Something came up on a backpacking trip I took with friends. The lesson I learned perfectly relates to art-making.

Here is what happened.

It is always hard to know exactly how our future art will turn out. But the past can provide clues on how to move it forward. We’re on this creative path to improve our work, and while we may not like past work, there’s usually something to uncover that still lights us up. So look back and find what still excites you. Then, bring it forward with renewed clarity and momentum into your new work.

What’s behind you in your past work that still lights you up? Let us know in the comments.

Determining what excites you relates directly to finding your style, one of the most common questions I receive from artists. In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I’ll share some cool ways to answer this question. I hope you’ll join me.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a blast making your art today!

Nicholas

PS It’s happening again! I’m excited to announce that the online 2022 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition is COMING SOON! To be sent the official Call for Entry on June 27th, you MUST add your name to the list here. To see the 2021 exhibition, click here.

Have you ever experienced a coincidence that seems almost planned? It’s as if these moments of synchronicity are meant to teach us something. I notice this happens when I’m more engaged with my art. Here is one that happened to me recently.

Check this out.

I love these synchronicities for the thought-provoking insights and reminders they reveal. These seemingly casual signs show up just when we need them — it’s amazing!

What synchronicities have happened along your art journey?

Let us know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast I interview Kim Krans, a fascinating artist, author, and musician, who studies life’s energy and the hidden wisdom in the everyday. I hope you’ll join us.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a great day in the studio!

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

Photo: Elena Koycheva

I’ve been thinking about the artist’s journey in terms of a pilgrimage. On a pilgrimage, there’s an expectation that those you meet along your path will expose you to new ideas and expand your horizons. When I was a teenager, I met a stained glass artist who did just that. He showed me a creative path that was more personal and meaningful and I’ve been on it ever since.

Listen here…

It’s powerful to reflect on these chance encounters. They are transformative! They shape who we are and who we’re becoming and that’s an awesome lifelong adventure.

Is there someone you’ve met who changed your creative path? Let us know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I talk about another person who had a huge influence on my life – my father. I learned so much from his own creative journey. I hope you will check it out.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a great Sunday!

Nicholas

PS It’s happening again! I’m excited to announce that the online 2022 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition is COMING SOON!

To be sent the official Call for Entry on June 27th, you MUST add your name to the list here. To see the 2021 exhibition, click here.

Photo: Narcissus Quagliata

When looking back at old work, I’m always surprised at how I can remember what I was thinking about when making the art. My thoughts ranged from the gallery I wanted at the time, to the artists I compared myself to and the collectors I hoped to attract. So it’s no surprise that these distracting thoughts took me further from me — which didn’t help my art. It got me thinking.

Listen here

Thinking about the right things will improve your work so much. And the right ones have a lot to do with yourself. Sometimes a good question or two can help. Is this art true for me? Can it be more like me? Considering these kinds of questions will result in more potent and personal work. The side benefit to more personally derived art is that it often is more universally received. It turns out that being more truthful draws more people into your art.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I discuss this idea of truthfulness with Art2Life Team member, Kerry Schroeder. In pursuit of truth, Kerry continually checks her work against herself. It’s a powerful approach that I think you will find incredibly helpful for your art practice. So I hope you can join me on Wednesday for this latest episode.

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

I hope you have a good day in the studio.

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

Photo: Amine M’Siouri

I teach principles of art-making, and there’s one overarching idea that connects them all — the idea of differences. Big shapes, small marks, bright color, value contrast—all these exciting differences bring life to your art. However, something less obvious is the secret to making genuinely authentic art, and that’s vulnerability.

Here’s how I think about it…

Vulnerability is the feeling that comes up when we push ourselves into unknown territory, and we need to feel it! When feeling vulnerable, we can’t help but be ourselves, expressing ourselves more tentatively, and authentically. That authenticity is seen and felt in the work, drawing people in. The opposite, of course, is being bold with marks and colors. Bringing this full spectrum of yourself into your art—the confident you and the insecure you—is what connects people to the work without knowing it, but feeling it. Stay aware of this powerful difference and bring it to your art!

Are you aware of being vulnerable in your art-making? Let me know in the comments.

