Chat,
I must apologize for my lengthy absence. Summer has jumbled many of my routines. I’m enjoying later evenings with my family and getting started later in the day. Although I didn’t make it into work until 11:00 this morning, which feels bonkers since I woke up at 5:45!
I’ve been digging into my studio brand and website the last 4-6 weeks and it has been really great in terms of getting more clarity. But I am still in the messy middle. And that has kind of shaken my confidence in writing posts and sharing work in progress and sending marketing emails and most of everything else I need to do to feed my practice.
I took a class on what my homepage ought to have in order to be converting browsers into buyers and it accelerated my sense that I needed to improve my website asap. Which is not objectively true, but still feels like it is. I’m having to practice patience and taking one step at a time, but my steps are feeling a bit jumbled and in various directions at the same time. I have that three legged race feeling where you’re going as fast as possible, inevitably and definitely falling down. I just watched a sack race at the Hillsboro Hops July 4 baseball game. So real.
And since its feeling awkward and urgent and a little clumsy, my perfectionistic part has clamped down a bit on sharing things that are not yet finished, which only increases the sense of urgency to do everything “right” externally and the paradoxical impulse to hide until everything is perfect.
Yet I know that one of the defining lessons of my studio practice (and my exercise practice) (and therapy) is that its very difficult to navigate this terrain of only showing things when they approach some level of near perfection without becoming mentally, physically and emotionally stressed. I think this is chiefly because the perfectionism is driven by anxiety and shame, and shame thrives when its hidden. Anxiety thrives when I avoid doing the thing I am anxious about.
And trying to apply perfectionism to art is a real head trip - its not really what art is for in my view. Although there is a lot of cultural myth about this. Masterpieces and all that.
The highest purpose of art is not to achieve an individual level of aesthetic perfection, it is to amplify our humanity, deepen connections and improve our wellbeing.
So I guess once again, this means loosening up a little and sharing some work in progress. And reminding myself that I am allowed to take my time, be in my own process, show my work, mistakes and all.
Big Picture: My Studio Brand Values
I’m in the midst of drafting all new language and systems for my practice, in addition to redesigning my logo and website. I’ve consolidated loose ends and offshoots into a more coherent structure. It feels sturdy yet flexible enough to hold both my current creative practice and business goals and my emerging vision for the future of my studio. I feel proud and excited. And it is a grind at times. It’s more self reflection and editing and adjusting and doing things I would rather avoid in favor of just making the art.
I do feel good about having something I can return to over time and reflect on as I continue evolving my practice.
Here they are:
Imagination & Intuition
Engage art as a doorway to inner landscapes, emotional truth, and symbolic meaning—where intuition holds equal weight to intellect.
Connection to Nature & Mystery
Rooted in organic forms, natural cycles, and mythic references—honoring both the beauty of the living world and the transformative unknown.
Emotional Resonance
Design to evoke feeling, spark reflection, and offer comfort or insight through color, composition, and symbolism.
Craftsmanship & Integrity
Guided by quality materials, thoughtful design, and care in production—from original paintings to finely produced prints.
Accessibility & Inclusivity
Welcomes a wide audience while nurturing deep collectors, galleries, and collaborators.
Lifelong Learning & Creative Growth
Committed to the creative process as a lifelong path for learning, healing, and evolution—expressed through both studio practice and teaching.
Little Picture: Summer Flow
I forgot my glasses today, or lost them somehow between my bathroom and my studio. I only have sunglasses with me and its too annoying to drive all the way back home for them. And making art with sunglasses on is . . . a little weird
I’ve been painting without them today. And making all the type enlarged on my monitor. I guess I’m reframing this annoyance as an opportunity to work with looser larger shapes. There’s a little burning sensation brewing above my eyes.
My daily artmaking practice has been suffering a little this summer and I can feel the difference. I’m trying out a block based schedule so I don’t tunnel too deeply in one area, and then neglect the other areas.
This may be the most boring thing ever, but if you’re curious, my general schedule/flow lately goes like this:
Morning Pages
Family morning routines
Commute through the forest to my studio, or take the kids to school and then to my studio
One hour of art making: sketchbook, new paintings, or digital drawings. I’m also generating video during this time for reels
One hour of writing - for substack and potentially a new blog on my new site
One hour of marketing - social media content, mini marketing campaigns, email flows
One hour of email decluttering, scheduling, replying
One hour of project work - migrating to my new laptop, adding products to my shop, preparing materials for my new website.
I’ll eat lunch too. And sometimes I have meetings.
Somewhere in there I will either go on a walk or exercise on 3-4 days of the week. I have about 4 -5 hours of work time each weekday during this season. This will continue to be wonky over the next couple of months.
When anomalies happen, I just try to return to the general flow and pick up where I left off for that day. Not unlike coming back to the breath in a meditation session.
I might make a little spreadsheet or draw a table of this schedule so I can visualize it without having to make a million calendar entries.
Wishing you a lovely week.
Your notes on perfectionism struck a chord!