I just had an excellent reminder that to be our best as an artist, we often need to be at peace, particularly in our nervous system. To create from desperation or despair is to reflect that kind of energy in our work and often times, repel the people we want to appeal to. To try and sell work from desperation is an even more difficult task. I know that from my experience I’ve always sold the best, made more money and overall just enjoyed the whole experience of being an artist/musician, when I’m able to calm my nervous system and find that calm peace within. When I used to be a busker it was the same, I wouldn’t start getting tips until I started enjoying the experience just for myself and finding my calm. Recently I’ve been struggling with having a calm nervous system and it’s definitely put me off from creating or trying to sell my work. It’s hard to be motivated when you’re stuck in survival.. so here’s a gentle reminder for us all to go for a walk, meditate, rest, eat good food or whatever needs to be done to get back to a calm and balanced nervous system in order to start moving forward again with creativity and confidence 💚 if anyone wants to chat about this I am happy to share what I can to help. Just reach out or drop a comment. Life gets crazy and it’s easier with community so let’s all come together to overcome the burnout and move forward with support and confidence! Here’s a small UV reactive mandala painting I sold recently, it happened when I least expected it as I was taking down a bunch of work from a month long showing. I could have been sad and bummed out about the month being over and not having a single sale from it, instead I chose to be happy and grateful I got the opportunity to put my work out there again and that energy was magnetic. A patron stopped me and bought 4 prints, then the owner came by at the last minute and bought this piece from me and even bought me a drink. It could have gone very differently if I was cranky so I’m really glad I chose gratitude and it chose me back 💚

I’ve been super busy lately, as we all get sometimes, and I havnt posted much to the group here but I did manage to find time to work on my dogs portrait a bit more recently. (Currently trying to bounce between two at a time 😳😅) I wanted to share an update on that because I’m pros of how it’s coming along 😇 Here’s the challenge, I want to see your latest work in progress or something you’ve completed in the last 6 months. Celebrating our wins helps us all to stay motivated to keep moving forward on them. I want everyone to post something, then find another persons post to comment on and encourage them also 🤩 we all win when we support each other! In still working out the details in this one but I’ve got all my colours blocked in now which is a big plus for this larger painting (16x20”) Mr Picasso doggo will be complete soon though and will live on my walls forever! He is our first family dog, my oldest kids first pet and he’s just the best boy ever. I can’t wait to finish this one up and hang it 🤩 Now let’s see what you’re working on! If it’s been a while then maybe find an excuse to start something new to share with the group and get your motivation back rolling again 😇 I really like the 5 min rule, just start for 5 mins and if it’s not feeling good then you can bail on it, but usually what happens is you get back in the groove and produce more with less effort than anticipated. Or mine is the biggest obstacle, so kick that shit to the curb for five minutes and just feel into something new!

Hello everyone! I wanted to start this group with a post about my intention for the space I want to create here for everyone. Beyond just sharing my painting techniques and creative processes, I want this to be a unique and collaborative group where we can all share our passions and our wins as we accomplish our goals and inspire others to do the same! Soon I will be making a video of how I start a pet portrait as I have a class coming up very soon teaching a large group how to paint their pets for a fundraiser that will benefit animals in need of extra care in our local Spokane area. Soon on that note, I wanted to get some conversations started to allow us all a I get to know each other a little better. With that being said, I would love to know what your favorite kind of pet is! So please introduce yourself, your favorite pet, and what you would like to gain from being a part of this group! I’ll go first, my name is Sam but I have gone by Squid for over 15 years as my chosen self, a reminder of my creativity and how much I have overcome since my early years. My favorite pets are my dogs (that I will be painting and sharing soon) bearded dragons, snakes and of course Squids! (If I could have one as a pet that would be rad lol) I would love to create a supportive community here that reaches far and inspires others to follow their dreams and passions in whatever endeavors in life they may want to pursue. I intend on sharing my Divinely inspired paintings and processes while providing helpful tips and techniques to help everyone learn how to bring their heartfelt creations out into the world as well. This can be anything from arts and crafts, to business ideas or workshops they would love to share. I want to see us all win and I believe it takes a strong community to do that. Now let’s here your ideas and what you want to share and express here! Feel free to share a picture of yourself, your work space or whatever you are currently working on with your introduction and let’s create some meaningful conversations! 💚😇