because there is a purpose in wintering. 

Maybe you have a great way to stay connected with your artistic expression in the doldrums of winter!  Leave me a comment!  

And if you'd like to receive a colorful, encouraging note in your inbox each month with something I make just for you, subscribe here! 

Peek into my studio!

This short video shows my process from taking a photo

to creating a painting in abstract style.

click the image to see the video!

See the finished painting here!