The Sage Arts

How do you know when your work is done? Or when you are done with a show, or a marketing plan or anything in your life? This episode is about asking the question, “Am I done with this?” We might lean on instinct or the natural conclusion our material, imagery, or design dictates to determine when a piece is finished but could the work benefit from a conscious questioning of its finished state? We’...

Do you ever get asked why you create, especially if you don’t sell or otherwise do something with the finished work? Have you ever questioned your own reasons for the hard work and effort you put into learning and creating your art work? Today, I have a very simple answer to a question that can be complex and hard to understand for those who don’t have a particular creative passion. It not only he...

Do you ask yourself “what if?” If you do ask yourself “what if” a lot, then you're not even going to have to think about the answer to that. If you have to think about the answer, then this is an episode for you. And even if you do ask yourself “what if?” a lot, maybe you don't ask it in all the ways that you can as an artist. So, let's look into this phrase and why asking “what if” can be the key...

We measure ourselves by many things but mostly by others… how talented or successful others are and how others might see us. You might be surprised to find that your ultimate yardstick is literally in your own hands. Join me today for a chat about how we judge ourselves, compare others to ourselves, what we can do to avoid the missteps these views can cause, and to discover the yardstick that can...

Are you the kind of artist that sets goals and chases them or are you a person who just prefers to dream and enjoy the process of making art? Or maybe you are somewhere in the middle? Most of us creatives are dreamers, and sometimes we get caught up in the dream but turning a dream into action and that action into reality can be quite a journey. Chasing those dreams can be risky and scary and so i...

How do you approach your work’s flaws? Do you try to make everything as perfect as possible? Or do you like the imperfections in your work? Do you choose to leave them sometimes or do you resign yourself to the work not being perfect and live with it? If so, how do you live with it? Can you embrace the flaws or do they make you feel inadequate or embarrassed? The way we deal with flaws in our work...

As creatives, we sometimes go through periods where we lack motivation or question our purpose to the extent that it is difficult to work. Why does this happen and are there things we can do to avoid it? Or is it something that actually needs to be avoided? I bring Brett (and both the dogs) into the studio with me this week to talk about these difficult periods of malaise and ennui and other thing...

When you are up against something tricky or it’s something that you don’t have the skill for yet or it’s just find boring, how do you handle it? Do you look for ways to get around it, or maybe you plan to just not do that step, or maybe you give up on the project all together? Or do you look at it as a challenge or, at the very least, shrug and think, that’s just part of what I need to do to get t...

Do you consciously go looking for inspiration or is it usually serendipitous? Do you find inspiration mostly when you are adventuring out in the world, like on trips or day excursions, or is your source primarily online or in books or magazines? Maybe you find it in the people you know or your everyday world, the place you live and the things around you? Most importantly, how do you hold onto thos...

Is evolution and change something you strive for in your art or do you aim for steady, predictable work maybe in hopes of steady predictable sales? There is no right or wrong answer to that question, but as you will hear in this conversation with veteran artist Kathleen Dustin, there are advantages as well as risks involved in changing up your art and evolving as an artist. Come join Kathleen and...

We all use shortcuts sometimes. Some of use shortcuts a lot. But how do you know when using them is advantageous and when they put you at risk of missing out on a great experience or the full potential of your work? This little chat today goes over the true necessity of shortcuts and the sometimes unexpected things we miss out on when used imprudently. Take a break and kick back for this short but...

Have you ever tried to visualize the relationship of colors in three dimensions? It's not some fancy trick. It's actually fairly easy to do so with the right tools. My guest in this episode is Tracy Holmes, the creator of the Breakthrough Colour system. We're going to talk about what that system is and how the BTC concepts can help you create a better understanding and mastery of color. We'll also...

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you fail or fall short of your expectations? Are you hard on yourself? Do you get frustrated or have moments when you just want to give up? The fact is, most people do. It’s just part of the human experience but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult or valid. What it is though, is something to be aware of and have a game plan for dealing with it so it...

Have you struggled with creating color palettes or even just deciding what colors go well together? Today’s chat is a real eye-opener, breaking through the restrictive, although not wholly useless, traditional color schemes to unveil the simple reason why some colors go together better than others and how to unerringly identify what colors work well in combination and why others don’t. Pull out a...

We talk a lot about not giving up in our societies. We talk about persistence and all the ways that you can accomplish and finish things, but how often do we talk about the importance of setting things aside when they aren't fulfilling our needs? In this episode, I’ll speak about why giving up can be a really great thing to do, when it is the right choice, and how to figure out whether persisting...

Does color theory and color mixing ever just make you feel stupid? Have you felt like there's a secret to understanding and working with color that just hasn't been revealed to you yet? Well, today, I'm going to demystify the concept of color and give you a very straightforward and rather fun way to understand and work with color that'll show you that, all along, it wasn't you. It was the system!...

What kind of rituals do you use to start, end, or otherwise use to shift to or from a creative state of mind? Are you aware that you have rituals, or do you even have any? Brett and I got into an intense discussion about this over lunch one day and just popped into the studioto record it for you. Come join us as we explore and learn to appreciate the acts that we use to get into, wrap up, or shift...

How and why do you arrange the elements in your artwork the way you do? Sure, you can just put it down so it “looks good” but did you know that you can direct your viewer and add to the experience and feel of your work through intentional arrangements? With a few guidelines and an understanding of how people take in visual work, you can lead the viewer through your art to give them specific experi...

Are you an original thinker? Do you have a mindset that focuses on what’s needed or on what everyone else is doing? Those are the questions Sage aims to help you, not just answer, but give you an understanding of what original thinking really means, why you need it, and how to create an original thinking mindset from a few simple questions. ‘ Don’t miss this essential discussion for all creatives...

How do you define success for yourself as a creative? Is success even something you want to be thinking about? In this enlightening conversation, Brett and I dig down into the concept of success, the various ways to measure it, the deceptive goal of happiness, and how to track your version of success so that you can be and feel truly, well, successful in your creative life. Contact my guest: Brett...

We’re diving into the wonderful world of composition here, especially the composition you already instinctively know, if you know what to listen for. We’ll talk about focal points, grids and guidelines, and classic compositional approaches but mostly, this is about your awareness of how you arrange elements in your work and the effect it has on your viewer. Come join me for the first installment o...

Do you have ready access to your child side? Do you often create just to amuse yourself or do you find you are primarily motivated and maybe get lost in your obligations to other people or a sense of being of service to other people and the betterment of our world in general? As you'll hear, none of these approaches are exclusive of each other but sometimes the balance between taking care of ourse...

Let’s talk about the relationship between beauty and art. How are they related? Are they synonymous? Is all art supposed to be beautiful? I’ll answer these questions and much more as we take a deep dive into what beauty has to do with art, why we as humans seek it out, the different types of beauty to be found in our work and process, and how to use this understanding to guide your creative career...

How much are you influenced by others in your artwork and do you think it helps or hinders or is just kind of a neutral aspect of your interaction with the people and world beyond your studio? I’d like to put forth an argument for being a lone wolf. When you try to belong there is a danger that your efforts are made and your focus is determined by the pack mentality. The Lone Wolf, on the other ha...

After a little break, I’m back with a new design focus for you… the concept of Space. I go over the wide range of implications from positive and negative space, to boundaries and limitations, to the mental and temporal space all creatives need for a fulfilling artistic experience. I’ll also touch on the ideas of composition and just defining the difference between design, composition, and space to...