Imagine this…

You’ve got your Ideas Journal in front of you. Your new Kaweco fountain pen inked with Kaweco’s Summer Purple ink. And you’re starting to brainstorm ideas for a new course or two.

Before you start, you pick up your phone, look at the courses that you already offer, and cringe when you come to your very first course. It’s not that the course is bad — you cringe when you look at your art.

You remember how thrilled you were with the way that piece of art turned out. How excited to share your techniques and ideas. The energy that coursed through you when you put the class together. And the jolt of delight that ran through your heart every time someone told you how much they enjoyed the lesson.

But now, you look at it, and think: This course needs to be retired. The art is so cringe!

And then imagine that a day or two later, you get a notification that someone has bought that course. And then they e-mail you to tell you just how much they are loving the course.

And you’re just a bit, stupefied, maybe?

Here you were, looking at that course, cringing at your art from 6 years ago, and thinking it was time to retire it.

Forgetting the reason why you started sharing your art in the first place: because you were on a mission to remind people that paintbrushes are fun!

And those techniques that you shared in the course? Super fun! And perfect for beginners. In fact, that’s just the kind of course, and just the kind of art, that serves as a gentle introduction to art journaling for people who think they don’t have an artistic bone in their body.

You should know. That was you around 15 years ago!

By now I’m pretty sure you’ve realized that this entire scenario that I asked you to imagine is real. A little anecdote from my creative life.

But it got me thinking:

How often do we let self-criticism and self-doubt cloud our judgement?

How often have we held back because of it?

What would we be capable of if we allowed ourselves to show up anyway?

Here’s the thing: Self-criticism and self-doubt are usually protective strategies that we use to try and avoid failure, judgement, or being seen as “not good enough” by others or ourselves.

That brain gremlin that criticizes and doubts us? It lies. All. The. Time.

It tells us things that aren’t true. If you zoomed in and looked at its lies, you’d know that too. Because the lies it tells you? They aren’t facts. They’re predictions. More specifically, fear-based predictions. Like these:

Everyone is going to hate my art.

They’re going to find out I don’t know what I’m doing

Everyone will judge me for saying or doing this.

They’re going to think I’m mad for chasing this dream.

None of these statements are objectively true. Not a single one is factual. It’s just a defense mechanism that we adopt because we want to feel safe, accepted, and maybe even respected.

But the truth? You’re allowed to suck at stuff, to not know all the answers, to be perfectly imperfect, to have contradictory ideas that you still cannot quite reconcile.

So the next time that self-criticism rears its head? Become aware of it. And then counter it with a different, more grounded, wiser voice.

The more you do it, the quieter that voice will become, because its not being constantly fed.

As for that course? I’m not retiring it any time soon.

In fact, if you are new to art, it’s the perfect little course for you!

Come join me at the painty table as I take you through the creation of an art journal page from start to finish. We will explore a range of simple, foundational techniques, including:

• whimsical backgrounds

• mark making

• stenciling

• and more.

These are techniques that you can use over and over again in your art making with different results each time.

We will talk about a few different compositions that you can create using the exact same elements and techniques that you learn in this class. I will also share alternatives to most of the supplies that I used so that you can pick and choose what you think you will use the most.

There’s also an inquiry into what it means to be aligned — aided by two meditation experiences and journaling questions.

Sign up!

You’ll find the complete supply list on the sign up page, and a little peek into the classroom too.

If you’re new to mixed media art or art journaling, this class was made for you!

Our week 7 chat space is open!

I love the cozy intimacy of our weekly chat space, seeing your wonderful 100 day projects, and cheering you on your art journeys! I can’t wait to see more of your beautiful creations, so come on over and share your art!

The chat is only open to subscribers, making it a cozy, intimate way to connect with fellow artists. I’d love to see you there! xx

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