A few years ago I wrote a 300 page manuscript about enchanted fairytales. I wasn’t painting at the time. In fact, I hadn’t painted in years.

All of my artwork from college had ended up in the basement. I didn’t see any point in painting anymore if I couldn’t do it full-time. I locked away that part of myself.

Yet my creativity bubbled inside. So I started writing my novel.

I’d been working full-time in an office as a web developer when I finished the first draft. I was one of fourteen writers accepted into a writing workshop on the east coast. Afterwards, I flew out to Washington DC to meet with my ideal literary agent.

But then I stopped.

My creative spirit felt paralyzed from all of the writing critiques and criticism. I’d been told (more than once) that my voice was too different. Soon I convinced myself that meant the story inside my heart just wasn’t right.

As a result, I’d written a novel that wasn’t truely of my spirit. I stopped myself from letting my own soul fly… and I completely burned out.

To get my spirit back, I returned to what I loved most as a child – spreading my art supplies out in front of me on a blanket in the backyard and playing (whether it was fingerpainting, cutting out outfits from paper, or coloring… I loved anything creative).

I still had my little red plastic lunchbox filled with Crayola crayons. I bought a few of the giant Masonite boards that I loved painting on in college and took everything outside, spread it out in the grass and painted for the first time in ages. I had so much fun (I just couldn’t stop).

That’s what started all of my whimsical paintings and blossomed into a career and business I love.

Now, little by little, I’ve come back to writing my fairytale novel. Often times, just remembering that it doesn’t need to be perfect, helps me to follow my own instincts, so I can feel free and let my true beauty shine.

Following your dreams and being a full-time artist doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or impossible — you’ll learn, step by step, how I’ve grown and currently run my creative business and life as a full-time artist in my Business For Creatives online workshop.

Click here to learn more about Business For Creatives class (registration closes November 1st).

Happy painting!
xo Juliette

P.S. Click HERE to join me for a Free Painting Workshop and learn my favorite supplies and ways to be loose in your art.