Hi Everyone, welcome back…

Coming to you from sunny Tulum and the Art2Life Team retreat!

Earlier this week, I popped into the Studio where something pretty amazing happened…

It all started when one of our artists showed up in this incredible outfit, and it sparked the most fascinating conversation about how we set up our surroundings to keep inspiration flowing.

During our retreats, we carefully craft those conditions—choosing everything from the music to the atmosphere, even the food. These subtle choices help us stay connected, engaged, and inspired.
What conditions do you create to keep creativity flowing? I’d love to hear.

And in this week’s podcast, I’m diving deeper into how we intentionally create these “amazing conditions” and how you can bring similar elements into your own art practice. I think it’ll be helpful!

Click here to listen and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Also, keep in mind you can watch the full podcast on our YouTube Channel.

Remember, you are a work of art.

Nicholas

P.S. If you find something that resonates in the podcast, please leave a comment and subscribe—it really helps us reach more artists!

Welcome back! Have you ever felt the pull between play and creation, like there’s a sweet spot right in the middle, but it may be difficult to find?

Let me show you what I mean…

So often, we go straight into planning and strategizing, aiming for a specific outcome. But, art comes to life when we tap into our emotions first, letting them flow openly.

This delicate shift between playful intuition and intentional creation brings out something truly unique in our work.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! Do you ever get stuck in “create mode?” Let me know in the comments.

This week on the Art2Life Podcast, get ready for an amazing conversation I had with Judy Tuwaletstiwa. Judy is an 83-year-old artist with 110K followers on TikTok. She’s never been to art school, but she teaches the importance of connection in art beautifully. Check it out this Wednesday for some inspiration!

Click here to listen and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast. And don’t forget that you can watch the full Podcast on our YouTube Channel.

Let’s keep creating art that resonates on a deeper level.

Nicholas

P.S. If you’re finding value in the Art2Life Podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving a review where possible – it truly makes a difference!

I’m still in Morocco, and everyone is at lunch, so I’m taking time to make art! While painting, I’ve been thinking about a powerful moment we experienced during our morning session. A big takeaway from these retreats was made crystal clear.

Here’s the story…

One of the artists shared that what’s hardest for her is not knowing what she’s doing. She’s highly productive in regular life, but here, at the retreat, she candidly admitted she doesn’t know what to do, and that’s new for her. She realized that she doesn’t have to be perfect. What a breakthrough! The art is almost secondary to the powerful shifts within ourselves in these moments. She was in tears sharing this because she felt such relief! This brought her closer to the group because so many of us can relate. This shift leads to the new relaxed energy needed to create your authentic art.

How do you relate to this idea of letting go and embracing imperfection? Let me know in the comments!

In this week’s episode of the Art2Life Podcast, I share insights about leaning into who you want to become. It’s about making shifts within yourself to update your identity. Letting go of part of ourselves and dreaming big can get you started. Join me this Wednesday on your favorite place to listen to podcasts or catch the video on our YouTube Channel!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Interested in joining me for a 2025 Art2Life Retreat? Click here to get on our notifications list to be the first to know when we release the dates for 2025 in the coming months.

I’m now in Marrakech, Morocco just after teaching an enlightening Retreat in Portugal. It amazes me how much I gain from these experiences with others! During the week I was reminded how to make significant changes in your art and life.

Here’s how I see it…

It’s about owning who you want to become. This inside job comes down to belief and how you frame who you are. Sometimes, we get stuck in our limiting beliefs, and it takes outside support or some interaction to prove to us we are becoming who we’re meant to be. This can be a way to close the gap between what you want and where you think you are. Leaning into belief and understanding of ourselves ignites growth in our art and life. This is how we support people through our Art2Life programs.

What’s a limiting belief you need to reframe today? Let me know in the comments!

In this week’s all new episode of the Art2Life Podcast, I’m joined by my teacher, Max Trowmbly. Max is a mentor and coaches on success and purpose. He stresses the importance of being objective about ourselves to enhance our communication with others. We talk about the importance of balancing the masculine and the feminine sides of ourselves. I hope you’ll join us this Wednesday wherever you stream podcasts or catch the video on our YouTube Channel!

