I don’t know why but “I hope to inspire you to pick up a pen, paint brush or spatula and create something spectacular.” always makes me smile. It’s such a good way to begin this newsletter.
Also, maybe we need more about how you’ve been inspired to pick up a pen and spatula soon? 🧐
“because now it looks like I have double the things” <-this made me lol
There’s double of you too!!! Trapped in another dimension!! Held hostage by the mirror wall leader, Kelly.
I love that you found something you could connect with in Goodbye, Again and I’m looking forward to seeing your published essay. All the feels!! Hell yeah books!!
& Sunflower<33 Is that a bee on it??? That’s already way better than when I’ve tried painting sunflowers lol
My thoughts on this part:
“…and this is all I have to show for it.”
Bridget Riley has said that painting “takes and needs time and this is its great advantage. An artist needs enough time to reflect, to revise, to explore various directions, to make changes, to lay foundations. You have to build up a working routine—you have to be able to surprise yourself and, above all, to make mistakes. And if you are a painter then you are fortunate because the practice of painting allows for all of this.”
I agree with this, not just with painting, but writing and any form of art so when you say “But the more you do it, the quicker you become, and the less frustrated you become.” I wonder if it’s really a matter of needing things done quicker. Should efficiency be the goal with art? In my opinion, no. But I guess that depends if you like the process or enjoy the outcome more. You set high expectations for yourself, but you clearly have the capacity to meet them. I wonder if some paintings can be approached with different goals, instead of the same rigid high expectations every time. Maybe your high expectations can revolve around different aspects.
By the way, Casper is my inspiration. I think I need to print out that tweet as a reminder. I’mma frame it on my wall so when he stares into my soul, I'll be motivated to keep going.
My favorite newsletter is a huge fan of my newsletter?! 🍬
Oh wowwww. An honor. I think you might be one of the only people that actually listens to my playlists. True blue 💙
You're right, it's been a while for the pen and spatula! Can't let the brush have all the fun and leave the other two hanging. I will definitely have something for these next week.
Kelly trapped me in her upside-down as soon as we moved in. I'm actually writing from inside the mirror. The real me is in the real world trying to bust me out. Send help!
I've been dreaming of a future Sandra owning an sick independent bookstore called "Hell Yea Books" and I am ready to help you make that happen....as soon as I can get out of this mirror.
YES its a lil bee on that sunflower! Lil bees are so cute! These sunflowers were from summer 2021, they were massive.... taller than me and their heads were bigger than mine!
I'm feeling this quote from Bridget Riley you shared! And your idea of changing the expectations from time to aspects. There must be ways to be prolific in painting without feeling time pressure. Maybe... just showing up to paint every day for at least a few hours? I feel like the same applies to writing. Just commit to show up and practice for a fixed amount of time each day. Just building a routine to do the thing.
HELL YES to printing out Casper as a reminder to not give up! I have the ugly/left Casper on my desk as a reminder, and its so scary looking, it works!
OMG i love your playlists. I listen to them forever. They're also fun to sing along to!
“I’ve been dreaming of a future Sandra owning an sick independent bookstore called "Hell Yea Books" and I am ready to help you make that happen....as soon as I can get out of this mirror.”
I don’t know what this means, but I love everything about that thought. Are you designing and building a bookstore for me? Because I would like that. And I LOVE massive sunflowers!! You must have a tiny ass head if they were bigger than yours though. Can you break out that measuring tape?
Back to what I was saying about expectations:
I think a fixed amount of time can be useful, constraints like that help, but I was also thinking of how changing the medium can be helpful too. For example, like instead of having high expectations to go faster in less time and expect quality results when you’re painting on your canvas, maybe switching up from painting on canvas to a sketchbook.
Maybe the high expectation you create for yourself becomes filling up an entire sketchbook over a certain time period, like a month. That way, say you only do one or a couple paintings on canvas, you’re not only still getting reps in but completing other paintings between, but also the sketchbook itself becomes The Project/main piece of work. And each page will be filled with a completed painting, but the stakes will feel lower, so there’s less pressure.
It’s like writing in a journal vs writing in a Google Doc on the computer, there’s a different feeling to the approach. I think it’s a difference in seriousness that can come with a canvas, it can feel too official, which adds expectation, pressure, and causes frustration or is paralyzing. Just a thought!
Thanks!!!! I'm glad you like this one. I wrote this one in under an hour, so I'm gonna stick to being quick and instinctual for the newsletter moving forward.
Your peony is spectacular 🤩 And I love this lil peek inside your groovy new home
Loved the whole "don't give up" theme. You put it in such a visual and memorable way!
