Why an Art Practice Matters (A Story I Don’t Tell Often)

I just got back from my grandson’s transitional kindergarten classroom.There was art.There was relationship.There was that soft, steady feeling that happens when people are making something together.And it stirred up a memory I haven’t shared in a long time.My art practice began in 1989.I was married with a newborn. Elizabeth was just a couple of months old. My oldest son was four. My husband was a hospital administrator in Los Angeles. One afternoon he called and told me he’d had a deep needle stick from a dialysis needle. Because of insurance, he had to be tested.He tested positive for HIV.My world went dark.This was long before rapid tests. It took six months to get results back. Six months of waiting. Imagining. Spiraling. At that time, HIV felt like a death sentence. People were dying. We all thought we would.We didn’t all die. He passed away in 1992.God was not done with me.But during that stretch of time, something kept me going.I didn’t have an art practice yet. I came from crafts and projects, but nothing steady. I was also in a program for people whose lives were deeply impacted by alcoholism. It was a beautiful program focused on relationships, and relationships have always mattered deeply to me.There was a woman there, about the age I am now, who said something simple that changed everything:While you’re going through this, you need something you enjoy. Something that’s just yours.She told me how ice skating had carried her through her own grief.That’s when I decided to take up art.There was a local woman in Costa Mesa who taught watercolor out of her home on Tuesday nights. What she taught wasn’t just technique. It was body and soul work. It was mindset. It was relationship. Looking back, it’s strikingly similar to what I teach now.At night, when everyone was asleep, I would lay big sheets of watercolor paper on the kitchen floor and paint. Completely abstract. Nothing that looked like anything. I wasn’t trying to make art. I was painting feelings. Turning my head off. Letting my hands move when my mind couldn’t.That was my art practice.It saved my life then.And it has saved my life many times since.This is why I care so deeply about art practice now.We tend to think art is about technique. Taking classes. Learning skills. Watching someone else do it “right.” And then we wonder why we stop. Why we hit obstacles. Why we don’t finish. Why we feel disconnected or dissatisfied.Often, it isn’t the technique that’s missing.It’s the relationship.An art practice isn’t just about making something beautiful. It’s about having a place to land when life gets heavy. A way to stay connected to yourself when your world feels uncertain. A rhythm that holds you when everything else feels unsteady.Every time I’ve had an art practice in place, creativity has stayed with me.Every time I haven’t, it has quietly slipped away.That’s not an accident.This is why I believe so deeply that art is not a luxury. It’s a relationship. And when you tend to it, it tends to you right back.If you’ve drifted away, you’re not broken.You don’t need more discipline.You don’t need more talent.You just need a way back.If you are desiring to...• return to your art consistently• stop starting and stopping• create without pressure, guilt, or self judgment• build a relationship with your art that lastsI created The Practice for you (and me too)!If your heart is quietly whispering, “Yes, I’m ready to come back to my art, but I want to do it gently,” then you are warmly invited into the circle of The Practice which begins this Saturday.If you know of another women who would benefit from having an art practice pass this information on to her.Love youLynnP.S.. Whenever You’re ReadyBecome a paid subscriber to get the full experience, in-depth guides, printable art practices, behind-the-scenes studio lessons, access to live workshops, and member-only gatherings that nurture consistency, confidence, and joy in your art.Thank you for being part of this circle. Whether you’re reading for free or supporting as a paid subscriber you help make Make Art Be Happy possible.SHARE THE WEALTH: Have a friend who does not think they are an artist or fellow artist struggling with a consistent art practice? Gift them a month of paid access with this special link: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lynnhardin.substack.com/subscribe