How was everyone‘s summer? I‘m back from my summer break and as always I wish it could have been longer. I tried to take a break from everything, as far as that is possible.
For anyone who joined the newsletter in the last four weeks, a warm welcome! And to everyone else, welcome back. 🙂 This is the traditional “is it fall yet” post where I chat a bit about how I feel my year went so far, creatively and generally, and what I have planned art-wise in the upcoming months. It’s a bit like a new year’s resolution, but without the freezing temperatures.
What have I been up to?
During my summer break, I mainly read a lot of books (which was great!), and enjoyed the amazing variety of colors in my community garden – there are so many amazing veggies right now: lots of rainbow chard, peppers, beans, tomatoes, the first pumpkin, and of course lots of amazing flowers. This little stripe of land is a place that makes me happy and relaxed every time. It feels so good to have your hands in the earth and to grow your own delicious food.
And I really want to keep reading more. I used to read a ton before the internet and Youtube, and it really helps me feeling calmer and more focused overall. Plus, I have many books I still want to read. I noticed how three days into working and using the computer again, my brain is already jumping around and feeling fried from all the input and to do lists. I need more breaks from my digital life.
Slow Travel Sketching
Speaking of breaks from the digital, I did a bit of travel sketching on my vacation, less than I had planned, but that‘s okay. I mainly enjoyed the relaxed vacation we had. I finished two bigger landscape sketches over the course of a week, and that very slow approach felt interesting – coming back to a sketch several times is very different than starting and finishing something within an hour. I still have a large landscape pencil sketch waiting for a bit of paint, but somehow I feel more like creating drawings lately.
And working in a large format is great, I want to do that more. I need a bigger sketchbook soon, or maybe work on loose sheets? I’m currently using a 19x24cm sketchbook, which is pretty big, but for these detailed landscapes I feel I need more space. I didn’t really mind the gutter area in this sketch, but I’d love to have a large surface that doesn’t wobble.
Finding my own pace and managing self-expectations
Overall „less than planned“ seems to be the motto for this year, as unforeseen things keep happening – unfortunately also a few health-related things in my family that caused a lot of stress during summer, so I‘m not exactly well-relaxed, but I‘m trying to find my own pace in all of this.
If there‘s one insight about life I had in the last few months it‘s that this myth of the dedicated, „true“ artist who lives and breathes art every moment and is amazingly productive (an image that is often reinforced through social media where everyone seems to be such a productive artist with crazy output) only works if you have no family obligations whatsoever, or if you have a spouse who keeps everyday family life away from you, so that you can focus on your art (like many of the famous male artists in the past had).
It‘s nearly impossible to focus on an amazingly productive art career if you have elderly parents you need to care for (the situation I‘m currently in), or children, or a chronically ill family member, or if you have health problems yourself, or if you have to work a second job, or anything else that takes a lot of daily focus and mental capacity away. Basically, if you have any kind of care work on top of your normal job (art-related or not), you‘re working two almost full-time jobs, and I say almost because the art business is likely to suffer and get reduced to part time.
At least that’s what happened to me, since the creative and hard to streamline work is easier to reduce than a bunch of very real organizational problems that you need to fix. Over the last year, I kept telling myself that new course lessons and blogs were something I could fit in somewhere when I’m less stressed, but I didn’t factor in that when the stress falls off it’s not that easy to just function and continue putting out new creative things like a drawing conveyor belt.
Something that I‘ve definitely learned over the last few years is managing my own expectations about that. If you’re in a similar situation, please let me tell you it is normal that your creativity and motivation to make art will likely go away when you are having a stressful time. It’s ok and it doesn’t mean you don’t love art anymore, so don’t feel bad about it. The creativity and impulse to make art will come back when your time and energy return. These things need breathing space.
In a way, this summer for me has been about accepting that I can‘t be crazy-productive under these circumstances when I’m constantly switching modes and have to be there for other people most of the time, and that I need to have a rough plan to follow when I finally have the time and energy to make art.
