The Artist Life: 2020 DIARY OF A COURAGEOUS CREATOR, Part 1

Musings from Paint Duluth 5 (Duluth, GA) ♡

This past weekend i participated in Paint Duluth 5, a 4-day local en plein air event. Just in case, en plein air is French for “in the open air,” and artists know this as an outdoor, open air painting activity. think French countryside, box easels, and berets. sort of. :)

In events like this (often tied to a local festival, but not always), plein air artists travel from all over to gather in an area and paint in public, rain or shine. There are usually competitions such as a ‘quick draws’ with a time limit, artist workshops, awards, and a gallery show and/or reception to celebrate the completed pieces. People eagerly come to participate, and the public to watch the process of art-making in the great outdoors.

Last year I participated in Paint Duluth 4, so this wasn’t my first plein air experience. However, i was so intimidated by the idea of people actually watching me work (and potentially fumbling my way through), that I found the most remote locations I could think of to work! First day, my back deck overlooking the lake and a great blue heron visitation. Second day, an early morning sunrise over nearby Cardinal Lake, which I’d practiced in watercolor for days prior just in case someone happened by. Last up was a whimsical dandelion fluff painting using toilet paper roll brushes and other mixed media techniques from a parking lot at a local park.

Despite my hesitation and hiding, the first two paintings – the heron and the lake sunrise -- sold in the gallery show! You could’ve pushed me over with a feather, but it was enough of a good experience that I decided to sign up again in 2020.

So, this year, Paint Duluth 5.

An artist friend, Robin Popp (www.robinpopp.com), who is also a master plein air painter, came up from North Florida for the event and stayed. We know each other from Gathering of Artisans (www.gatheringofartisans.com) and the artist mentoring program we both belong to (click here for more).

Last summer we did a self-proclaimed Holy Chicken Artist Residency 😂 on Robin's farm with 3 other artists, including one day of plein air painting at a nearby (and incredibly crystal clear azure blue!) Cypress Springs. Last October I was her assistant instructor at the incredible John C. Campbell Folk School (www.folkschool.org) for a week of plein air painting in the western North Carolina mountains.

This time for Paint Duluth, I found myself with a plein air buddy. Someone to have my back. I'd gained a little plein air experience since the previous Paint Duluth event, and felt less overwhelmed. And i say less because the whole practice is rather terrifying, but I do like the idea of painting outdoors. and the idea of moving from being an overwhelmed artist to an overcoming one.

I hit bumps! Oh, boy did I. But because I’m currently developing an online course series called ‘Courageous Creating,’ i found myself in the big fat middle of being tested on what I’m teaching. I found myself being forced to walk it out.

Below is the first of three ‘diary entries’ from my most recent plein air (and real life as a creative soul) adventure. Enjoy!

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It's a courageous thing to do something new. To kick the crutches out from underneath yourself. To risk failure and defeat. To squeeze out tears of frustration and sit uncomfortably in very real moments of inadequacy ...

All while doing it publicly, fighting against the elements and largely unfamiliar medium and techniques, not only in front of complete passerby strangers, but also surrounded by ridiculously more talented artists than you. And vulnerably, willingly sticking your work up on display next to theirs. Yikes.

This is daring greatly, I'm realizing...and this is courageous creating!

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Highlighted in these photos is my fav plein air painting from Paint Duluth. It's currently hanging in the gallery show at Adrian Collaborative, on Main Street in Duluth, GA USA, through October 19, 2020.

It's framed in gold, and I can't help thinking there's something very significant, prophetic about that. More to come, as I dig down deeper.

In the next "diary entry," I'll share my least favorite, so stay tuned 😉 … in the meantime, what seems like courage in YOUR creative expression?

Comment below, I'd love to hear!

The Artist Life: 2020 COURAGE

This post is inspired by a coffee mug.

Well, other things, too, but really … a coffee mug.

