Do you want to do commissions? Or have you found them to be super difficult?

Well, that was the case for me.

Seriously, whenever I accepted a commission, I not only wouldn’t have fun, but I often did work I liked the least. Why?

Well, it took me way too long to figure out the reasons why.

Today I will share with you the five things that I had to learn to pull commissions off.

Check this out.

The biggest tip I am sharing today, I am sharing last.

I don’t tell anyone this idea.

Especially those who are commissioning me.

However, just telling one person this little secret can make this whole idea of commissions work out for you.

Hint: That one person? It is you.

I know I am not the only one who has struggled with commissions.

If you have, let us know in the comments what worked for you.

Hope your art takes off 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!

Towards the end of my Father’s life, he lost his momentum to make his Art.

I remember when he asked me, “Why keep making art if no one is buying?”

It is a common question I hear other artists ask, but I never thought I would hear my Father, an artist who taught me everything I know about keeping momentum in my art practice, ask.

At first blush, it is a debilitating thought.

Nested within the question, is a feeling of collapse.

Maybe it is just better to throw in the towel and stop.

Maybe I am wasting my time. This question, if left unanswered, can erode your art practice and the vital energy needed to maintain it.

We need to move, once again, from the external to the internal worlds of our artmaking.

It is here where true progress, buoyancy, and inspiration are cultivated.

Here are three positive reframes that can help you move on to more important, meaningful questions regarding your Art.

These ideas came out of one of the last conversations with my Father I had about his artmaking.

I think, even though he posed the question, he knew the answer.

How do you move forward despite lagging sales?

Let us know in the comments.

I hope your day in the studio is sunny and bright.

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!

The video above is not working properly. We are trying to fix it.

In the meantime, you can watch the video by CLICKING HERE.

Lately, I have been playing around with applying paint on unstable ground. This approach ends up causing the paint to deteriorate a little, which for me, is fascinating. I thought it might be something you might want to try too.

Let us know in the comments what technique or approach you are enjoying in your art practice.

I hope you are having fun with your art this weekend.

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

Nobody makes the same Art.

They also don’t make it the same way either.

I love talking about helpful ideas that we can use to make our best Art.

I call them Principles. Principles are ideas that you can customize for yourself.

Today I want to share my three favorite ones.

Even one could be a game-changer for you.

Have a look here:

Principle #1 The more your Art is like you, the more distinct and, therefore, better it will be.

Principle #2 When we make mistakes, we share one of the most attractive sides of ourselves: our vulnerability.

Principle #3 We don’t have to figure out everything ourselves. It can be easier and faster to ask for a little help from those ahead of you.

Speaking of getting help from those a little ahead of you, enrollment is open for the 2021 Creative Visionary Program for just a few more days.

Join me LIVE later today at 12pm PST. I will be answering questions and talking about all things to help your Art take off in 2021.

Click here to join me on Facebook in our Free Art2Life Workshop Group.
Or click here to join on our YouTube Channel.

If you are ready to make 2021 the year your Art takes off, click on the link below and check it out!

www.artlifejoy.com

For all of the CVP Alums, in the comments below, let us know the most helpful Principle you learned in the Creative Visionary Program!

I hope today is a great one in the studio.

Nicholas

PS: Thank you so much for sending in those thank you messages about the Free Art2Life Workshop. I read all of them but can’t personally respond to everyone. Regardless, it means a great deal to me.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today I want to offer something positive, maybe even kind of loving, when it comes to thinking about your Art.

When things get hard in my art practice, I remind myself of these three things.

It always helps put me back in the driver’s seat of my art-making.

Have a look here:

Since it is Valentine’s Day, I will write them out if you don’t have time to watch.

#1 Asking for help often is faster and easier.
Instead of trying to figure it out for yourself all the time, just ask someone a little further ahead of you on the Creative Path. Asking can save you a world of time and work and give you a new perspective, approach, or way of thinking.

#2 Your best Art comes mostly from you.
Your unique way of seeing and feeling in the world is important to highlight in your Art. You always had your perspective, and you will never lose it. Don’t forget to include it in your Art.

#3 Please yourself first
If you want to create abundance for yourself and those around you, then please yourself first. Usually, we put others first. However, if you are a little like me, your art practice is where most of your energy is derived. If possible, prioritize even a little bit of time making your Art each week. If you do, you will have an overflow of energy to give and spend on who and whatever is in your life.

All 3 of these are actionable and can help make your Art a bigger and better part of your life.

So today, maybe a little more than other days, take time to appreciate and even love what is possible and waiting for you in your creative journey.

Tomorrow, Monday, February 15th, the Art2Life Free Workshop begins. So if you want to do something loving for yourself and your Art, I hope you join us. We start first thing tomorrow morning by emailing you a link to the first lesson and then tomorrow at 12 pm PST, I will be sharing a live in-studio training to go even deeper into the learning.