And excited to read about your musings on moving, it's such an interesting topic :)
I don’t know why but “I hope to inspire you to pick up a pen, paint brush or spatula and create something spectacular.” always makes me smile. It’s such a good way to begin this newsletter.
Also, maybe we need more about how you’ve been inspired to pick up a pen and spatula soon? 🧐
“because now it looks like I have double the things” <-this made me lol
There’s double of you too!!! Trapped in another dimension!! Held hostage by the mirror wall leader, Kelly.
I love that you found something you could connect with in Goodbye, Again and I’m looking forward to seeing your published essay. All the feels!! Hell yeah books!!
& Sunflower<33 Is that a bee on it??? That’s already way better than when I’ve tried painting sunflowers lol
My thoughts on this part:
“…and this is all I have to show for it.”
Bridget Riley has said that painting “takes and needs time and this is its great advantage. An artist needs enough time to reflect, to revise, to explore various directions, to make changes, to lay foundations. You have to build up a working routine—you have to be able to surprise yourself and, above all, to make mistakes. And if you are a painter then you are fortunate because the practice of painting allows for all of this.”
I agree with this, not just with painting, but writing and any form of art so when you say “But the more you do it, the quicker you become, and the less frustrated you become.” I wonder if it’s really a matter of needing things done quicker. Should efficiency be the goal with art? In my opinion, no. But I guess that depends if you like the process or enjoy the outcome more. You set high expectations for yourself, but you clearly have the capacity to meet them. I wonder if some paintings can be approached with different goals, instead of the same rigid high expectations every time. Maybe your high expectations can revolve around different aspects.
By the way, Casper is my inspiration. I think I need to print out that tweet as a reminder. I’mma frame it on my wall so when he stares into my soul, I'll be motivated to keep going.
My favorite newsletter is a huge fan of my newsletter?! 🍬
Oh wowwww. An honor. I think you might be one of the only people that actually listens to my playlists. True blue 💙
You're right, it's been a while for the pen and spatula! Can't let the brush have all the fun and leave the other two hanging. I will definitely have something for these next week.
Kelly trapped me in her upside-down as soon as we moved in. I'm actually writing from inside the mirror. The real me is in the real world trying to bust me out. Send help!
I've been dreaming of a future Sandra owning an sick independent bookstore called "Hell Yea Books" and I am ready to help you make that happen....as soon as I can get out of this mirror.
YES its a lil bee on that sunflower! Lil bees are so cute! These sunflowers were from summer 2021, they were massive.... taller than me and their heads were bigger than mine!
I'm feeling this quote from Bridget Riley you shared! And your idea of changing the expectations from time to aspects. There must be ways to be prolific in painting without feeling time pressure. Maybe... just showing up to paint every day for at least a few hours? I feel like the same applies to writing. Just commit to show up and practice for a fixed amount of time each day. Just building a routine to do the thing.
HELL YES to printing out Casper as a reminder to not give up! I have the ugly/left Casper on my desk as a reminder, and its so scary looking, it works!
OMG i love your playlists. I listen to them forever. They're also fun to sing along to!
Thanks for reading 🥰
“I’ve been dreaming of a future Sandra owning an sick independent bookstore called "Hell Yea Books" and I am ready to help you make that happen....as soon as I can get out of this mirror.”
I don’t know what this means, but I love everything about that thought. Are you designing and building a bookstore for me? Because I would like that. And I LOVE massive sunflowers!! You must have a tiny ass head if they were bigger than yours though. Can you break out that measuring tape?
Back to what I was saying about expectations:
I think a fixed amount of time can be useful, constraints like that help, but I was also thinking of how changing the medium can be helpful too. For example, like instead of having high expectations to go faster in less time and expect quality results when you’re painting on your canvas, maybe switching up from painting on canvas to a sketchbook.
Maybe the high expectation you create for yourself becomes filling up an entire sketchbook over a certain time period, like a month. That way, say you only do one or a couple paintings on canvas, you’re not only still getting reps in but completing other paintings between, but also the sketchbook itself becomes The Project/main piece of work. And each page will be filled with a completed painting, but the stakes will feel lower, so there’s less pressure.
It’s like writing in a journal vs writing in a Google Doc on the computer, there’s a different feeling to the approach. I think it’s a difference in seriousness that can come with a canvas, it can feel too official, which adds expectation, pressure, and causes frustration or is paralyzing. Just a thought!
VIP Creator Therapy with this post Elizabeth!
The before and afters. The anecdotes weaving through them all. The structure is just so good.
it's as though you are... an architect...
LOL NO, I'M A CREATOR NOW! 😇
Thanks!!!! I'm glad you like this one. I wrote this one in under an hour, so I'm gonna stick to being quick and instinctual for the newsletter moving forward.