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Interested in joining me for a 2025 Art2Life Retreat? Click here to get on our notifications list to be the first to know when we release the dates for 2025 in the coming months.

I’m in Portugal for an Art2Life Retreat. A cool question came up on the first day that I want to share with you. It’s such a common issue.

Watch here…

I often talk about staying connected to your feelings to make your best art…but what if you don’t like how you feel and don’t want to be connected to those feelings?

We can overcome this. If we think about what makes us feel better and focus on those feelings, we create from there. The work may not be strong initially, but the more you stay connected with how you want to feel, the stronger the work will be. We can use our art to express any way we feel or the way we want to feel.

We want to bring all of ourselves to our art through the good times and hard times. Art-making can shift how you feel. From my experience, more interesting art comes out of the hard times. It’s all about possibilities.

Does this resonate with you? Let me know in the comments!

This week on the Art2Life Podcast, I’ll be going more deeply into strategies for being more connected to yourself. I focus on the importance of presence and ways to stay present in your life to feel connected to yourself. I hope you’ll join me this Wednesday wherever you listen to podcasts or on our YouTube Channel.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: I’ve been getting a lot of questions about 2025 Art2Life Retreats. Click here to get on our notifications list to be the first to know when we release the dates for 2025 in the coming months.

I’m still in Greece and I find myself noticing everything more here. A stunning shade of blue, or a texture on a wall can stop me in my tracks! I’m taking tons of photos and I know they will inform my new art. What makes all this possible is presence.

Here’s how I think about it…

We pay more attention to what lights us up when we are present. There’s no thought of the future or the past. We are simply in the moment and available to take in what’s around us. This is a way of being and this leads to an artful life.

A practice of presence relates to art-making too. Art-making involves uncertainty when creating something new. When you are occupied with a result, with an end you want to see, that hinders the creative process. Presence is the way we can learn to be at peace with uncertainty. I hope this has encouraged you to stay present and be inspired by what you notice!

How do you stay present in your practice? Let me know in the comments.

On this week’s episode of the Art2Life Podcast, I dive deeper into the power of presence to lead an artful life. I talk about what pulls us away from ourselves, and how to notice the breadcrumbs that are leading us. Join me this Wednesday wherever you stream podcasts or catch the video on our YouTube Channel!

I hope you have an amazing week ahead!

Nicholas

PS: If you’re looking for a place to share your work in a community of like-minded artists, make sure you join our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group! I can’t wait to see what you’re working on!

Hello everyone I’m coming to you from Paros, Greece! This island is so beautiful! The colors pop among the whites of the buildings. There’s an amazing blue accent on many doors and windows.

While on a run, I saw a big white church with a blue door. I love it so much and wanted to try to mix it.

Watch how I did it…

It took a lot of mixing to get it right, and since it’s a blend of many colors, it’s super rich. There are variations of this iconic blue seen throughout this little town. I’m loving it here!

Why don’t you try to make this Grecian blue! Let me know what you think in the comments.

On this week’s episode of the Art2Life Podcast, I’ll tell you all about an art experience I facilitated for 150 people. This was a group of non-artists and I took them through my Art2Life Bloom practice. Bloom is a shorthand way of dropping into art. I will share more about this five-step process this Wednesday. Check it out on any podcast streaming service or watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

I’m coming to you from Mykonos, Greece today! I love checking out new places. The water, boats, and colors here are all so beautiful. When traveling I always bring art materials as well as the things I need to film what I’m doing so I can share it with you.

Check it out here…

I like to be efficient, and I only bring what I need. That means small amounts of paint and being resourceful with things onsite. Our SPARK 2024 Program has officially started, so I’ve got my SPARK Playbook, plus a cool tripod, a selfie stick, and more! See links below to some of these items.

What art materials do you bring along when you travel? Let me know in the comments.

