Happy New Year! I hope you’ve enjoyed a beautiful start to the new year. Currently, I am on an artist’s residency, working on my latest painting collection.

I have a deep love for travel. New locations, much like new mediums and colors, inspire my creativity in unique directions.

My creativity flows best when I can transition from one creative endeavor to the next—whether it’s writing at a table, painting at an easel, reading, or taking a swim or a walk. While I enjoy having one significant project to focus on, the fluidity of moving from one creative act to the next is equally enticing.

As ideas percolate in my sketchbook, I paint and immerse myself in that flow, then shift back to a larger painting or spend some time writing, until I’m drawn back to painting. This mirrors how I work on multiple paintings simultaneously, each at different stages, with each layer inspiring the next.

Much of my creative process resides in the mystery.

Often, it feels like nothing is working. I’ll attempt something new and question why I’m sketching or step out for a walk when painting seems more pressing.

There’s profound beauty in the unknown and in the wandering, yet frustration creeps in, especially when attempting to rush the process.

Then, suddenly, a finished collection unfolds before me.

In almost every painting, I reach what I call ‘the ugly stage.’

For me, that’s a super negative point where I feel like I won’t be able to pull my painting together or ever paint something I’m happy with again.

But I’ve learned that hitting that ugly stage is just part of my creative process.

Instead of allowing the negativity and self-doubt to take over, I remember to stop trying to paint something perfect and return to having fun.

Then when I find a color combination I like or a fun technique, I repeat it – maybe it’s a splatter of yellow green ink drips on the forehead or a rainbow of water-soluble oil pastel smudges that started as a mistake, but then become a distinct thread in a new collection of paintings.

It’s not so much that I’m super bold and brave with my paintings. It’s more that when fear and doubt creep up (which they always do), I don’t stop. Instead, I start to play. Then my creativity is blissful and free.

Here are 3 Tips to Jumpstart Your Creativity:

• Change Perspectives: Try a different canvas size, medium, or color palette. Small changes can lead to big shifts in your creative flow.
• Daily Creativity: Incorporate small creative activities into your daily routine. It could be as simple as a quick sketch, doodling, or jotting down ideas.
• Use What You Have: Look around for unused or forgotten art supplies. Sometimes, the most unexpected materials can spark your creativity – like a metal coffee filter as a stencil or using a fork instead of a brush.

What I’m finally realizing is that my entire life and living are creative. Even when I feel off track, as if I’m not accomplishing anything, it’s all part of the journey. Suddenly, I fall in love with a color combination or notice a face in a background resembling a sunset. Then, a finished painting emerges before me. It’s only at that point that I can see how all the pieces finally fit together.

The invitation is to feel more joy and calm in your day, take a moment to pause, and let yourself paint. Take a sketchbook and create a few paintings of your own.

Happy painting!

xo Juliette

PS In case you missed my announcement, I extended the special pricing for The School of Happy Painting Membership until January 15th, 2024, which gives you access to seven of my most popular online painting courses.

Each class in the monthly membership is crafted to be a stepping stone in your creative journey:

🎨 Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style
🎨 Serendipity 2 – Loosen Up & Let Go
🎨 Whimsical Animals
🎨 Faces – Mixed Media Portraits
🎨 Bliss Painting
🎨 Joy of Painting
🎨 Enchanted Soulful Eyes and Faces

Click HERE to learn more about The School of Happy Painting Membership

PPS I wrote more about my journey to becoming a full-time artist and how I sold my first two paintings in a new essay published on substack – read it here.