The Artist Cooperative Podcast

Let's chat about the elusive CREATIVE FLOW and how we can incorporate into our creative practice!

Let's explore color and pigment in art history together!

Do you need to know everything there is to know about watercolor and creativity to call yourself an artist? Of course, the answer is NO, my friend! One thing you do need, though, is a healthy dose of self-trust. Any artist who is braving the creative wilderness must go into their adventure knowing that they will be able to handle whatever uncertainty comes their way -- not because they have all the answers, but because they have all the heart. Let's talk about what's getting in the way of self-trust and how to strengthen it through our creative practice! 

Do you ever get caught in the comparison trap? Lost scrolling Instagram, wishing your paintings looked like everyone else's? Let's talk about where that mindset comes from, how to take care of yourself while you're stuck in the spiral, and what to do to help your inner critic feel a lot more secure!

Art has throughout history been a way for humans to rediscover and celebrate values and ideals for creating a beautiful life -- what better time than the busy holidays to explore how art has captured the beauty in stillness? How can we incorporate stillness more into our creativity in a way that feels empowering and nourishing? Let's talk about it!   Video Replay: https://vimeo.com/1146618264/45173b77ce?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci 

What is your relationship with rest, and what role does it play in your creative practice? Let's chat about it!

Is your creative space (physically, mentally, emotionally) making it easier for you to create, or are there hidden barriers? Let's talk about ways you can intentionally curate spaces to help you find the magic in your creative practice! 

How have artists used creativity and creative platforms to advocate for a better world? Let's discuss!

What does "self-care" mean for you, especially in your creative practice? How do we dig deeper into self-compassion and care work so it's not just surface-level, but actual self-discovery and healing? And what does creativity have to do with that? Let's talk about it! 

How can we use creativity to help us hold grief? Life can get heavy, and creativity can absolutely be a tool to hold space for our humanity. Let's talk about it! 

It's an art history mindset chat! Let's explore some famous creatives (Emily Dickinson, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo) who blazed trails while navigating tough life circumstances. 

Is your deepest fear that you are, in fact, decidedly... average? If so, you're not alone! Fearing "mediocrity" is one of the top reasons why so many people never pick up a paintbrush! Let's chat about what's so scary about mediocrity, why we've been taught to fear it... and how to reclaim our own value regardless of how we measure up to societal expectations. 

One of the challenges we're faced with as artists: How do we grow our skill but actually make it feel good? It's a tricky balance sometimes, trying to focus on self-compassion but also welcome the growth. Is "constructive criticism" a real thing? What kind of feedback do we really want -- and what kind of feedback does our community need from us? Let's chat about it! 

History is full of artists who had the courage to make revolutionary creative work -- only to be panned by the critics and wholly misunderstood. Let's talk about this interesting correlation and how it can help us have more courage in our creative practice! 

Is your inner critic a major perfectionist? Do you find yourself getting stuck in your creative progress because you just can't seem to stomach the "messy middle"? In this discussion, let's chat about why making a mess is just so difficult -- and how reclaiming its value can totally transform your creative practice! 

Do you feel like your battle with your inner critic is never-ending? Wondering if you'll ever get to a place where you actually like the things you create? Let's chat about how to build confidence in your creativity! 

How can we use creativity to connect with other people? What benefit does building a community have on your creativity? Whether you want to host your own paint parties and are looking for some thoughts on what to paint, or you're searching for connections without necessarily being the center of attention, let's chat about how creativity can help bring you closer to your fellow humans – and how strengthening your community can skyrocket your creative practice!

Is social media really just a pit of endless despair? Is it possible to use social media for our greater creative good, or is that just a lie meant to fund billionaires?? Let's talk about creativity and social media – the good, the bad, and everything in between! 

Want to know the fastest way to overwhelm your creativity to the point of freeze or burnout? Not having any boundaries! I know, I know – isn't creativity supposed to be limitless? Yes – AND – your energy level as a human is not, you know? Let's talk about boundaries, the role they play in helping you build a sustainable creative practice, and how they might actually help boost your creative ideas!

Is your brain on the neurospicy side? What is neurodivergence, and how does that affect your relationship with creativity? Let's chat about it!

What happens when you finally make time to paint… and all you see in your brain is white static? Creative block is a common barrier, especially when that initial zeal in the beginning starts to ebb and the reality of how scary creativity is really sets in. Let's chat about what causes creative block and how to navigate it so your creative practice can feel like a safe, inspiring place no matter what you're making.

Do you remember when your obsession with watercolor and creativity first began? (Maybe you are just beginning, and this is where you are now!) Exploring "the Beginner's Mind" is a long held technique within Zen Buddhism that is especially helpful for artists learning to cope with the ups and downs of a creative practice. In this discussion, we'll talk about what it looks like to cultivate a beginner's mind and how that can lead you to a more courageous, more sustainable relationship to creativity!