It’s not even mine, but belongs a very dear and gracious friend (#mel) who doesn’t mind me using it these days because it’s speaking so loudly to me.

When I need it the most. In the mornings. 😆

Yup. for some reason, like a jolt of caffeine every a.m., I desperately need a fresh jolt of courage. I awaken most mornings, fresh out. Leaving me wondering, ‘Crap, where in the heck did it go? It was just here yesterday.’ Makes me want to look under my pillow, forage under my bed, search the bottom of the covers like so many pairs of socks that get kicked off in the night.

And then unbidden, the questions come flooding in, and the doubts, and the nasty little reminders of failures past … bleh. The unwanted anxieties bubble up, like black, inky hatch-marks trying to overcome yesterday’s beautiful colours in my mind’s eye. Bleh again.

So what’s a girl to do?

Well, I don’t know about any other girl, but I used to have all kinds of unhealthy responses to those little imaginary gremlins in my head who were attempting to steal my strength and joy. Like resigning myself to them (as if they were truth). Like shopping to ‘treat myself’ (when it was really about numbing the overwhelming sense of unworthiness). Like eating dumb – translation: sugary – foods, as if that would make them disappear. Lies! Lies! They appeared alright, right on my hips). Like retreating into Netflix (or) Hulu bingeing, or coping through busyness … uh, well, you may recognize some of these numbing things. You might even know them intimately. Umh, yeah, sisters and brothers. Exactly what i’m talking about.

Thankfully, I do less and less of those things. So, how in the world does a girl do that?

A number of ways, actually, but that’s a blog post for another day (and i will write it, because it’s powerful). Let’s just say it has a lot to do with intentionality, and for purposes of today’s post, WORDS.

Yup - words. Good ol’ fashioned, lil’ simple words.

Like images, I’ve learned firsthand, really firsthand, how words carry power. They carry power to enlighten, to build up or tear down, to paint pictures good or bad, to bring lightness or heaviness.

Interestingly, I’ve also learned that words actually fight. Good words fight for me to overcome the nasties in my head. so I take time every day to fill my brain with good words, first thing, hot and fresh just like that mug of coffee. I journal them some days, I read them some days, I paint them some days, I YouTube them some days. I even speak them aloud. And I’ve learned to pay attention to the words I let in and surround myself with. Like great people in my life, if I let the good words in, they fight for me in good ways.

So, back to the coffee mug … and to courage.

Wandering into the early morning kitchen these days, this coffee mug reminds me of what I want, who I want to be … and am gradually becoming. I am courageous. fearless. fierce. brave.

It’s not a ‘can-do’ thing, at least for me. It’s a lean-in thing, a believing thing, a faith thing, a promise thing. It’s a resting thing as I move into ALL i’m stepping into in this season, because I’m doing very new and scary things.

And that, my friend - that’s a courage thing!

So....what does courage mean to you? I’d love to hear from you, comment below ♡

The Artist Life: 2020 #CORONACREATE

although its mid-may now, i originally wrote & posted this on my facebook & insta pages about a month ago. we're still on self-quarantine in this little corner of atlanta, as covid-19 cases continue to rise and social distancing is the wisest choice (imo). i thought it a good share here, too, because nothing has much changed yet, except for the gentle warmth of the sun creeping in lately to announce summer :)

i pray this finds you and your family well, safe, and thriving despite these crazy, uncertain times … and that these words soothe, encourage, and inspire you.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

it's been crickets for a bit as i've been setting up & settling into my new studio space, writing, and honing some techniques and business skills in this lockdown season ♡

i know people are hurting, scared, p’od, anxious, depressed, disconnected, discouraged, grieving, confused. you're not alone, beloveds, you're not alone. sometimes i'm all that in one afternoon.

