You might hear other painters say, "Your style will just show up eventually."

Comforting.

But not helpful when you stand at your paint table, stuck on what to paint next.

Most painters who feel stuck don't lack ideas or effort. Actually, they may have learned too much.

When you've absorbed advice from many teachers, styles, and tutorials, everything blurs. One instructor says plan everything. Another says, "Be spontaneous!" You're trying to paint like everyone else instead of discovering how YOU actually paint. Nothing feels wrong, but nothing feels like you, either.

So you try harder. Second-guess more. And painting stops being fun.

To gain your own voice,

forget about having it heard.

—Allen Ginsberg

Here's the shift:

There is no "right way" in art.

Finding your style isn't about choosing the right look. It's about how you work best.

Inside Watercolor In Flow, there's a lesson called "Discover Your Natural Painting Process" where I break this down into four painting identities. I paint the same sunflower four different ways. You see how the approach changes everything.

Work with your natural tendencies? Painting feels easier.

Work against them? Frustration shows up fast.

The full lesson is included in Watercolor In Flow.

Join before February 11 to bring your 'Is this really me?' questions to our live Q&A.

P.S. I surprised myself filming this lesson. Turns out I loved painting in a style I rarely use, which proves the whole point!

As January moves along, it’s easy to feel the initial excitement of resolutions begin to fade. Life gets busy, distractions arise, and before you realize it, your brushes are dry, your palette is crusty, and you haven't touched your watercolors since the first week of the year.

Many painters believe they just need more discipline to stay consistent with their art. But here’s the thing: creativity doesn’t thrive under rigid discipline and pressure. Instead of forcing yourself to push through, what if you could feel naturally pulled toward your art?

That’s where intrinsic motivation comes in. It’s the spark that comes from within—the joy of making something new, the fun of exploring an idea, or the curiosity to see where a project will take you.

Intrinsic motivation is fueled by genuine interest and delight, making it a sustainable and powerful force for your creativity.

On the flip side, extrinsic motivation relies on outside factors like deadlines, praise, or competition. While it can be helpful at times, it often leaves us feeling drained or disconnected from the joy of creating.

Think of the difference between push vs. pull:

Extrinsic motivation feels like a push—forcing yourself toward a goal because you “should.”
Intrinsic motivation feels like a pull—a magnetic excitement that draws you to your art because you truly want to.
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“For artists, scientists, inventors, schoolchildren, and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation—the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing—is essential for high levels of creativity.” -Daniel H. Pink, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
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How to Tap Into Intrinsic Motivation

Here are three simple ways to cultivate intrinsic motivation:

1. Choose a project that excites you. Genuine curiosity will naturally pull you toward your art.
2. Start small. Big projects can feel overwhelming, but breaking them into tiny, manageable steps—like setting out your supplies for 5 minutes—keeps the momentum going.
3. Keep it fun. Experiment, play, and let go of the pressure to be perfect. The process is what truly matters.
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Let’s Keep Creating
Creativity thrives when it feels like play, not pressure. Find what pulls you toward your art, take small steps, and enjoy the process.

Here on the coast, we’re finally getting a break from the rain—a little sunshine after a very soggy start to the year.

The other day, I took advantage of the weather and headed to the beach with my watercolor paints. I posted an Instagram reel about the outing featuring Ellie, my yellow lab and self-appointed Guardian of the Paint Water. The comments were so lovely—”Looks amazing,” “What a magical day,” and “What a special experience.”

And while it was magical, let me tell you the rest of the story…

The creek I had to cross was deeper than I thought, so my hiking shoes filled with water (wet socks, ugh). It was sunny, but so chilly. Ellie, in her enthusiasm for greeting other dogs, managed to knock over my paint water and scatter sand all over my watercolor palette and painting. To top it off, I somehow cut my thumb (still a mystery), and it bled the entire way back to the car—through that same too-deep creek.

Yet, even with all that, it was a special, magical time. That’s creativity for you—the good, the messy, the unexpected. It’s a reminder that what we see on social media is often just the polished parts of someone’s day. The real creative journey? It’s a little chaotic, a little messy—and so, so worth it.

One of the hardest truths about creativity is this: no one else will protect your creative space for you. Life is full of demands, distractions, and to-do lists that threaten to bury your creative dreams. If we don’t guard our space, our time, and our energy, creativity can slip away.