Another thing I‘ve definitely learned, and this sounds so awfully cliched, is to focus on and enjoy each unexpected beautiful moment as it is, because it really helps when you‘re having a stressful day (or know there’s one ahead). So when I can take a deep breath standing in my little veggie patch, or I can watch the sparrows outside the window, or I can draw a few lines in my sketchbook – I really try to enjoy and make the most of these fleeting moments.
What’s going on in my sketchbook
So, whenever I can and have some energy left, I work in my sketchbook, because it helps me to understand and make sense of the world. Plus I still just really enjoy it. I love drawing larger landscapes right now, and lots of loose watercolor flowers – I especially like the new approach I’ve been following recently, creating loose but precise floral sketches.
As mentioned, very recently I have been focused more on the drawing aspect than on painting, especially mark-making with a pencil and with different ink pens – I like watercolor painting a lot, but right now I just love seeing the marks I can make with drawing tools. I feel excited about this direction and want to explore it more in the next few months.
It‘s very fitting then that in September, we will start another live run-through for the Sketching Fundamentals drawing course. The course will start on September 25 2023, will run over 8 weeks (until November 19 2023) – and if you join you can learn the very basics of drawing, with new lessons and assignments every week, plus direct feedback from me for everything you send in. You can learn more about the course here. Enrollment for the live version is open now (the self-paced version is always available).
Several of you have asked for more guidance after the course is over: For past students of my live courses I will soon offer the opportunity to book individual feedback sessions with me, in which we can discuss your current projects and all questions you might have about sketching or painting. As soon as I have set this up I will announce it on the newsletter.
I’ll wrap it up here, there’s so much to tell, but that can wait for another post. This summer break was much needed, yet I’ve missed blogging (haven’t missed video editing).
I’m looking forward to sharing more things from my sketchbook with you soon!
What have you been up to this summer? What excites you right now?
Dear Julia,
It is good to read that you were able to go on a vacation.
I was thinking of you, how you are planning your artwork and teaching.
Your work looks so well planned with beautiful control.
Thank you for sharing your painting and insights.
Sincerely, Barbara Frickel Sarasota, Florida
Thank you dear Barbara, I really enjoyed my vacation this time.
In reality my work is much less planned than I sometimes wish (I often run out of space), but everything that happens in the sketchbook is fine. 🙂
It’s good to hear from you again, Julia; I always look forward to your blog posts. I sympathise with your personal situation as mine is very similar: elderly mum and personal health problems, plus some teaching and a lot of stress recently. My output since May (when I did your brilliant Sketching Fundamentals course- highly recommended!) has dwindled away to nothing. It is somehow comforting to know that I am not alone. Although it’s much more important for you, as a professional, I don’t think you can underestimate the psychological value of just sitting, looking and trying to get it down on paper. Thank you for opening up about this.
Best wishes,
Gill (Hall)
Thank you so much, Gill, I have my fingers crossed that you can find some energy for your creativity again. I know how hard it can be in such a situation. Thank you for mentioning how vital it is to put one’s thoughts into words and share them with others.
Hi, Julia!
I relate to this post 100%. Thank you for normalizing that yes, art takes time, creativity ebbs and flows, and life obligations are real! I sometimes get frustrated by that myth of productivity and the “drawing conveyor belt”. (Love that! So accurate; we’re not robots!) But still, in my mind I want to do more, more, more. But I think the key is letting go and being relaxed about it. Doing what you can, when you can, and enjoying the process.
I have two school aged children to care for, I’m grieving my father’s recent passing, and I have so many hobbies like gardening and sewing — I have to make space for it all, including my handful of “part-time” art hours. And not feel bad that it’s only a handful!
