first published July 2018 Last week I wrote about jealousy and envy. Dipping into my metaphorical postbag, I notice that the original...

first published July 2018 ‘The great thing about this kind of work is that every feeling that you have, every negative feeling, is in a...

First published July 2018 "An artist cannot fail: it is a success to be one." I came across this quote from Charles Horton Cooley. I like...

first published June 2018 One of the highlights in my other job1 is running an inner critic workshop with Year 2 art students. At that...

first published June 2018 Have you ever felt that you have a choice between sliding into inertia as you operate on autopilot, or forcing...

first published June 2018 Sometimes we can feel like we’re in an inspiration drought. I wonder what would help. It might be useful to...

first published June 2018 When we talk about creative block, I wonder if we all mean the same thing.  Here are eight ways different...

first published May 2018 As I continue to read about different people’s morning routines, I realise I’m most inspired by those whose...

first published May 2018 The grammar jars. As it jars too, when the artist finds her self-talk sounding like a dysfunctional committee. ...

first published May 2018 My friend, Yvonne Laeubli, runs vision quests in the Swiss Alps.  Based on Native American traditions, “The...

First posted April 2018 Many artists and writers identify procrastination as a problem. Some have schedules that make my eyes water. They...

first published April 2018 Over the last couple of weeks I’ve juggled way too many things, and my regular painting habit was interrupted....

first published April 2018 Sometimes it seems that having a good plan, and being well organised, is the best way of moving forward in our...

first posted March 2018 “Sometimes I have to stop working because I don’t know what to do next,” complains the artist, “and I feel like...

First published March 2018 1. Make your studio or desk welcoming; leave it tidy enough for an immediate start the next time you return to...

first posted March 2018 “It's hard to believe, but it takes courage and fortitude, and often sudden suffering, to accept that we are...

First posted February 2018 I would have been at my job today, interviewing, but for the extraordinary weather conditions here at the...

First published February 2018 There can be periods in our lives where our creative output stops and it feels like more than the usual...

“I’d love to start but I feel overwhelmed.” “When I think of it I feel sick.” “There’s just too much happening.” I’ve had the opportunity...

First posted February 2018 Creative block is hell. I’ve offended my Muse many times, and she’s stormed off. I’m going to share part of a...