A Mighty Practice

When we say "I don't have a medium I'm good at" what are we really saying? In this episode I'll talk about common blocks around technical mastery and getting started. The good news: you DO have a medium ... you just haven't discovered your technique yet.  +++ Sign up for our Artist Speed Dating event! Sunday October 10th, 12-1pm Central.  The artist I mention in this episode is El Anatsu...

When is it time to get coaching? In this episode I'll talk about my experience with being coached and coaching others. I'll talk about when coaching has the greatest impact on creatives and how it can help you move past your most troublesome roadblocks. +++ My 12-week coaching program for artists is now enrolling for fall! Dates: Sept 29 - Dec 15th Want to learn more? Come to our information sessi...

How do you step away from a project you're really invested in? For many of us this can feel impossible. But when you're on the "production hamster-wheel" for too long you can lose sight of what you want FOR your work and FROM your work. What do you want your work to give the world? What do you want your work to give YOU? In this episode I'll talk about how to create an exit strategy that helps you...

Things are moving "back to normal"-- but what exactly does that mean? What do you want your post-pandemic creative life to look like? We'll look at the things that helped you thrive creatively this year and the things that taxed you through a concept called the "Creative Bank." How do you want to integrate these learnings to design your year ahead? Sign up for our Artist Speed Dating, community-bu...

How do we take a pause in our creative practices and experience true creative rest? In this episode I'll talk about my definition of creative rest and how to integrate it into your life. I'll talk about 3 different creative modes (Synthesizing, Producing, and Solving) that we slip into that make resting/re-fueling difficult, and how we can take an intentional break from doing them.  For upcom...

Today on the podcast we have BETH PICKENS, the author of Make Your Art No Matter What: Moving Beyond Creative Hurdles (Chronicle Books, 2021). Beth is a Los Angeles-based consultant for artists and arts organizations. She earned her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri. Since 2010, she has provided career consultation, grant writing, fundraising, and financial,...

Where you work, whether it be in a studio or a sketchbook, is an important part of any creative practice. In this episode I'll talk about how to take the space available to you and create a work environment that enables your practice. I'll share all the WEIRD studio spaces I've had over the years, and how I've made these unconventional spaces (garages! laundry rooms! basements!) meet my needs. Che...

What happens when we deny our creative impulses over and over again? When we don't let the work that wants to come through us, come through us? What are the consequences? In this episode I'll talk about what creative impulses are, what they can teach us, why we deny them, and how to start listening to them again.  I reference this great episode of the podcast: This Jungian Life, 120. Creativi...

In this episode I'll share student stories around the inner critic through one of our school's live coaching calls! During our school-wide coaching calls members review workshop content and get help with their roadblocks. On this call we'll hear from a few students who are struggling with perfectionism. You'll hear my practical advice on how to overcome this tricky roadblock with a sense of patien...

How do you start making things when you feel super blocked? How do you move from the idea phase (being in your head) to the action stage (expressing your ideas out in the world). The movement from ideas to action is what I call the "Play" stage. In this episode I'll talk about what the play stage is, what your play stage can look like, and how you know when your play stage is over and you're ready...

I hear this all the time from my students and clients: "I'm not a real artist." This always leads me to ask: "What exactly is a REAL artist?" What do we mean when we say that? In this episode we'll talk about our core negative beliefs around what it means to be a "real" artist, and how those limiting thoughts are holding us back from building the creative lives we want to build.

It's January, and if you don't feel pumped about starting up the year, you're not alone! In this episode I'm going to talk about how to approach your year as happening within creative seasons. We'll talk about why artists benefit from setting priorities seasonally vs. yearly, and 4 questions to ask yourself to help identify the season you're in.   Flash Sale for Podcast Listeners! I'm offerin...

In this episode we'll talk about reflecting on your work. This is truly a skill. I'll offer an exercise for reviewing older work you've made and finding within it, the ideas that still feel important to you.  These are your persistent themes, or "anchors," that will ground you for a long and fruitful creative journey. Now enrolling the winter session of my 12-week coaching program for artists...

In this episode, we're talking about FEEDBACK. How do you know when it's the right time to get feedback on your work? We'll look at some questions you can ask yourself to understand where you are in the creative process, how you're relating to your work, and if it's the best time to get feedback on what you're making. +++++ Get on the waitlist for our next 12-week coaching program to snag the EARL...

In this episode I'll talk about how art-making is not a "self-indulgent" activity but vital to our survival and the survival of others.  Thanks to Beth Pickens, whose work inspired this podcast. Check out her counseling practice here: http://www.bethpickens.com Get on the waitlist for our next 12-week coaching program below. Enrollment opens December 15th! https://www.amightypractice.com/coac...

It's episode #20! In this episode I talk about the problem with setting a high bar when it comes to starting a creative project. Oftentimes we set high expectations of our work in order to prove to ourselves we're serious about it. I argue the opposite is true - you demonstrate your commitment to your creative work by starting small, setting commitments you can keep, and showing up again and again...

Critics vs. haters, ya'll! In this episode, I'll talk about how to know the difference between "a critic" and "a hater" and recognizing where you're getting your feedback from. I'll talk about the importance of seeking feedback from critics (people who are invested in your growth!) and not letting the haters get you down.  The deadline for our 12-week coaching program for artists is tomorrow,...

Creative friction is the stuff that slows you down and prevents you from expressing your ideas at their fullest. In this episode, I'll talk about 5 different kinds of creative friction and what you can do to move past it.  We have a few spots left for our 12-week Coaching Program for artists! Check it out here: https://www.amightypractice.com/coaching

Let's talk about REJECTION! In this episode I'll talk about what rejection is, why it cuts so deep, and how we can keep going after we've been rejected. I'll also share some of my personal experiences with rejection! There's been a lot :) If you want to learn more about my 12-week coaching program, starting September 16th, check it out! https://www.amightypractice.com/coaching Sign up for our...

I'm so pumped to finally announce my new school for artists!  A MIGHTY PRACTICE IS AN UNCONVENTIONAL SCHOOL FOR THE CREATIVE SOUL. Through classes and coaching we give artists of all levels what they need to get started and stay motivated in their creative work. You don’t need a BFA, MFA, or hell , a high school diploma to be an artist. But you do need some tools. Tools to get started, build...

In this episode I'll talk about how I define creative burnout. I'll talk about why creative burnout happens and what we can do about it. I'll differentiate between burnout and overwhelm and how to approach these two states differently in your creative work. +++ I reference this great episode on burnout vs. overwhelm from the Life Coach School Podcast. Check it out: https://thelifecoachschool.com/p...

We often think of jealousy as an ugly emotion that we should quickly dismiss. In this episode I'll talk about how jealousy, when used with intention and self-compassion, can be a useful tool for understanding ourselves better. Reflection questions: Pick 2 people that you envy. Why are you jealous of them? What do you believe they have or can do that you can't and why? If you'd like to ask a questi...

In this episode, I'll talk about the feeling of "being careful" or when we feel scared to make new decisions in our creative work and as a result get stuck. I'll talk about why we're careful, how you know you're being careful, and what you can do to STOP being so damn careful.  For creative momentum course enrollment:   http://www.christine-garvey.com/creative-momentum-an-online-course D...

Are you running on empty? Not feeling so inspired? In this episode, I'll talk about the difference between inspiration (which I call "fuel") and obligation and how the two exist within your life. I'll talk about the importance of identifying authentic fuel and where we can find it.

In this episode, I'll talk about how to make time for your creative work and what might be blocking you from building a creative habit.  Note: This episode was recorded during the COVID-19 quarantine of 2020