The very best art teacher I had never showed us his art, ever. He had a way of setting exercises and encouraging us to explore them in our own style that I’ve never experienced since. So many art classes are artists demonstrating how they work, which is fine up to a point, but if you can find a teacher who helps you find your own unique voice that’s gold.
Jacqueline, yes—I love how you said this. There’s something so powerful about a teacher who trusts you to find your way instead of leading you straight into theirs. It’s rare and so valuable. Watching someone’s process can be inspiring, but being gently guided back to your own voice? That’s the real magic. Thank you for sharing this—it’s such a good reminder of what we’re really looking for when we show up to learn.
Yes, I hear you! But there's a different side to that for me. I've tried several different creative pursuits and in each I've been encouraged, much as in your suggestions, to try things out via sketchbooks or alternative techniques but given a blank page or free range I just completely freeze. I have no idea where to start nor where I want to go. I joked that I could only be creative if I had rules to follow.
Recently I discovered that I have ASD (I'm in my late 50s) and suddenly all the rule following and inability to extemporise or 'play' made sense. My brain needs a structure to follow and when it does, it generally produces something half decent. But it really struggles to be unique. I keep trying and maybe one day I'll 'find my style', but I expect it will be by following several different sets of rules that I've adapted to my own strengths!
I really love this. This has been my journey for the last 15 years or so too, and I feel like I'm only JUST starting to find and settle into what feels good. Instagram definitely threw me off for a while in more recent years - it's almost impossible to see 'popular' art and not be influenced by it. It's taken a lot of stepping back and private experimentation to find my voice and learn what actually feels good in my body. My body loves shape, colour, texture and energy, thick paint and big brushes. It DOESN'T love detail, fine work, watercolours or photo-realism. All those things are perfectly good things, they're just not *my* things!
This resonated! We don't have to stop learning, we have to learn to listen to our deep wisdom. Thank you for all the permission slips you've tuck in among your empowering words!!
Mary, I’m so glad this resonated. You’re right—we don’t need to stop learning, but learning to trust that deep, steady wisdom inside of us? That’s the real work.
If I could, I’d hand out permission slips all day long—because sometimes that’s all we need. I’m a former elementary school principal so I know how! 😂 Just a little reminder that we’re already enough.
We all need to channel our 'inner school principal' and hand out permission slips to ourselves, and stop waiting for someone else to give us permission.
Yes—we all have an inner school principal with out losing a recess just waiting to hand us that permission slip. No more waiting for someone else to say it’s okay. We get to stamp our own paper and get on with making the messy, beautiful art we’re meant to make!
Cherry picking rocks! I follow any number of artists because I appreciate the topics and/or techniques that they share. But I am not necessarily enthusiastic about their particular style at all. Take what works, leave the rest behind. Exposure to all kinds of styles and lessons help shape our vision- now and in the unknowable future.
I’m right there with you. There’s so much freedom in taking what lights you up and letting the rest just pass through. Every style, every lesson, even the ones that don't "fit," are still shaping us in ways we can’t always see yet. It's all part of building a creative life that’s truly our own. So glad you said this!
I'm a big fan of moving on this practice! I'm so grateful for online classes and tutorials because I can cherry pick much easier than if I signed up for an in-person course :)
i personally don’t want to draw realism, but every now and then i do a more realistic sketch or painting just to see if i can do it (i can, and the process is never as fun as it could be—i don’t always hate it, but it’s decidedly not for me). and if i choose to share that realistic sketch on socials, it usually gets a more positive response than my more honest work. i had this happen recently and it just affirmed for me that i don’t want to do it more 😂 i saw the likes come in and was like ”oh no, this is not good” haha. likes aren’t actually that nice to get when it’s for something that isn’t what you want to make.
Oh my gosh, yes—I feel this so much. It’s such a weird feeling when the thing that isn’t really you gets the most attention. It’s almost like the likes become a little warning sign instead of encouragement. 😂 I love how clear you are about what lights you up and what doesn’t. That honesty with yourself is the real win—and it shows in your work. Keep making what feels true! 🎨✨
I have always liked watercolor. But didn’t feel like I’d ever “get it”. Until I started playing with simple pen drawings colored with watercolor. Viola!
This I liked. I’ve played with gauche. It’s interesting. I loved the difference. Tried a drawing class and remembered I never like pencils that leave black marks. Now exploring colored pencils. Learning to play and have fun at 69.
