A while back I wrote a post titled 14 ways to be a happy artist. In it I talked about the things I’d learned in almost a decade of painting  – things which felt fundamental to being what I call a ‘happy artist’.

I feel I always have to qualify that phrase, because in one sense it sounds rather frivolous and shallow, and yet it couldn’t be further from it.

To me, a happy artist is one who knows themselves deeply.

They’re aware of their needs and desires, their stories and perceived limitations, and they know how to work with themselves instead of against themselves.

They’re intimate with their process, while understanding that it will evolve.

They’re patient with their ‘demons’ as I call them, {things like doubt, fear, imposter syndrome, procrastination, and so on}, and have tools gathered from experience and practice with which to either overcome them or reframe them and put them to use.

They prioritise their art because they’ve acknowledged its fundamental importance in their life – whether that’s as a full career or a joyful pastime – or they’re consciously working towards that.

They don’t judge themselves for studio struggles, knowing it’s all part of the process and not a reflection on them as an artist or person, nor a sign that they should give up.

They recognise the importance of having comrades and support. We often create in isolation but we’re not in it alone!

Of course none of us manages all this perfectly all the time. I certainly don’t! But knowing a happier, more fulfilled, less rollercoasterish art life is possible makes the struggles easier to navigate through, with greater humour and a lot less angst.

And it starts, I believe, with looking within.

The Happy Artist Workbook

The artist workbook I created is designed to support that inward exploration. It’s full of questions and prompts I’ve asked myself over the years and found my own answers for. And of course these evolve too, as we do.

The workbook is available alongside a wealth of other courses and artist support inside the Happy Artist Studio. Find out more by clicking here or click the image below to buy it now!