I started writing morning pages after reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron [Interview here], and now this practice has become essential to my art practice.
A lot of the time, what comes out of these thought downloads seems negative but that is EXACTLY why it is so important to not only write it all out, but then take the next step: Examine and clean up the thoughts that don't serve you.
This step is often overlooked and in this episode, I teach you how it can revolutionize your painting practice.
Getting your thoughts in order allows you to focus.
Have you ever felt a little lost and uncertain in your studio? Trying to paint from this space just results in overworking your paintings or piles and piles of half finished canvases in your studio.
It's so frustrating to finally get time to paint, but not use it to create something you're proud of. I hear it all the time from artists I work with in Growth Studio. In this episode, I teach you how to get past these blocks so you can paint with focus so that your voice is clear.
When you are aware, you are given a choice.
We tend to think on autopilot. Most of the time, we do this to our benefit - otherwise it would be impossible to get anything done. But some of our automatic thoughts work against us.
Most of the time it's the innocent thoughts that sabotage a painting. Thoughts like:
- “I’m not ready to show my work.”
- “I don’t have enough time to paint.”
- “I’m not good enough.”
You might be able to come up with tons of evidence to prove these innocent little thoughts true - but is it helpful? Maybe there is an alternative gets you better results
choosing thoughts that serve you.
When you're not happy with the results you're getting in your studio, you can make huge breakthroughs with slight adjustments to your thinking.
This isn't about being optimistic, or staring in the mirror chanting "I am a great painter" that definitely won't work if you don't believe it. Small shifts in thinking are where it's at!
Outline of This Episode
- Update - I'm coming home!
- Morning Journals and Thought Downloads - Do they seem negative?
- Why negative thought's aren't all that bad after all
- How to stop feeling bad about your work
- Empowering yourself with choice.
- How automatic thoughts are useful, and how they can be diffused when they are not useful for you
- Are you really ready to show your work? (this might make you squirm a little)
- How to declutter your brain so that you can focus
Hey Antrese. Thanks so much for this podcast, especially when you are in a tough place waiting foir a flight home! I’m so sorry about that.
I felt it was a podcast just for me today. I’m in my studio and my head is crowding with negative thoughts and doubts. I am busy reading The Artist’s Way, and I’m finding it so helpful. It’s taken me months to get two thirds of the way through the book, I have so much to think about! I’m at a point in the book where Julie has suggested that closed doors make you look for others to open. As a result I have recently decided to have a home exhibition even though I’d have loved a gallery to invited me to have one instead.
Since I made this decision, I have had every reason pop into my head as to why I am not ready! Your list made me smile to myself. So, I will continue to write my pages, capture the negative thoughts, remind myself of the contrasting positive ones, and push ahead.
Good luck with your flights, I’ll pray for a seat to open up soon. I’m so glad that you have a wonderful husband to get back to.
Claudia
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loved it, loved you as always!!