Debra, I just love this — what a beautiful reminder that play is where the magic happens. It’s amazing how giving yourself permission to explore and mix things up (pen and watercolor, gouache, colored pencils) can open the door to real joy. You’re proof that it’s never too late to discover new ways to create and have fun. 69 and still learning, growing, and playing — it’s so inspiring. Keep going — your creativity has so much life in it! 💛
I found my inner self proclaimed artist when I left art school without completing the degree. I refused to work tirelessly on assignments only to be compared and contrasted to others in my classes. Or told that I did not interpret the assignment correctly. Many classes were ranked scaled which always left me feeling gutted. I found my inner artist in community art groups and then online when the floodgates opened through social media.
I love hearing this — and I deeply admire the courage it took to walk away from a system that didn’t honor your spirit or your creativity. Finding your inner artist outside of those comparisons, through community and connection, is so powerful. It’s a beautiful reminder that real art isn’t about being ranked or judged — it’s about expression, exploration, and staying true to yourself. I’m so glad you kept going and found your own way. Your story is so inspiring!
Thanks so much for your words. They're ringing bells with me. For a long time I struggled with trying to draw or paint like other artists. I finally learned not to berate myself because I couldn't make it look like theirs. I learned from them and my best teachers taught me to do my art, not do this or that technique. I still can hear the nagging voices saying that's not "right" but they're not so loud now, and I draw what I want and how I like now.
Jeannie, I love everything you shared. It’s such a powerful shift — learning to trust your own way instead of trying to measure up to someone else’s. Those old voices might still whisper sometimes, but it sounds like you’ve gotten so much stronger at listening to your voice instead. That’s real freedom. Thank you for sharing your journey — it’s so encouraging.
Thank you for saying what you have said. For years and years, in fact all through my life I have felt a failure because I haven't been able to draw or paint or sew or embroider or anything that a tutor or artist has tried to teach me. My "workroom " is full of UFOs from classes I've taken in an attempt to become an artist of one medium or another. Why can't the tutor it will not suit everyone? Why are we all expected to succeed? I'm all for encouragement but also truth. I will continue to experiment and try new things because sometimes I do surprise myself and make something I like. I'm not sure I have found my style yet but that's OK, I know what it's not which is the important thing.
Philippa, I so deeply relate to everything you've shared. It takes courage to acknowledge that traditional paths and teachers don’t always align with our creative hearts. You're right—knowing what doesn't fit is just as valuable as knowing what does. Keep experimenting, keep surprising yourself. Your willingness to keep exploring is the truest art of all. You've got this. ✨
I admire John Singer Sargent's work and wish I could paint like that. Some comments in the past about my drawings "they look like she-men" (whatever that means) and the teeth/lips are too big etc (which was intentional) felt harsh. But I love them so much and decided to stop hiding them and just let them fly, big teeth and all! It's taken awhile and feels vulnerable ...but right. I came across an artist's work years ago that I love/follow, so was particularly pumped when she recently commented on my post: "exquisite linear quality-wow!!"
Thank you, Lucienne! I’m so happy you’re here—and so glad you grabbed the 5 Minute Art Jumpstart. Just a little reminder that it doesn’t have to be big or perfect to count. Hope it brings you some joy!
This resonate so much. I got very self conscious working with a teacher that was very methodical and meticulous in their style of painting. It made me feel like my approach to my art was messy, undisciplined. I had a moment when I said to myself…I don’t have to be like that
Janet, that’s such a powerful moment of clarity—when you realize you don’t have to be like that. Your art doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be valid, meaningful, or masterful. Messy doesn’t mean undisciplined—it often means alive, intuitive, and emotionally honest. Keep trusting your own rhythm. That’s where your real magic lives. 💛
I feel like I know what I DON'T want to do more than what I WANT to do. There's fear in experimenting for me…fear of “wasting,” fear of judgment, fear of being misunderstood, etc.
Totally get this, Starr—and you’re not alone. Knowing what you don’t want is actually a powerful beginning. It’s your inner artist creating boundaries so you can find what’s true.
That fear you’re feeling? It’s just a signal that you care. That this matters to you.
Try this: give yourself permission to make one “wasted” thing on purpose. One misunderstood, messy, maybe-even-ugly piece. Then watch what loosens.