Here’s the truth:

• No one else will carve out your time to paint.
• No one else will set boundaries around your energy.
• No one else will quiet your inner critic or nurture your creative dreams.

Guarding your creative space is a radical act of self-love and empowerment.

Happy New Year! ✨ I hope your holiday season brought moments of joy, reflection, and perhaps a little time for creativity.

As we step into 2025, I want to acknowledge that for many—including myself—2024 wasn’t a particularly easy year.

It was a year of adjustments, struggles, and ups and downs for me. If that resonates with you, I hope you’ll join me in approaching this new year with gentleness and care.

CREATIVE INTENTIONS

Rather than focusing on resolutions or grand plans, I’m setting intentions—small, meaningful shifts that allow space for creativity, and joy.

One of my intentions is to return to a practice of painting “daily-ish.” This means showing up most days with my paints, not aiming for perfection but simply enjoying the process of creating.

Lately, I’ve been working on watercolor abstract landscapes—pieces that explore color, texture, and storytelling in new ways. They’re helping me reconnect with the meditative, healing side of art-making in a low-pressure way.

Do you have a few creative intentions for 2025?

Maybe it’s setting aside time for creative play, trying a new medium, or simply being kinder to yourself in your artistic journey. Whatever it is, I hope you’ll approach it with curiosity and compassion.

Recently I added wire shelving to my studio as a flat-file alternative.

I typically clean up my studio in January, organize supplies, and consider changes. I had a table with a stack of paper; a medley of unused watercolor paper, works in progress, sketches, and finished paintings. The pile had become relatively high, and I knew I had to find a better way.

The traditional method of storing large sheets of paper is a flat file cabinet, but I couldn't justify the expense right now, plus I also wanted something manageable to move.

After searching, I found a wire shelving unit at my local Walmart. This unit has wire shelves that are 48" wide by 24" deep.

This unit can be 72" high, but I opted to keep it 36" tall by not using the second set of corner posts. This gives each shelf about 6 - 7" in height and is the perfect place to store paper and paintings in progress.

Of course, there are a few disadvantages to this. The paper is not protected from light and dust. Plus, this takes up quite a bit of space but only a little more than my table. It's not the prettiest thing to look at, but I like seeing my paper and paintings

On another studio storage note, I've been using the clear Art Bin Super Satchel boxes for over a year, and I still love them. I have labels on the outside, so I know what goes in each one (there's a total of 14, so labels are necessary).  Inside some of the boxes are drawer organizers to keep things tidy.

The reason why these boxes work well for me is that everything has a home. Plus, since there is only so much room, I limit what I have. They have kept me organized for a year now!

These Super Satchel boxes are 15 x 14 x 3.5 inches (L x W x H). They have latches and carrying handles. I've found the best price at Joann, where they are currently on sale.

And now, my yearly studio clean-up is done. Time to get to work and make some messes!

"The studio is less important than other things, like the burning desire to paint. If you don't have this disease, you can't catch it from a nice studio." -WARREN CRISWELL 

Hello! I hope you had a great week. I continued my January studio clean-up and had a few nice painting sessions.

I recently saw this on Instagram and thought it was worth sharing.

Perfectionism is more curse, less blessing.

The #1 factor that influences creative success? The volume produced.

Use the 70-20-10 Rule.

70% of your work will be mediocre.

20% will suck.

10% will be amazing.

If you're avoiding failure, you're avoiding success.

-BEN MEER

In other words, make lots of work (even work that sucks) so that a few fantastic paintings can appear.

For me, it’s refreshing to come into the studio with the intention of getting some of the mediocre work out of the way. Without any expectations for the outcome, I can enjoy the process, lighten up, and be more experimental.

During my studio clean-up this week, I came across my seldom-used jar of Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground. I want to find a use for it before it dries up!

The work in progress (see below) is something I played around with yesterday. I'm testing out the idea of using the watercolor ground as a layer in select areas. On it's own, it's like a semi-transparent gesso. Now that it's dry, I can paint over it and see what happens. Who knows if this will go anywhere but it's been fun. (And this in on the back of something that didn't turn out on paper that I'm not very fond of, so not much at stake here.)