Welcome to the Artist Mindset Blog

Lessons for the heart-expanding Artist.

December 16, 2025
rose gold aspens by kellie day

New art + my recipe for a creative, centered holiday

Happy December! I’m writing to you from my studio, where I’m finally painting again after being off track for a while. It feels amazing to be back in my center and my creativity. (See my new Rose Gold Aspen painting below). Lately I’ve been feeling incredibly wiped out because I […]
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December 13, 2025
Artist Interview with Nora Miller

Artist Interview – From stuck to creating a series: How Nora found her art again

What if I told you that the thing standing between you and your art dream isn’t talent, time, or age—but joy? Nora Miller spent most of her life as a caregiver. She raised two kids as a single mom starting at 19. She worked her career in the medical field. […]
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November 9, 2025
What to Do When You Hate Your Own Painting

What to Do When You Hate Your Own Painting

Recently, when I was making an art project for my advanced students, I couldn’t seem to finish my painting. We were doing funky still lifes full of papers and wonderful colors, stencils and spray paint, but I just wasn’t able to get this painting to a place where I loved […]
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October 10, 2025
colorado art retreat with kellie day

What Happened When 15 Women Painted Their Souls in Colorado

Something extraordinary happened last week at my Colorado art retreat. Women came from all over the country to paint among the golden aspen leaves at peak fall color. They came expecting to learn mixed media techniques, explore the mountains, soak in hot springs under the stars. But what unfolded was […]
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September 15, 2025
student paintings on gallery wall after working with kellie day

See the paintings these four women made

Today I’m sharing photos of my recent graduates’ work hanging on mock gallery walls, 4-5 paintings each. Something beautiful happens when you see their pieces together. … You can actually see each artist’s unique voice emerging. Sharon’s pieces carry an energetic yet peaceful vibrancy in her beloved birds and flowers. […]
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September 6, 2025
What Happened When I Stopped Being Productive and Started Being Creative

What Happened When I Stopped Being Productive and Started Being Creative

Hi there, For years, I lived by the productivity habits that made me successful in my previous graphic design business: Check off the to-do list. Be productive. Meet my deadlines. But when I tried to apply those same rules to my art, something weird happened – I got stuck. This […]
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August 31, 2025
Noras art after art mentoring program with kellie day

How Nora Broke Free from Boring Art Techniques & Painted a Series

From Stuck in Traditional Techniques to Creating Her Goddess Series: Nora’s Artistic Awakening   I want to tell you about Nora. When Nora first reached out to me, she was struggling. She was in an online art school that was teaching her tedious techniques, and it was taking all the […]
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August 8, 2025

Behind the Scenes: How I Handle Paintings I Don’t Love

Hello beautiful artist, Let’s face it. As a painter who’s actually painting (and if you’re not painting regularly, click here), you’re going to make some paintings you don’t love. Especially once you learn to paint like a pro and take bigger risks with your art – exploring and experimenting. (As […]
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August 2, 2025
Why Some Paintings Grab You (And Others Leave You Cold)

Why Some Paintings Grab You (And Others Leave You Cold)

Hello beautiful artist, Happy Sunday! This week we had a big discussion on how to put emotion in your paintings with my Art Mentoring cohort. You know what I mean – you’ve seen technically perfect paintings that don’t do much for you, and then you’ve seen paintings that might not […]
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July 29, 2025
my student amy's art

From self-doubt to gorgeous paintings (the shift that changed everything)

Hello beautiful artist, I’m honored to share my student Amy’s art with you today. She has worked hard over the last 10 weeks to create many paintings with me, in her own voice. This week she sent me a powerful email, and I wanted to share some of her words […]
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July 2, 2025
Artist paintings transformations

Before & After: Artist Painting Transformations + Sneak Peek into My Mentoring Program

Each week inside my art mentoring program, I help creative women break through the “stuck spots” in their paintings—the frustrating moments when your vision doesn’t match what’s on the canvas. Today, I’m giving you an exclusive sneak peek into how that transformation happens—so you can see the power of personalized […]
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May 4, 2025
which acrylic paint colors to buy

Wondering which paint colors to buy? Here’s what actually matters…

Have you ever wondered what color paints to buy? I recently received a question on “What’s a good starting color palette to buy?”. A lot of people start out by buying a mixing set of classic colors. But I recommend something completely different… Watch the video below to see what […]
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March 23, 2025
Are you worried your paintings aren't good enough to sell?

Are you worried your paintings aren’t good enough to sell?

Last week, I received a heartfelt response to my email on building confidence as an artist that I thought you might relate to: “I am not alone in feeling that the paintings are not up to standards that would sell… Not having the confidence in my work is what holds […]
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