The #1 mistake + other stuff
Do this. Or don't.
There's a lot of great advice living upstairs in my headspace. Quotes from teachers (remembered in their own voices, no less) sharing about this and that. Dos and don'ts. Techniques. Philosophies. Lots of rules; some of which conflict with some of the other rules.
These teachers? Their voices are usually loudest when I'm sketching or painting.
"Don't do this because..."
"Always make sure to..."
It's good advice, but it has a downside: it sometimes keeps me from charting my own creative path and discovering my own sets of rules to follow and break.
This doesn't mean recalling all that great advice isn't helpful - it's incredibly valuable! - but I have to be mindful to not let my own voice be drown out by everyone else's voice in the process.
When boundaries aren't necessary, following them can impede experimentation and play and the learning that comes with doing your art the "wrong" way.* If you listen to everyone else but yourself, paralysis by analysis is going to suck the joy of the creative process right out through your toes.
So, keep learning. Keep listening. Collect all that good stuff up in your noggin' (it really is helpful), but don't forget to turn it off sometimes and just tune into yourself. Pick up your paints or pens or putty and play. Put away the advice and tune into the moment and just let it flow...however the heck you want.
*Remember: You're not sending a man to the moon. Cross-hatching that bush counter to traditional teachings will have zero impact on the trajectory of humanity. There is no "wrong" way to play in your art practice.
In other news
Morro Bay Bird Festival
🪶Calling all Nature Journalers and Birders: Registration is now open (and filling fast!) for this year’s Morro Bay Bird Festival (MBBF)!
The Morro Bay Bird Festival is considered to be one of the top five bird festivals in the nation and I’m excited to be leading two classes (more info below) on nature journaling and watercolor windowscapes!
January 2025 will mark the Festival's 28th year! It attracts birding enthusiasts from around the country (and a smattering of internationals) who come to see the more than 200 bird species spotted during the festival.
I'll be leading these two sessions:
📅 Nature Journaling for Newbies: Intro to Nature Journaling (Friday, January 17, Event 254)
📅 Watercolor Windowscapes (Saturday, January 18, Event 335)
Read a description of these classes here
This will be my first year attending MBBF and I'm excited to take part! Hope to see you there.
New watercolor sky painting tutorials up on my YouTube channel
If you're short on instructional painting voices and are interested in painting skies, I posted a new watercolor sky paintalong demo to my YouTube channel yesterday. Do or do not take any of the tips shared. Seriously. I'm just one more well-meaning suggestion maker in a sea of noise. But it was a pretty day, so, at minimum, there's a nice, blue sky in it for you.
Books!
I'm currently enjoying (or recently finished) and highly recommend the following reads:
Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell
Nature Drawing: A Tool for Learning by Clare Walker Leslie
Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney
I've also just started, Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever by Gavin Edwards, and The Outlier (a biography about Jimmy Carter) by Kai Bird, but it's too soon to give a recommendation on these two as I haven't yet progressed enough to know if I'll love them.
Let's end with a quote, shall we?
"Figure out how to be wrong on the way to being right." - Seth Godin
Thanks for reading!