As an art teacher to children and adults, I strive to strike a balance between providing structure and freedom, and I encourage experimentation with various styles and mediums. For my artistic journey, I started with watercolors and drawings in a realistic manner. Although I liked what I created, it didn't inspire me. It wasn't until I was undergoing my Waldorf training and learning the technique of wet-on-wet, allowing forms to emerge from formless colors, that I became hooked.
Janaka, I love how you described that shift—from structure to something more fluid and intuitive. That moment when inspiration clicks is everything. Letting forms emerge from color feels like such a metaphor for life, too. Thank you for sharing your journey—it really spoke to me
That means so much, Michelle. I know how it feels when the creativity drifts—it can be hard to find your way back. I’m so glad the posts are helping. You’re not alone in this. We’re all just finding our way, one small start at a time. I know I am.
The very best art teacher I had never showed us his art, ever. He had a way of setting exercises and encouraging us to explore them in our own style that I’ve never experienced since. So many art classes are artists demonstrating how they work, which is fine up to a point, but if you can find a teacher who helps you find your own unique voice that’s gold.
Jacqueline, yes—I love how you said this. There’s something so powerful about a teacher who trusts you to find your way instead of leading you straight into theirs. It’s rare and so valuable. Watching someone’s process can be inspiring, but being gently guided back to your own voice? That’s the real magic. Thank you for sharing this—it’s such a good reminder of what we’re really looking for when we show up to learn.
Yes, I hear you! But there's a different side to that for me. I've tried several different creative pursuits and in each I've been encouraged, much as in your suggestions, to try things out via sketchbooks or alternative techniques but given a blank page or free range I just completely freeze. I have no idea where to start nor where I want to go. I joked that I could only be creative if I had rules to follow.
Recently I discovered that I have ASD (I'm in my late 50s) and suddenly all the rule following and inability to extemporise or 'play' made sense. My brain needs a structure to follow and when it does, it generally produces something half decent. But it really struggles to be unique. I keep trying and maybe one day I'll 'find my style', but I expect it will be by following several different sets of rules that I've adapted to my own strengths!
Hi Alison,
I just love how you shared this — it’s so real and honest.
It makes total sense that structure would feel like support, not a cage. It’s not a weakness at all. It’s just how your creative brain is built.
And honestly, finding your style by following different sets of rules you’ve adapted for yourself?
That sounds pretty incredible to me.
You’re not missing anything—you’re building something that’s solid, strong, and truly yours.
I’m so glad you’re here and creating in the way that works for you.
That’s the whole point. 💛
P.S.
If you ever feel like sharing more about how your creative process is evolving, I’d love to hear it.
We're all figuring it out as we go.
I really love this. This has been my journey for the last 15 years or so too, and I feel like I'm only JUST starting to find and settle into what feels good. Instagram definitely threw me off for a while in more recent years - it's almost impossible to see 'popular' art and not be influenced by it. It's taken a lot of stepping back and private experimentation to find my voice and learn what actually feels good in my body. My body loves shape, colour, texture and energy, thick paint and big brushes. It DOESN'T love detail, fine work, watercolours or photo-realism. All those things are perfectly good things, they're just not *my* things!
Oh Josie, this is so beautiful to read.
There’s something so tender and powerful about learning to listen to your own body, your own energy, and trusting that it knows the way.
The world has so many beautiful styles and voices—but finding the one that feels like home inside you, that’s the real art.
I’m so glad you’re following what feels true. It shows, and it matters. 💛
May your colors stay wild, your brushstrokes stay free, and your art always feel like coming home. 🎨✨
This resonated! We don't have to stop learning, we have to learn to listen to our deep wisdom. Thank you for all the permission slips you've tuck in among your empowering words!!
Mary, I’m so glad this resonated. You’re right—we don’t need to stop learning, but learning to trust that deep, steady wisdom inside of us? That’s the real work.
If I could, I’d hand out permission slips all day long—because sometimes that’s all we need. I’m a former elementary school principal so I know how! 😂 Just a little reminder that we’re already enough.
I’m so grateful you’re here walking this with me.
We all need to channel our 'inner school principal' and hand out permission slips to ourselves, and stop waiting for someone else to give us permission.