Click on the link below to join!

artlifefree.com

Have a lovely day today.

Nicholas

Do you ever feel distracted by the world of art outside your studio?

So much so that it can distract from your art?

We don’t want all those outside voices to drown out the internal voice emanating from you.

There is a solution, and it has to do with balance.

Have a look here:

Balancing the internal with the external is the key to making art that feels the most like you.

The external world can give you inspiration and a fresh perspective, but your internal musings are what makes your art, your art.

The key is blending both the internal and external to increase your art’s vibrancy.

What do you do to quiet those external distractions?

Let us know in the comments below.

Coming up in about a week, I will be sharing more ideas on balance in this year’s Art2Life Free Workshop.

It all starts on Feb 15th, the day after Valentine’s Day!

Here is where to sign up:

artlifefree.com

Hope you are having a great Sunday!

Nicholas

It seems like everyone always wants to feel more confident. We are told that this comes from experience and just putting in the time. But what if confidence isn’t what is needed so much in art making?

Join me in conversation with Austin Kleon, best selling author of “Steal Like an Artist,” writer, artist, and fellow explorer of life, as he throws out the idea that confidence shouldn’t be where we put our focus.

Check this out. It might just make you feel a lot better about where you are now in your art.

Have a look here:

I want you to watch this week’s vlog, so I will only tell you a couple of things.

Here it goes:

#1 Confidence is a con.

#2 If you must build confidence, relegate it to the process of what you are making, not so much the outcome.

#3 The possibility for making something worthwhile increases if your “head is fed, your heart is full, and your hands are busy.”

That’s it — if that doesn’t get you to listen to this conversation, then I am not sure what will.

After you watch, let me know in the comments.

How much confidence do you need to make your art?

Austin has a fabulous weekly newsletter of all the books, insights, art, writing, and ideas he has waded through the previous week. It is hard to find the time to explore as much as we should but getting Austin’s fabulous newsletter is a great start.

Sign up for his newsletter, order his books and other cool stuff at www.austinkleon.com.

The sculptor, John T Unger, who Austin mentions, creates elemental and beautifully wild sculptures.

Look here: www.johntunger.com

I will be giving a few of Austin’s books away next week to a few commenters, so let Austin and I know your thoughts below.

I hope you dive into something new and unexplored in the studio.

Nicholas

PS For those of you who are new here, sign up for the Free 2021 Art2Life Workshop that starts February 15th. It could be a game-changer for your art. www.artlifefree.com

Don’t you love when someone shares something helpful with you- a tip, a hack, or something that makes your life better? On the flip side, if you share, it almost helps you even more. Today I am talking all about sharing…

Have a look here:

It takes an abundant mindset to share freely. Worrying about not having enough or concerns that we will lose something irreplaceable creates resistance where there doesn’t need to be.

Sharing helps all involved. The act attracts energy, positivity, and opportunities, especially for the one sharing. And if that wasn’t enough, sharing helps clarify our thoughts, which benefits and deepens one’s understanding.

So help yourself by helping someone. Share what has worked for you.

And in that spirit of generosity, go ahead and let us know in the comments below.

How have you benefited from sharing?

I hope you have a great day in the studio today.

Nicholas

PS Here is where to sign up for the Free 2021 Art2Life Workshop
artlifefree.com

PSS Here is the Vlog where I share the recipe for Lyla’s white https://www.art2life.com/2019/09/29/the-best-white-in-the-world/

Photography: Boba Jaglicic

I love it when I get a breakthrough. But it rarely happens.

So the question for me that is floating out there is how? How can I create the conditions or mindset to have more breakthroughs? How can we more frequently make the kind of art we love, more than what we have done in the past?

Well, I got part of the answer when I walked by Artist Anki Gelb’s studio last week. She shared a recent breakthrough with me, and it was so good, I thought I would share it with you.

Join Anki and me in her studio.

Have a look here:

Anki’s share reminded me of the primary reason more personal art that we tend to resonate with emerges. It has everything to do with feeling free. In other words, we are making marks with not too much concern for how it is going to turn out. We are more playing than striving to do our best work. This kind of approach is a huge takeaway.

I can’t wait to see where this big jump in Anki’s work takes her next. I know she is excited and liking this recent work more than ever before.

It is a great strategy to take a closer look when you have a breakthrough.

If you can, please share your answer in the comments below.

Let’s make 2021 the year of breakthroughs!

Have a great day today in the studio,
Nicholas

PS: Thanks Anki, for sharing your experience and your art with us today. You can follow Anki’s super-duper Instagram feed by clicking here: https://www.instagram.com/ankigelbartist/

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