I've been thinking a lot about practice and process (so much so that I had to create a whole class about it!), and one thing has become clear: once you head down this road, if you pay attention and keep listening, you'll get directions. They may not make sense at first, they may be incomplete, but you will get them. And, they will keep coming.
I've been extremely reflective this year (lots of listening), and that has produced an inner demand for solitude and quieting that's taken on new shapes and forms, as well as directed me away from my usual patterns of engagement on social media and newsletters.
Have you ever encountered sudden shifts in your energy level or focus that seem mysterious and unavoidable? More than likely, it has to do with your creative trajectory. Some part of you has decided that you need to do (or not do) certain things in order to stay on the path.
On my daily morning walks, I'm drawn to random objects, colors, shapes and arrangements in the road. Instead of wondering why I'm so drawn to capture them, I just follow the impulse; I love something about them and that's enough.
After nearly 30 years of painting, one thing I can see clearly is that creative whims, impulses, and curiosities are commonplace (if you're paying attention) and they serve some bigger purpose.
You don't have to understand it intellectually, but ignoring it leaves you stuck where you are. And when you acknowledge that this is something you love, then it becomes a part of you in some mysterious way. Your artistry is a tiny bit more defined.
Creatively speaking, it's worth acknowledging that the deeper you go into your art practice and the more you learn to be receptive to what comes up from that creative space, the more it begins to exert its influence in areas of your life and work that surprise you.
For instance, I started 2026 thinking I was beginning to launch into new work; I thought it was a pivot to new subject matter – I knew it would take some practice and time, but here I am nearly 10 months later and I'm still trying to get my head around it. I get random images, ideas, fixations, but I don't yet know how they all connect. In all my years painting, I have never had new work present itself to me in this way before. It's mystifying, but also exciting!
What seems to be important to this part of me is not that I know where I'm going, but that I listen and follow the call that comes in whispers.
A quote often misattributed to Winston Churchill (but I still love it):
"If you find yourself in a dark wood, keep walking."
Have you ever thought you were the one calling the shots on this creative venture only to find that you don't know where you're going at all?
It's tempting to think that we are the ones deciding what comes out, and when. No matter how much I mature, this misconception I've never outgrown.
Doing the work of discovering your process really illuminates the reality that it's coming from the inside and revealing itself to us, piece by piece. One way I think about it is to imagine I'm an archeologist on a dig in some remote, ancient and uncomfortable place – but it doesn't matter because I can see one small piece of something emerging from centuries of sediment. I can see it, I know it's there, and I can feel the importance of it. This is why it is crucial to be gentle – no tugging or forcing lest it shatter into pieces. Gently brushing the surface and slowly allowing the artifact to reveal itself, in its own time, is how I unearth this buried treasure.
"It may take too much time. Yes, it may, but putting it off isn't going to make it happen faster.
If it's something you want to do, make the time."
Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit
I think this is why I love to delve into creating a process – it requires that you move out of the 'anything goes' mindset and begin making real choices (or discoveries) about who you are as an artist. You're forced out of the realm of infinite possibility into something material and real. Something that's yours alone, and now you can develop and refine it.
Once you begin collecting your likes and dislikes, and deliberately selecting what materials, colors, tools, and marks you'll use, then every mark you make is your responsibility; whether it's brilliant or it becomes a massive problem, no one can fix it but you, the maker. There's a foundation to that experience. You might love it or hate it, but it's yours.
In the realm of art, moving from just painting whatever you happen to be enamored with at the moment to developing your own process is really like growing up as an artist. You are literally growing in to your artistry.
It's not easy, but I don't think I have to sell you on how or why it's important to us as artists. If you're creative, then you want to find your specific way of creating and knowing your work. There is nothing more fulfilling than working with what is truly yours.
Here are Some Ways to Amplify Your Creative Whispers
Notice when you're moved by something (it doesn't have to be relevant to what you're working on, just notice that you are moved).
When something really sparks your curiosity, no matter how small or meaningless, give some time to entertaining it.
Pay attention to what you feel strongly about. Maybe write a bit about why you think this is important to you. Creative ideas spring from the stuff of life.
What 'other' voice crops up in response to the whispers? What does it say? That voice has been responding to those creative nudges your whole life in just this way. Can you see it now?
Think of someone you view as being wildly instep with their creativity. What do you imagine their inner relationship is with their creative whispers? What are the relational qualities you imagine? How can you foster those qualities with your creative side?
Currently, I’m creating a presentation about where I am in my own work to a small group of artists that I meet with regularly. We literally cover the globe: one from Boston, one from Brisbane Australia, and one from Hamburg Germany. Needless to say, every time we meet, it’s 6 am for one person and 9 pm for another, but we keep doing it because it is so incredibly insightful.
We started by presenting just one piece of artwork to the group and each artist wrote a Haiku in response to it. It sounds simple, but I couldn’t believe how helpful it was to get not only feedback, but feedback in the creative, metaphorical language of poetry. Immediately, you go from linear thought to depth and emotional response.
These artists work everyday in their studios, exploring, wrestling with ideas and techniques, taking risks. It’s astounding to see that, though we are spread across the world, we are much alike in what we think about, what hangs us up, what creates resistance. It just reinforces that these creative problems that feel so unique aren’t unique at all — they are part of the fabric of following your creative impulses, of trying to bring something nebulous info form.
Being an artist, all that goes with it, and all that must be excavated within yourself to understand it, is no small endeavor. It takes courage and a willingness to be shaken up, taken apart, and put back together in a different way. I’m guessing that if you’re still reading at this point, then you are definitely someone who has the spark, who can’t walk away, and who is willing to do this challenging and deeply satisfying work, no matter what it requires.
Listen to the whispers, follow the threads that may or may not lead somewhere, and if you have the opportunity, Zoom with a few people who are doing that too. This is the practice and the process.
Join me in Seed to Blossom and Grow Your Own Process.
Early Bird Discount Ends November 2, 2026
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WANT TO PLAY WITH COLOR?
I did a livestream yesterday on YouTube and we just played with finding new fall colors, mixing complements, and understanding a little bit more about predicting what sort of colors you will get when you mix two together to some degree.
Click the image below to watch the video.
