Safety, Self-Trust, and the Secret to Creating Without Fear

AKA: Having your own back

What does it really mean to have your own back as an artist? In this episode, I share why safety isn’t just about gloves and turpentine — it’s about building trust with yourself in the studio. When you know you won’t tear yourself down for “failing,” you’re free to take risks, explore messy ideas, and grow in ways you never thought possible.

This conversation comes straight from my own sketchbook experiments and our 30-day Self-Trust Challenge inside Growth Studio. You’ll hear how awkward blind contour lines, negative space trees, and even 100 “bad” drawings can become proof that you’re on the right track.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

Episode Map

[0:42] Why self-trust always begins with safety — and why that has nothing to do with paint fumes.
[3:29] The awkward stage that makes most artists quit — and how to stick with it.
[7:51] Five drawings that “failed” — or five steps closer to something new?
[15:48] The messy middle: where ideas sprout before they make sense.
[20:58] Could you survive 100 “bad” paintings to reach the one that works?
[25:42] Why doubt and frustration don’t mean stop — they mean human.
[26:34] Kindness as a creative strategy: how to meet yourself without criticism.
[29:29] The ultimate reframe: safety, trust, and the artist you’ve always wanted to be.

Sponsored by Growth Studio

When you feel confident about your work and you are solid in your self concept as an artist, you stop worrying about how long the painting takes, or when you will “make it.” Instead, you focus on what you know is working. You allow time for your process to unwind. You let go of all the chatter.

This is what you will create for yourself in Growth Studio - the unwavering belief in yourself as an artist so that you make art that matters to you. Click here to join.