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 was a HUGE transition for me – to go from “career” woman to artist. So I wanted to share the mental shift that took me years to make, so that you don’t have to take that long …

When I started going into my art room to paint, the harder I tried to be “productive”, the less creative I became. I was expecting that if I spent 4 hours in the studio, I would have something to show for it. But instead, I’ll never forget sitting on the floor crying when my paintings did not turn out.

When I tried to spend time in my art room, I would beat myself up for “not being productive”. The pressure I was putting on myself was keeping my inner creative child from coming out to play.

But as time went on, here’s what I discovered:

We’ve been culturally trained to think if we don’t have a successful outcome (ie: a finished painting we like), that we have wasted time.

We get it in our heads that time is precious, and we shouldn’t waste it. So we rush through our painting time, expecting to make something meaningful, and feeling guilty if it doesn’t go well.

The problem is that art doesn’t work this way.

The shift that changed everything for me was learning to be “unproductive.”

I had to stop thinking of studio time as something that needed to be fruitful and start seeing it as sacred space where creativity could unfold naturally.

This meant:

·      Allowing myself to meditate, write, and take a walk first, because paintings don’t come from staring at a blank canvas

·      Letting paintings evolve in their own time. They take as long as they take

·      Protecting my creative time from endless demands. Art first, household tasks second

When I stopped trying to make my art efficient and started letting it unfold in its own time, my paintings came alive.

And the best part? So did my happiness.

I’ve seen it time and again with my mentoring students:

·      The ones who show up and enjoy experimenting, getting in the “flow”, and letting the process unfold naturally have the biggest breakthroughs

·      Students who expect every painting to be a winner, or find their style after making just a few paintings – actually take longer for their art to reach its full potential because of the pressure they put on themselves

Art doesn’t follow productivity rules. It follows creative rhythms.

Those rhythms require what our culture calls “unproductive” time – the wandering, the pondering, the filling ourselves with creative inspiration.

Of course we have to paint too. Your art needs you to take action – but it also needs the freedom to play and explore. Like giving yourself permission for experimental sketch sessions, playful color mixing, or inspiring artist dates to galleries or museums.

Don’t pressure your art to be a masterpiece or expect your style to happen fast. These things happen from making a lot of paintings, and enjoying yourself.

Bottom line- Art flourishes when you take it out of the productivity box and let it breathe.

Scroll down and let me know if you allow this for yourself, I love hearing from you.

Happy painting,

Kellie

P.S. This week I’m filming a new video about my creative preparation rituals – all the “unproductive” things I do before I even pick up a brush that make my best work possible. Watch for it!