On the Art2Life Podcast this week, I explore the connection between time in nature, emotional openness, and creativity. Incorporating nature into your daily routine fosters emotional openness, growth, and creativity. If you’re looking to recharge, nature is the place to be! Join me this Wednesday for an all new episode. Catch the podcast on on any podcast streaming service or watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Here are the links to the items I shared today:

2oz bottles for paint: https://a.co/d/deqRHxL

Tray: https://a.co/d/4kLSJs4

Tracing paper: https://a.co/d/6xdBI2S

Sketchbook 11×14: https://www.art2life.com/product/newcanson-montval-field-watercolor-artbook/

Gloss medium 4 oz: https://www.art2life.com/product/new-gloss-medium-26/

Tripod: https://a.co/d/aXzeJOm

Logitech Camera: https://a.co/d/23KB5Dh

Rubber bands: https://a.co/d/iGIwxIV

Light/Lumecube: https://a.co/d/2RBLxc9

Adjustable selfie stick – https://a.co/d/1K7Zklo

Brushes: I recommend any assortment of your favorite brushes

This week I made a painting with my long-time friend, Artist and Art2Life Coach, Noah Woods!

We had a blast playing and collaborating. We each brought our sensibilities to this painting.

Check it out here.

What’s cool is I can feel what parts are true for him and true for me. When you do this kind of experimentation, new things can appear that just feel right for you. When this happens, go with it! Trust yourself!

When something you love is working, trust yourself and do more of it because if it feels true for you, it will also feel true for others — including art buyers!

How do you trust yourself to get to what’s right for you? Let me know in the comments.

SPARK is back and open for enrollment!! There’s still time to join us in 2024! This adventure is for anyone at any level in their art. SPARK is a fiery, powerful wake-up call to reconnect with what brings you alive and shows you how to use this to make your art and life a work of art. Visit sparkartlife.com to learn more. We close doors tomorrow, Monday, September 16th at 11:59pm PDT so don’t miss out.

Join me live today at 12pm PDT! I’ll be streaming LIVE from Paris and giving you a tour of my private art journals and sketchbooks! I’ll be sharing how I use these to clarify where I am and where I’m going next in my artistic journey. It’s a perfect example of how SPARK can help you find your new direction. Plus, I’ll be answering your questions about SPARK to help you decide if this is the right next step for you. You can join me on YouTube at the time of the call.

On the Art2Life Podcast this week, I discuss self-worth and how it relates to your art-making. We’re diving into why shifting from self-doubt to intrinsic motivation is vital for any artist. Investing in yourself—whether through resources or time—can be the stepping stone to overcoming self-judgment and fostering an abundance mindset. Join me this Wednesday for an all new episode streaming anywhere you find podcasts and our video version will be up on our YouTube Channel.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS: Click here to catch my painting session with Noah from earlier this week.

I’m working on a new piece and thought I’d let you listen in on my thinking when I see problem areas.

In parts of this painting, many things are visually tangled. Too many elements colliding are just distracting. It’s like furniture in a room that’s not placed right – it just feels wrong.

Watch here…

I try to feel my way into what needs to be corrected in a painting. It has to do with noticing tightness and tangles and relieving them with more adjustments. This works for me, but of course, problem-solving is different for everyone.

Do you have a tip on what helps you through the early stages of your work? Let me know in the comments.

The idea of decluttering relates to this week’s episode of the Art2Life Podcast. I’m talking to my friend, Andrew Mellen, about decluttering your life for more energy. He comes from a theater background and followed a thread leading to his career as a master organizer. You’ll be inspired and he’ll share some cool downloads too. Join us this Wednesday for an all new episode. Listen in on any podcast streaming service or watch the full episode on our YouTube Channel.

And don’t miss this! –> The 2024 Creative Breadcrumbs Challenge starts tomorrow!

Jump in to energize your art! This Free and Live online event is open for any kind of artist at any level of art-making. The Art2Life Creative Team will be there for these 2 immersive days while we get clarity about our art and life…together! It’s going to be transformative and fun! Sign up to join us here: breadcrumbschallenge.com

Have a great Sunday and I hope to see you tomorrow for the Challenge!

Nicholas