I’m writing to you from my artist’s residency, where I’ll be for the next few weeks, gathering new inspirations as I work on my latest painting collection along with a new writing project.

It all reminds me that I’ve always been a writer and artist. In high school, my favorite subjects were art and English. In 8th grade, we moved, and I changed schools. I did not adjust well, but I was nominated to attend summer classes at a nearby college, which allowed me to explore creating art and writing stories in a completely new, academic environment where my imagination was very much encouraged by peers and professors. This catapulted me into my love of creating, making me always feel at home with art and writing.

However, after college, for years, I hid a lot of those parts of myself away. I tried jobs in journalism and the arts, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I finally knew I had to create for myself. I’d thought it was too painful to create if I couldn’t do it full-time. But now I realize that not creating was what held me back and really crushed my spirit.

After being a professional painter and teaching thousands of students online and in-person over the past 15 years, I know the biggest thing holding us back is often self-doubt. That’s why having fun and letting go have always been essential to my creative process.

If I’m feeling stuck with a painting, I’ll get out my sketchbook and watercolors or go for a walk. Then when I come back into the studio, I’ll layer at least three new colors or different supplies onto the painting. Sometimes this means covering up what I’m not loving, but I need a new place to begin.

If I’m feeling too intimidated to cover up the face, I’ll start in the background, mixing a little acrylic paint with acrylic ink, then add a new face on top of the old features by scribbling some water-soluble pencil. This keeps my portrait looking super loose.

Then, layer by layer, working slowly, I add more definition and detail to the abstraction that’s already there. Sometimes all I need is to get back into my comfort zone and start playing again so I can stop thinking so much and really get into a flow.

If you ever worry about getting started, here are a few simple guidelines I follow:

• If you’re having trouble staying loose, try using your non-dominant hand or scribbling with your eyes closed. While things might look like a mess at first, this always helps me to have fun, be bold and let go (and not take my painting quite so seriously).
• I love to paint on the go, but I hate bringing a lot of supplies with me. So I usually just bring my sketchbook, a travel watercolor set and brush, and a stabilo pencil. With these supplies, you can create a painting with layers anywhere in a few minutes.

If you don’t have a sketchbook practice, I encourage you to give it a try. Find a sketchbook or grab a few sheets of paper and start doodling. Add words if you feel inspired. Add crayon, pencil, marker, or use anything you have on hand that calls to you. Don’t hold back. Just have fun with it. It can become a daily practice that inspires you.

When you look back at your drawings, start to notice what you love, what you remember having the most fun doing. Try these elements again. You never know where it might lead.

Happy painting!

xo Juliette

PS If you want something to help you get started, don’t miss my FREE Sketchbook Painting Class. You can get instant access here.