Hi Reader,

Isn't it amazing how easy it is to remember every hurtful thing anyone has ever said about your art? Whether it was a well-meaning comment that somehow diminished your work, or a criticism that made you feel like quitting, a negative remark will outweigh twenty words of praise, and then some!

Your "Check Engine" Light is blinking...

When criticism is devastating, it serves as an indication that I'm fueling a need for validation from outside sources, rather than from my own internal compass. Art is deeply personal and so criticism will always feel personal, but over the years as I've learned how to find my bearings based on my internal goals for and love for my art, I have learned how to take criticism with respect for the opinions of others, but also to be able to discard the criticism that doesn't understand my goals for my art and my own identity as an artist.

Do you know your goals for your art?

How about your identity as an artist? How well could you articulate that?

Last month I took some time to work through an exercise on writing my artist's statement, and I was taken by surprise by how rewarding the process turned out to be. I completed the project feeling deeply affirmed and supported, and re-energized to make art after a long creative block, simply because of my own words describing who I am as an artist, and why I make the art I make. It was a powerful experience that is still reverberating weeks later. You can read my updated artist's statement here. ​

You need an artist's statement.

I'm going to be bold here and tell you that whatever you create, even if you're not a painter, you need an artist's statement. An artist's statement isn't a piece of writing for galleries and patrons to puzzle over, it's a declaration of purpose and identity that supports and guides you, that helps you articulate what you do and why. It's going to strengthen your advocacy for your own creativity, and it's going to prune away the elements that are distracting you or failing to support you in what you create.

My husband and I both experienced some burnout in the last year, and it's been interesting to notice that as we talk out what's impacted our creative exhaustion, we keep coming back to our core values and the intrinsic desires we have to create. We are, in essence, talking our way to statements of creative purpose - - artist's statements!

Your artist's statement is for you.

When you know who you are and why you do what you do, you have a voice to advocate for your work, both to yourself and to others. Your artist's statement is a conversation you can have to talk about your art (and not just about what colours you used and what techniques you prefer). Your artist's statement helps you move in directions that align with your goals, and choose instructors who can teach you strategies to support those goals. Your artist's statement is a powerful tool. Do you have one?

Join me for an artist's statement workshop:

Starting August 1st, I'm teaching members of my Heart-Led Artist Journey how to draft an artist's statement that will give you pillars to support your creative practice. Members receive a comprehensive worksheet, a video lesson to help you get started, and a live discussion group on August 18th. Membership in the Heart-Led Artist's Journey is just $15/month, and you can cancel anytime. Sign up and take the month of August to empower your art by drafting your statement of vision and purpose for your art, and while you're a member, you can also browse through the dozens of additional lessons in the course library, share your work in the Heart-Led Artist Classroom, and start September with an empowered perspective on your art!

​Join the Journey here​