In this week’s Art2Life Podcast, I share a story of an extremely challenging but ultimately gratifying event in my life that taught me so much about how our own vulnerability deeply connects us to others. I hope you’ll join me and share it with a friend that might find it helpful!

Click here to listen to and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a fun studio day!

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

Photo: Cottonbro

I injured my hand recently, and it’s been harder to paint. Holding my tools is awkward, and I can’t lift the larger paintings onto the wall. I was trying to work anyway but reacting to my limitations completely blocked me from that flow state. Everything I was making seemed harder and not as good. After a few days, I re-remembered something about art-making that helped.

Listen here.

This situation reminded me to try to minimize external reactions when making art. When you reduce your thinking about external things, you can drop more internally into your work. The result is stronger work that is more uniquely yours, which draws others in. It turns out that making art is actually the practice of tuning out the external reactions and tuning into you!

How do you let go of all those reactions to externalities when trying to make your art? Let us know in the comments.

What happens when external forces are so, so big they become almost impossible to ignore? This week’s Art2Life Podcast features a moving conversation I have with an artist facing gigantic life challenges. We look for answers in this extraordinary exchange. It felt like a gift and I’m so grateful to share with you. Please join me.

Click here to listen and subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a great day in the studio!

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

I’m never sure where I am going when making my art. It’s sometimes hard to know what to do next. But there is one thing I do that helps me every time: I ask a question. However, it has to be a potent one. So here is the one question that helps me find my way every time.

Listen here.

Only through a feeling within ourselves can the answer to this question be found. It’s not tied to color, texture, size, etc., but rather a feeling. Connecting to your work on an emotional level makes problem-solving easier, reminding you of how you and your art want to feel.

What questions do you ask yourself, and how do they help you? Let me know in the comments.

This week’s Art2Life Podcast features my conversation with Scott Picard, a life-changing personal development coach. Scott’s particular expertise is helping others navigate the interior world of deeply held emotions and beliefs, utilizing questions. This conversation will shed some light on the inner aspect of your creative journey. I am excited to share this with you because I have found his coaching so helpful in my art and life. So join Scott and me this coming Wednesday as he shares how this process works.

Click here for the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a fabulous Sunday!
Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art and you are invited!

Cover photo by Pixabay

Posting our art on social media, seeking gallery representation, pricing, and even our own limiting beliefs, can all clutter our art lives. Yet, given all of this complicated stuff, we can often overlook the one cool thing about art-making.

Here’s what I mean.

There has always been a throughline for your art when you look back on your art life. Clues can be seen about where you were, where you are, and where you’re headed with your creativity. This thread is uniquely yours and creates continuity in your art life. Following this thread in your art-making is such a win, and not knowing where it leads makes it even more enticing.

What’s the thread you have been following in your art and life? Let me know in the comments.

This idea came up during my conversation for this week’s Podcast with my artist-hero, Caio Fonseca. We talked a lot about how we find our way in art. His thinking is so grounded; I think you’ll enjoy hearing what he says.

Subscribe to the Art2Life Podcast to hear this upcoming episode and all the cool past ones too! Also be sure to share this Podcast with any creatives you think may enjoy it, too.

Have fun today.

Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!

– Cover photo by Bozhin Karaivanov. –

Do you ever give up trying to resolve a painting? First, it can seem like nothing will work. Then, finally, you get to the point that you want to give up. I experience this all the time. What’s surprising is what can happen next. At the point of giving up and letting go, I can often look at the work and see it in a new way. Choices and solutions suddenly reveal themselves when I’m not even trying!

Let me explain.

Finding your way as you go applies to life as well. Those moments when we don’t know are when some of the best possibilities present themselves. Those are the clues to follow, knowing that the path to your best art and life will be as unique as you are!

What has letting go given way to in your art and life?
Let me know in the comments.

This week’s Art2Life Podcast features a conversation with the late landscape painter, Russell Chatham. Russell was the poster child for someone who found his way as he went! His story is extraordinary, and his art is drop-dead gorgeous. This conversation might get your wheels turning about how to bring more to your art and life. I hope you’ll join me and share it with a friend that might find it helpful!

Click here for the Art2Life Podcast.

Have a wonderful Sunday!
Nicholas

PS Check out the Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group. Every day, artists from all over the world are creating amazing art, and you are invited!