and yet, i see victory and promise, i see wins and winners, i see hope and kindness. it helps that as one who loves Jesus, i trust His unbelievable goodness, and as a creative, i'm on constant alert for beauty. i find more intensely that each day is a choosing. i'm more aware, and i watch how i choose lately, and choose to choose ... well, well. :)

i choose to see beyond the darkness and chaos and quarantine. I choose to find the wonder, to shoot pictures, to sing, to watch supermoons at night, and to bellylaugh with besties until we cry. i choose to step into my unfinished studio. i choose to ignore unpacked supplies, to pick up the brushes, play with colors, test out forgotten supplies, slap down paint, and ... i choose. i choose. i choose.

i choose to coronacreate.

c.a.n.n.o.t. h.e.l.p. m.y.s.e.l.f.

hope you enjoy this little vid & pics of a piece I did for @suzygroovy (my beautifulbestie susan varner groover)'s birthday, collaborating with @melfowler79 (mel fowler, my beautiful friend-turned-watercolorist, using some of her lovely florals), and that it inspires you to choose good things for your own self care ♡

hit me up and tell me how YOU are doing. either here in the comments or send me an email ... i want to encourage you! xo, debra

#coronacreate #artheals #arthelps #beencouragedtoday #debrahartstudio #atlantafineartist #acrylicartist #mixedmediaartist #collageartist

The Artist Life: 2020 MOVING

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It's 2020 alright. And it's moving ... literally.

Since mid-January, I've been in the midst of moving both my studio and my home...my business life and personal life. I'm excited because it's a new year, a new studio space, a new zip code, new dreams and opportunities.

Choices: Decluttering, Purging and Letting Go!

I'm also struck by the things highlighted right now all around me as I also downsize ... thoughts and physical actions revolving around the words "clutter" and "purging" and "letting go."

It's been a lot easier ... and a lot harder ... than imagined. Day after day I'm drenched in choice after choice.

For example, I love de-cluttering and purging. This is the easy part. I'm an organizer at heart, and there's something wonderfully rewarding in seeing closets get organized, storage spaces purged, rooms rearranged. There's something uber-cathartic seeing trash bag after trash bag leave the premises. Forever. "Yay, me!" I think. And, well, "How in the world did I end up with all this stuff?" I also think!

Letting go though ... I don't always do so well on the letting go. That's the hard part. This is been one giant exercise in really choosing well. Choices about what I really want to take into this next space, which, I'm discovering, also means an entirely new season.

So Many Choices!

So many choices about photos and drawings and letters, knicknacks and home decor and journals and gifts ...

• What do I keep?
• What to donate?
• Who could use this or that? what has served me well?
• What represents the old season?
• What brings me joy?

Oh, yes, my friend Susan and I had a grand ol' time with that LAST one ... an entire "JOY! v. NO JOY!" session in my kitchen as we packed). Ha! How freeing!

Like Me, Do You Have Ratpacking Tendencies (maybe just a wee bit)?

I think my ratpacking tendencies linger from being the child of a wonderfully adaptive mom who taught us not to throw away anything that "might" be useful. I'm certain she learned that young as well, as a post Depression-era kid. I'm not knocking it, because there have been some wonderful, crazy, creative consequences that will make another blog post one day. It does mean, though, that I've had to figure out how to UNFRIEND MY STUFF!

Time to Unfriend the Stuff!

• Goodbye, meat-packing-trays-that-were-supposed-to-be-paint-palettes, I'm unfriending you!

• Goodbye, you 20 empty 3-ring binders, left over from homeschooling days, I'm unfriending you!

• Goodbye, stash-of-empty-toilet-paper-rolls-with-a-future-as-a-mark-making-tool, I'm unfriending you!

• Goodbye-upcycled-glass-pickle-jars-how-many-students-did-i-think-i-was-going-to-teach-at-once?!, I'm definitely unfriending you!

I'm not making this up, either 🫣 😂

Embracing the Reasons for Releasing "All The Things"

It's been a bit of a journey for me to learn to release things that are no longer useful or meaningful. One way has been to embrace the idea that it might actually be for someone else's benefit when I sell or give something away (or dump it, for crying out loud).

