Are you sometimes afraid to make a mistake?

The best worst advice I’ve ever gotten was when someone told me not to be an artist.

It was the greatest thing they could’ve said. In that one moment, I finally recognized I couldn’t not be an artist.

And that was the beginning of me becoming a full-time artist and entrepreneur. But I still find it hard to turn off my inner critic and let go. ❤️

A few days ago I was painting this new female portrait and her face kept smudging. My first thought was, “My painting is ruined.”

Then I thought, “There’s no way I can save this piece. I should just throw it out.”

I kept trying to get her eyes right.

A paper towel I’d used to wipe away my paint left these little specks on her cheeks. Then I completely overworked her eyes and smudged the face.

While I know every painting has this ugly stage, I still kept trying to fix it and paint my perfect face. I layered titanium white acrylic paint. I even made her eyes violet, then cobalt teal and redrew them again (and again) at least ten times. And then I felt super defeated.

When the painting dried, I poured water on top and wiped away whatever would fade.

Finally I got so frustrated I took a fat brush and scrubbed red and black ink over the entire painting. Certain colors came to the surface and soon I saw this woman peeking out of the color like she’d been caught in the wind.

I fell in love with the vibrant background and allowed it to be part of what made this painting so intense and unique.

It’s difficult to be loose and stay in that intuitive flow with my art. Play is a solution, but moments like these remind me to take a step away, turn off that inner critic and go back to a childlike mindset where there’s no right or wrong… that’s where the beauty emerges.

Oftentimes, it just takes being okay with my mistakes to get there.

Happy Painting!

xo Juliette Crane

P.S. I’ve been getting so many questions about how to start an online business for your own art, so I’ve put together my Business For Creatives class to give you the roadmap.

Click here to learn more about my Business For Creatives online class.