Being an artist – working out how to create your artist life, from voice and process to sharing and selling – is a long game.
In our fast paced world, that isn’t a very sexy thing to say.
But on the other hand, it’s the best possible news.
This journey never ends!
We get to keep experimenting and exploring, learning and evolving, while creating meaningful beauty in the world and bringing joy to ourselves and those around us.
And building all that slowly creates a more resilient, unique-to-you artist life that feels sustainable and true.
I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of long game I’m into. 😊
So with that in mind, this year I’m running a new experiment inside the Happy Artist Studio.
Each month we’ll be focusing on a different aspect of being an artist, from the daily practicalities of practice and process, to the mindset that will support us through the ups and downs.
I’m calling it an experiment for now because it’s a new idea, and because my intention is that it evolves into a robust and game changing process to create your artist life, as we work with the themes together throughout the year.
We start February 1st 2022, but you can jump in any time.
You could join us just for the months where we’re covering themes that feel important and relevant to you, or you could join for a year {with two months free!} and create a solid grounding for yourself over time.
Either way, you get support and camaraderie inside our lovely private community {no Facebook, it’s all in one place}, access to all my courses and learning materials, and a new bundle around a specific topic to work through together every month.
Want to know what that looks like?
Here’s an example of what’s in each bundle:
- At least one brand new lesson digging deep into the monthly theme
- Any relevant lessons curated from across all my courses that we can work through together if that’s helpful {even if you’ve already done them it may be worth revisiting in the context of the month’s focus}
- A workbook {not too fancy so you can print it out without using up a ton of ink! Or simply answer the questions in a journal or sketchbook.}
- Resources that expand on the topic {Eg. further reading, listening or watching}
- Discussion points for sharing and digging deeper in the community
- A Q&A video based on your questions around the topic
Around the end of the first week of the month, when you’ve had a chance to start digging into the topic, I’ll put a call out for questions, and make a Q&A video which can live alongside the month’s other resources.
Everything will live in the Studio for reference any time. It may be helpful or interesting to check back in next year to see how you progressed with each topic!
We’ll be having conversations in the Community as things come up for you, and I will ask questions and share thoughts and prompts to get you thinking more deeply in helpful, practical ways.
Our Monthly Themes
Because this is our inaugural adventure, the themes and their order are subject to adjustment. These are the proposed themes for 2022.
February – Your Creative Space
Clearing out, tidying, upgrading and otherwise optimising where you make your art.
March: Your Artistic Voice
That holy grail – uncovering, developing, and refining what makes your art yours.
April: Supplies and Materials
Exploring and developing a deeper relationship with our chosen materials, trying new ones, and using up those ‘one day’ supplies.
May: Dreams and Goals
Exploring our dreams for our art – even the really ‘outrageous’ ones – and finding ways to bring them to life that suit our unique needs and circumstances.
June: Plein Air Month
Hopefully the weather will be supportive of outdoor art this month! We’ll look at working en plein air and how it can support our practice, or simply be another way to have fun with our art.
July: Developing Resilience
Mindset is HUGE for artists, more so than we might think. This month we’ll look at ways to build resilience, confidence and self trust, as that’s what everything else will stand on.
August: Putting Your Art Out There
At some point most of us want to share. Whether that’s for pleasure and connection, or for selling our work, or both, we’ll cover it all and start putting in place {or refining} ways that feel good to each of us.
September: Fascinations
We all have them – interests and obsessions that don’t go away. And while we don’t want them to, we also need to be able to choose where to put our focus at any given time if we’re going to make progress! This month we’ll deal with ‘magpie tendencies’ and ways to honour and embrace all our fascinations.
October: Demons Month😉🎃
No artist is exempt from the demons, as I call them. That includes things like imposter syndrome, frustration, confusion, self doubt, and other kinds of struggle. Thankfully they don’t have to rule our experience, and this month we’ll put some alternative, kinder approaches in place.
November: Consistency, Rhythms and Seasons
We are not machines. I have found that working with my natural rhythms has resulted in greater ease, and things still get done! We’ll reframe consistency so it doesn’t feel heavy, and look at our personal rhythms as well as those in a wider context, like the seasons, and how to work with it all in support of our art.
December: The Gift of Art/Art as Gifts
A gentler month as it tends to be a busy time for most of us. We’ll look at the gifts our art brings us, so we can remember our ‘why’, which is so fundamental to it all, and also at ways to give art or market it as gifts during the festive season.
This is a project we’ll create together through the year, to make it as robust, supportive, and effective as possible for your growth into a fully self expressed, confident, thriving, happy artist, whatever that means for you!
Curious? You can now give the Happy Artist Studio a test drive!
Discover all the courses and resources inside, have a look around our private and welcoming Community space, watch a Q&A video, and try out three sample lessons from different courses!
Click the button below to sign up for free access to a tour through the Studio.
I’m so excited to be bringing this new element to the Happy Artist Studio this year. Its roots are in everything I’ve learned about being a thriving, happy artist, and I can’t wait to help you on the next phase of your own journey as you create your artist life!