I’m excited about making some new watercolor pieces based on seaside cottages I saw during my travels this summer. 🙂 And ideas for my next children’s book are bubbling, but that will come in time! 😉
Take care,
Dory
Thank you Dory! Yes, that myth of endless productivity is something that is hammered into our thoughts from the very beginning. I find it so helpful to share this and talk about it. We probably have to practice not feeling bad about not having enough time for one thing to really normalize this.
I’m very sorry for your loss. I do hope you’ll find time and energy for all your creative projects – it sounds like you have so many amazing things planned!
Hi Julia,
So good to hear from you again. Your posts are always so encouraging. I am in a similar season, while also grieving the loss of my dad this year and having a house full of adult children (and one 11yr old) and trying to find balance and inspiration for art. Art is not my profession, though. I can only imagine how these life circumstances affect art production! My circumstances have helped me think about my purpose and motivation for making art, and caused me to examine what aspects of art bring me joy and what is reasonable in my expectations. I enjoy painting more than drawing because I’m not very good at drawing —though I hope to resume your sketching fundamentals course to help me with that. I feel like the watercolor paint and water act as “co-artists” every time I sit down to paint. I’m not in total control—these 2 co-artists are also at work! And because of this fact, I am often pleasantly surprised with seeing some unplanned beauty show up in each painting. If I am truly honest, putting together and collecting art kits has become somewhat of a hobby when my painting time and inspiration has run low. But my budget beckons me to say “I have enough” and to begin to put these lovingly curated kits to use! With that, though comes a little bit of excited fear, that I won’t be able to communicate on paper the beauty I see in front of me or in my mind. But there is still value and beauty in the process. I’ve never regretted time spent with my art supplies. It does feel like I need to be in a certain peaceful frame of mind in order to paint but at the same time, the making of art itself is a means to that end. So I try to show up as much as I can and enjoy the time and the process. I realize that this time is somehow enlarging my own heart and helping me be a better version of myself as I reflect a glimpse of my Creator and His beautiful creation. Thank you Julia for providing a place for these ramblings and discussion!!
Dear Betty, thank you! Yes, we talked about this before how hard it can be to find balance amongst all these things, and have a bit of creative time for yourself.
I really like what you said about watercolor and water are your co-artists, that is such a beautiful image, and a reminder that not everything needs to be in absolute control to enjoy the process. And absolutely, if putting together art kits is relaxing and enjoyable for you, do it! I often rearrange my paints, too when I’m too tired to do anything else, and feel excited about how I can use these new combinations.
Great writeup. Remember to stay in the present moment when you can, when it makes to do so.
Thank you Daniel!
We lost my mother-in-law in March and my mother in July. It is fresh and new and…difficult. But it also reminds me to take time to appreciate the beauty around me and to try to capture it in my nature journal. Blessings on each of you from Salem, Oregon.
Margaret
I’m so sorry for your loss, Margaret. I’m glad that your nature journal is helping you through this hard time.
Thank you for this encouraging and nurturing post. Right before Covid, I had started drawing and then watercolor lessons. The Covid came along, and during the first two years, I stopped trying to learn or even practice. It wasn’t that I got Covid (I didn’t), but that period was so stressful and depressing I couldn’t even think about practicing. I feel that set me back in my art journey by two years. I was very discouraged, but I am back into doing something with art almost every day.
I have to tell I love love love your beautiful watercolor at the top of the page! I am so inspired to learn to do that kind of landscape.
Take good care of yourself. I so look forward to reading your posts and taking your courses as they become available.
Susan
Hi Susan, thank you for sharing this, I fully sympathize. I remember how stressful the pandemic felt in the beginning, it really was a lot to deal with for all of us. I know I had similar problems for a while, and then again when the war in Ukraine started last year. We really live in depressing times.
I’m glad to hear you’ve picked up your creative habits again, it’s so important to have these small areas of beauty and relaxation for oneself.
And thank you for your kind feedback! I really like how that landscape turned out too, and I’m (hopefully) finally able to make time for writing the landscape course this winter.
All the best!