Yes—we all have an inner school principal with out losing a recess just waiting to hand us that permission slip. No more waiting for someone else to say it’s okay. We get to stamp our own paper and get on with making the messy, beautiful art we’re meant to make!
Cherry picking rocks! I follow any number of artists because I appreciate the topics and/or techniques that they share. But I am not necessarily enthusiastic about their particular style at all. Take what works, leave the rest behind. Exposure to all kinds of styles and lessons help shape our vision- now and in the unknowable future.
I’m right there with you. There’s so much freedom in taking what lights you up and letting the rest just pass through. Every style, every lesson, even the ones that don't "fit," are still shaping us in ways we can’t always see yet. It's all part of building a creative life that’s truly our own. So glad you said this!
I'm a big fan of moving on this practice! I'm so grateful for online classes and tutorials because I can cherry pick much easier than if I signed up for an in-person course :)
Charlene, I love that!
Cherry-picking is such a beautiful way to honor what actually sparks something in you.
There’s so much freedom in taking what fits and leaving the rest—and online classes make that so much easier.
It’s like building your own creative map, one spark at a time. 🎨✨
yes!!! don’t mask in your art!
i personally don’t want to draw realism, but every now and then i do a more realistic sketch or painting just to see if i can do it (i can, and the process is never as fun as it could be—i don’t always hate it, but it’s decidedly not for me). and if i choose to share that realistic sketch on socials, it usually gets a more positive response than my more honest work. i had this happen recently and it just affirmed for me that i don’t want to do it more 😂 i saw the likes come in and was like ”oh no, this is not good” haha. likes aren’t actually that nice to get when it’s for something that isn’t what you want to make.
Oh my gosh, yes—I feel this so much. It’s such a weird feeling when the thing that isn’t really you gets the most attention. It’s almost like the likes become a little warning sign instead of encouragement. 😂 I love how clear you are about what lights you up and what doesn’t. That honesty with yourself is the real win—and it shows in your work. Keep making what feels true! 🎨✨
I really relate to this! I've felt so depressed when I've got a big response for work I secretly hated. It's just not worth it.
Oh Josie, yes, I feel this so much.
It’s such a strange, heavy feeling when the work that isn’t really you gets all the love.
And you’re right—it’s just not worth chasing that kind of approval.
Your true, honest work matters way more, even if it speaks more quietly.
You’re doing the brave thing by trusting yourself, and you’re definitely not alone in this. 💛
P.S.
Your real voice will always find the people who need it. Sometimes it just takes a little time—and that's okay.
Messy beginnings are magic too.
I have always liked watercolor. But didn’t feel like I’d ever “get it”. Until I started playing with simple pen drawings colored with watercolor. Viola!
This I liked. I’ve played with gauche. It’s interesting. I loved the difference. Tried a drawing class and remembered I never like pencils that leave black marks. Now exploring colored pencils. Learning to play and have fun at 69.
Debra, I just love this — what a beautiful reminder that play is where the magic happens. It’s amazing how giving yourself permission to explore and mix things up (pen and watercolor, gouache, colored pencils) can open the door to real joy. You’re proof that it’s never too late to discover new ways to create and have fun. 69 and still learning, growing, and playing — it’s so inspiring. Keep going — your creativity has so much life in it! 💛
I found my inner self proclaimed artist when I left art school without completing the degree. I refused to work tirelessly on assignments only to be compared and contrasted to others in my classes. Or told that I did not interpret the assignment correctly. Many classes were ranked scaled which always left me feeling gutted. I found my inner artist in community art groups and then online when the floodgates opened through social media.
Hi Linda,
I love hearing this — and I deeply admire the courage it took to walk away from a system that didn’t honor your spirit or your creativity. Finding your inner artist outside of those comparisons, through community and connection, is so powerful. It’s a beautiful reminder that real art isn’t about being ranked or judged — it’s about expression, exploration, and staying true to yourself. I’m so glad you kept going and found your own way. Your story is so inspiring!
Thanks so much for your words. They're ringing bells with me. For a long time I struggled with trying to draw or paint like other artists. I finally learned not to berate myself because I couldn't make it look like theirs. I learned from them and my best teachers taught me to do my art, not do this or that technique. I still can hear the nagging voices saying that's not "right" but they're not so loud now, and I draw what I want and how I like now.