And the other is the realization that in order for the new to arrive, there has to be room for "the new" in my life. "Release to receive" as my mentor Matt Tommey calls it.

So while moving is hardly on "My Top 10 Favorite Things to Do" list, it has been good. I have a whole lot I want to receive, so here I go. Release away, young Jedi!

I would love to know what you're releasing today, to make room for the more that's on it's way :)

Creatively yours,

Debra ♡

The Artist Life: 2020 VISION

I don't often find myself drawn to reposts from other people, but this one is especially for my creative ones, regardless of whether you are a vocational 'maker,' just want to up your artful game or see uncommon breakthrough in your life.

Heading into 2020, i'm lighthearted and so expectant about what the future holds. this doesn't mean it will be easy or all unicorns and rainbows ...just don't tell the littles in my life that! 🦄

It does mean I've entered into - since the end of september, actually - a season of thankfulness for what I've been given to do. I'm evaluating, listening, and releasing things from the last season that either no longer serve me well or hinder the journey. it's been empowering and lightening.

One of my favorite times of the year is the quiet of post-christmas activities, when I have time to pause & think about the past year and dream about the new one. I confess I've not always done this, or done it well, or done it the ways others do. I recent years, however, I've grown at a lightning pace because of the insight it brings. I've found this pull-away time to be of incredible value in moving forward into the things I have in my heart to do.

As you may have noticed elsewhere on this site, I'm in an artist mentoring program with hundreds of other artists from around the world. When this video popped up today on my Facebook notifications, I was delighted at the timing. I grabbed a cup of coffee and set time aside to watch, and ended up making notes to bring along for upcoming christmas travels.

It is so good! I'm looking forward to marinating in the process Matt talks about in this teaching. It is inspiring and thought-provoking, and I have a sneaky hunch you might benefit too. enjoy!

xo, debra ♡

ps: If you're interested in finding out more about the mentoring program, click here.

The Artist Life: 2019 - IT’S TIME →

It’s time, dear friends.

It is. it’s time!

It’s time to get my art out in the world, to get this website live, to get these words and images moving. It’s time to not just step, but to leap, out of my comfort zone.

I’ve been hearing that for a long while, deep within, and recently found to my surprise that I’d entertained the wrong voices. You know the ones…those voices that carry away confidence and speak death over dreams.

Whispers of Discouragement . . .

I’m going to guess that you, too, have such whisperings that discourage and doubt-fill-you and wreak havoc whenever the interior magic begins to flutter. It seems at times those voices are loud and distracting, pulling us waaaay off track .... at other times the volume is a low buzz, almost imperceptible and always deceptive. Or is it just me? Sometimes they slime us from without, sometimes its an internal thing. present, nonetheless. destructive, always. Ugh.

It feels like a war, or at least a full-on battle, some days, just to keep the precious imaginations of my heart in a protected space so that the nagging, negative voices are silenced. This past week has been like that, but it is a a battle, perhaps even a war, that I am winning.

But … I am winning

How?

• I am winning in the risk-taking, in valiant pluckiness, winning as I kick in the faces of the giants who hide behind elusive, shadowy voices.

• I am winning with every touch of a brush, every covered paper and canvas, every pen flying across a page.

• I am winning by typing and fumbling and researching what I don’t know or understand

• I am winning by connecting with my creative tribe. and mainly, by pressing forward, despite the internal chatter that screams crap like “You can’t do this!” and “Are you nuts?” and “Do not risk it - be safe!”

Best of all, I am winning today because I am choosing to listen to a different voice; one that says i can, i shall, i will. One that reminds me I am not alone, it is not that scary, and best of all, that it will be such, such an adventure.

One that coaxes gently: “It is time.”

So it is. And here I go.

xo,

debra ♡

PS: I hope you come with me, my brave & gallant ones. comment below — I’d love to hear about your ‘voices’!