What is your relationship with creativity like? Do you feel like you're constantly having to prove yourself? Maybe you feel as if nothing is ever good enough, so why bother trying? (Or maybe, a little of both?) This month, let's take a look at building a creative practice through the lens of attachment theory -- and more specifically, how to develop habits that will lead to a more stable, secure connection with your creativity.  **Note: I am not a mental health professional, and this is not therapy! This is a discussion based on my own personal research and experience with attachment theory and ways I've related it to creativity. 

What happens to your creativity when stress and exhaustion become... a bit more than you can handle? Burnout happens when you live so long in the stress cycle that your body quite literally shuts down (usually because you weren't able to rest on your own), and it can be so so debilitating. In this discussion, let's chat about burnout and how to navigate/nurture your creativity when it feels like you're running on empty. 

​Do you have a particularly loud inner critic? Making art can feel impossible when you have a constant stream of negative stories playing in your brain. Luckily, there're a ​few tricks to dealing with a needy inner critic to help your creativity flourish, without shaming yourself along the way. Let's discuss!

Many of us discover in adulthood that we've been suppressing or masking A LOT since childhood, and we're on a journey to rediscover who we are and who we want to be. How can we use creativity and art specifically to help us through that journey? Let's discuss!

What's holding you back most from creativity? Is it your fear of failure? Or is it a little deeper than that? In this discussion, let's dive into the relationship between creative block + confronting both your fears AND desires.

Ah, that age-old question every artist eventually asks themselves: What IS my style, anyway? In this discussion, we'll talk about what "style" means to you and how to explore creative themes and activities that help you both explore and express yourself.

The end of the year is a time of reflection, thinking back on the progress you've made toward your goals and what might be in store for the future. In this discussion, let's chat about what progress means to you and how to define it in a way that lifts you up and motivates you to keep moving forward. 

One-and-done projects can be great, but what happens when your creative aspirations and ideas get a little bigger? In this discussion, we'll chat about how to manage big ideas and tasks so your long-term creative projects can actually come to life.

Goal-Setting can feel so good, but what happens when you don't actually achieve your goals? What happens when you plan everything perfectly… and your progress still doesn't go according to plan? Let's discuss how to approach revisiting "failed" goals with self-compassion, and pivoting or plotting a course that may help you actually achieve them.

Habits – can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em! If you're anything like me, building sustainable habits has been a lifelong struggle for you. In this discussion, let's talk about what makes habits so tricky and how to make them more… sticky! Especially when it comes to our creative practice.

We all know taking a break is a necessity — but how does one actually take a break and make it worth it? Let's chat about using creativity for rest and rejuvenation, and how to intentionally incorporate rest into our creative practice.

How can we make creative joy an everyday occurrence? No matter where or who you call home, let's talk about how to channel creativity into a practice that will serve you whether you make it to your desk or not! We'll talk a lot about the four creative habits (rest, play, focus, community) and ways to intentionally incorporate them not just into your creative sessions but also your everyday life.

Failure is not only inevitable in your creative journey – it's necessary. That doesn't make it hurt any less! So how do we reconcile the hurt and unmask the benefits? In this conversation, let's discuss ways to turn failure into opportunity. 

The dreaded learning gap – the space between where you are and where you want to be. How do you bridge that gap while still maintaining a healthy sense of self? In this conversation, we'll discuss what the learning gap is, common frustrations, and ways to maintain self-compassion while still reaching for progress. 

What stories do you tell yourself, and how do they affect your creativity and self-worth? In this conversation, we'll discuss negative and positive core beliefs and how to build a stable inner story-building process to empower your creative practice. 

We always say creativity requires courage -- it also requires a tolerance for uncertainty. This month, let's chat about how to not only tolerate but EMBRACE uncertainty so we can truly let creativity thrive. 

Too many possibilities and expectations cluttering your creative practice? In this mindset training, let's discuss DECLUTTERING -- physical, mental, and emotional -- to make way for curiosity, ease, and joy as you embark on any creative journey!

I know, I know... not another workshop on goal-setting... !  January's mindset training is all about identifying where the shame lies in goal-setting and how to root it out so you can actually set goals that are attainable and feel good! This is the goal-setting workshop I wish existed when I first learned about New Year's Resolutions, lol.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the creative choices ahead of you? Do your fears about whether or not you're doing "the right" thing ever cause you to shut down and freeze rather than create? We're diving into these exact challenges to figure out what causes decision freeze, how to prevent it, and ways to cope when you're in the middle!