Jeannie, I love everything you shared. It’s such a powerful shift — learning to trust your own way instead of trying to measure up to someone else’s. Those old voices might still whisper sometimes, but it sounds like you’ve gotten so much stronger at listening to your voice instead. That’s real freedom. Thank you for sharing your journey — it’s so encouraging.
Thank you for saying what you have said. For years and years, in fact all through my life I have felt a failure because I haven't been able to draw or paint or sew or embroider or anything that a tutor or artist has tried to teach me. My "workroom " is full of UFOs from classes I've taken in an attempt to become an artist of one medium or another. Why can't the tutor it will not suit everyone? Why are we all expected to succeed? I'm all for encouragement but also truth. I will continue to experiment and try new things because sometimes I do surprise myself and make something I like. I'm not sure I have found my style yet but that's OK, I know what it's not which is the important thing.
Philippa, I so deeply relate to everything you've shared. It takes courage to acknowledge that traditional paths and teachers don’t always align with our creative hearts. You're right—knowing what doesn't fit is just as valuable as knowing what does. Keep experimenting, keep surprising yourself. Your willingness to keep exploring is the truest art of all. You've got this. ✨
I admire John Singer Sargent's work and wish I could paint like that. Some comments in the past about my drawings "they look like she-men" (whatever that means) and the teeth/lips are too big etc (which was intentional) felt harsh. But I love them so much and decided to stop hiding them and just let them fly, big teeth and all! It's taken awhile and feels vulnerable ...but right. I came across an artist's work years ago that I love/follow, so was particularly pumped when she recently commented on my post: "exquisite linear quality-wow!!"
Oh Janice, this just fills my heart.
There’s something so powerful about standing by what you create, even when it feels vulnerable.
Your bold, beautiful work deserves to be seen—and loved—for exactly what it is.
And how amazing that someone you admire could see it too and reflect it back to you!
Keep trusting that feeling. It’s leading you exactly where you’re meant to go. 💛
Such a lovely comment Lynn.. thank you 💝
Nice post, and thanks for the 5 Minute Art Jumpstart.
Thank you, Lucienne! I’m so happy you’re here—and so glad you grabbed the 5 Minute Art Jumpstart. Just a little reminder that it doesn’t have to be big or perfect to count. Hope it brings you some joy!
This resonate so much. I got very self conscious working with a teacher that was very methodical and meticulous in their style of painting. It made me feel like my approach to my art was messy, undisciplined. I had a moment when I said to myself…I don’t have to be like that
Janet, that’s such a powerful moment of clarity—when you realize you don’t have to be like that. Your art doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be valid, meaningful, or masterful. Messy doesn’t mean undisciplined—it often means alive, intuitive, and emotionally honest. Keep trusting your own rhythm. That’s where your real magic lives. 💛
I feel like I know what I DON'T want to do more than what I WANT to do. There's fear in experimenting for me…fear of “wasting,” fear of judgment, fear of being misunderstood, etc.
Totally get this, Starr—and you’re not alone. Knowing what you don’t want is actually a powerful beginning. It’s your inner artist creating boundaries so you can find what’s true.
That fear you’re feeling? It’s just a signal that you care. That this matters to you.
Try this: give yourself permission to make one “wasted” thing on purpose. One misunderstood, messy, maybe-even-ugly piece. Then watch what loosens.
You’re not behind. You’re becoming. 💛
Love,
Lynn
As an art teacher to children and adults, I strive to strike a balance between providing structure and freedom, and I encourage experimentation with various styles and mediums. For my artistic journey, I started with watercolors and drawings in a realistic manner. Although I liked what I created, it didn't inspire me. It wasn't until I was undergoing my Waldorf training and learning the technique of wet-on-wet, allowing forms to emerge from formless colors, that I became hooked.
Janaka, I love how you described that shift—from structure to something more fluid and intuitive. That moment when inspiration clicks is everything. Letting forms emerge from color feels like such a metaphor for life, too. Thank you for sharing your journey—it really spoke to me
Thank you, Lynn. That emergence is going from the abstract of unity into the objectification of matter. Cheers.
So many of your posts are hitting home right now - thanks for the tips to get started again when creativity has drifted
That means so much, Michelle. I know how it feels when the creativity drifts—it can be hard to find your way back. I’m so glad the posts are helping. You’re not alone in this. We’re all just finding our way, one small start at a time. I know I am.