The Complex Beauty of Simplicity
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: It happens so often with the “simplest” slow drawing patterns – folks initially dismiss them, but once they do the workshop, they say how surprised they were because they loved the simplicity and found a lot of room to...
Draw Yourself Calm Is Available In The UK!
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’m more than pleased to tell you that my book, Draw Yourself Calm, is now available in the UK! Even more fun is that folks in the UK can purchase with a special coupon code I’ll offer at the end of the post. I thought it...
Making Art Work In The Time You Have
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Last week I had the great pleasure of returning to Maine to camp for the week with my family. It’s always a time of incredible views, hikes, bikes, and far too many sticky buns and ice cream cones. It’s also a time that I...
What Can I Do With My Slow Drawings?
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Slow drawing has seeped into every part of my art practice. I love the way these nature-based patterns seem to have a connection to everything, and everyone sees them differently. It speaks to the way these patterns repeat throughout...
Finding a Sense of Wonder in Your Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been hosting Slow Drawing Parties since the beginning of the pandemic, and so many folks have told me how important the practice is to their lives. But when folks first start, especially if they are new to art, it can be hard...
The Inchie Challenge 2021
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Each summer I host an art challenge that focuses on getting you to meet your top art goals – make more fun, meaningful art. There is so much that can get in the way of your creative life. I want to help you make art making so...
The Simplest Things
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: At the Nature Spells Book Retreat last week, one of the things we discussed was the power of making space for the simplest things. We think our ideas need to be grand, or complicated, in order to be good enough. But it’s not true. I...
How to Sew Your Own Journal
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I have been making my own journals for some time – some sewn simply, some rolled or loose, and some folded accordion style. I love the playfulness of these techniques. But I have longed to sew a more traditional book – a...
Playing With Inchie Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I had to keep quiet about my BIG ART approach for a long time while I was building my class – it’s so fun to share with you now about it. I wanted to get playful, I made a little video for you that shows my process: For this...
Mindful Art Parties
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Since we went into quarantine, each week I’ve been holding a live, free Mindful Art Party. It’s a time you dedicate to yourself, to connect and create with artists from all over the world. Despite social distancing, we can...
Art Can Help Us Through Times of Loneliness
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Like many of you, I’m feeling some anxiety in this time of uncertainty. When I lay down to go to sleep at night, there are a host of thoughts and anxious questions that start reeling through my mind. These questions need to get set...
Drawing Beautiful & Imperfect Faces
If only you give your portraits a chance to exist – imperfectly, beautifully, just like us – they will take you magical places.
Get Inspired with Paper Cutting Artist Carol Held
Get inspired to do paper cutting when you see the work of paper cut artist, Carol Held.
5 Ways to Fill Your Sketchbook
Use these 5 simple methods to fill your sketchbook, gather your ideas, and improve your drawing skills.
Making Art with Simple Materials
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: When was the last time you felt completely engrossed in your creative process? Lately I’ve been incredibly engrossed in my art, making art with simple materials. I’d like to help you imagine the same for yourself. In your...
Art Journaling When You Feel Sad
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: One of the questions I get asked most is how to art journal when you feel sad. My art journal has been a great source of comfort and self-understanding for years. I’m blessed to be able to share my techniques here. I’m hoping...
My Brooklyn Sketchbook Project Journal
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been interested in cutouts and layering in my art journals for quite a while. It started with my class, Fluid Art, where I create tunnel journals. Soon I started using my cutouts as collage, as I teach in my new class...
Let’s Make Some Inchies!
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Join the Inchie Challenge! You’ll get my free Inchie Workbook, and from August 20 – 31st I’ll be sending prompts and inviting you to create small art. For this challenge, we will be creating art that...
Fluid Art Journaling Pages
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: This week I had the pleasure of spending some time with you on Facebook Live to create some fluid art journal pages. I wanted to show you how I used mark making and layered paint to create intuitive images on this fluid art...
Intuitive Art Journaling
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: Intuitive art journaling is one of my favorite ways to work through feelings, let go of stress, and play with art. It’s a journey that started for me in graduate school, as I learned to use my journal not just to write, but...
Trusting the Process: Notes from an Intuitive Art Journaling Class
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been having the most wonderful spring, spending time with my students in the Diving Deep intuitive art journaling class. As often happens, I’m learning almost just as much as the students as I teach. I’m so excited...
Let’s Make Perfectly Imperfect Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: In my Diving Deep class, we focus on learning to dance between intuition and technical skill. The skill we have been focusing on this week, blind and semi-blind contour drawing, is one that can really call up the inner critic....
Blending Art & Writing In Your Intuitive Art Journal
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been thinking about how to give you some of the goodies that I’ve been developing for my Diving Deep: Intuitive Art Journaling class, and I’ve got a sweet idea. The PDF that I’m developing for the class is...
What Your Art and Your Coffee Have in Common
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: I’ve been thinking a lot about what empowers us to create. It’s slightly different for each of us, but one thing that artists of all kinds consistently talk about is trusting the process. What exactly does that mean? When you...
Intuitive Painting Techniques
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: The last days of the year are a time for most of us to take a deep breath and sink deeply into the couch after the holiday craziness. It’s also a great time to do some introspective art. Rather than endlessly scrolling...
Finding Meaning in My Art
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: These are the tools of my self-healing: A board. A painty towel. Varied colors of paint. Water. This is how I am finding meaning in my art: I wet the surface with a wide brush and let my emotions flow with the water. I’m not pushing...
Diving Deep in Your Art Journaling Practice
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: One of the most beautiful gifts in my art journaling practice is the ability to transform my feelings on the page, especially by working in stages and layers. Working over time and in layers creates a conversation between me and the art...
Studio Time: Tinkering and Gathering Inspiration
Dear Wonderful, Creative You: The last six months have been such an amazing time for me artistically. In the inevitable ebb and flow that any artist goes through, I’ve been enjoying a flow like I’ve never experienced before. I thought you might...