Hey there, Reader!

I want to share some surprising news regarding the polls from last week's newsletter before I dive into the content of this week's newsletter.

In a nutshell, I asked my audience if you're interested in reading or watching content that documents my journey of creative recovery as I do The Artist's Way program.

And a whopping 80.5% voted yes!

Truth be told, I'm pleasantly surprised by these results!

I plan to start The Artist's Way 12-week program during the first week of July. That means the first installment of this creative journey will probably be published one week later (or maybe two weeks later depending on the work load) since I need time to document the journey in real time.

I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to document the journey (through text, video, etc.), so that's a work in progress. But I'll keep you updated as this project unfolds!

Now, on to this week's newsletter! I'd like to share with you my plan for getting back into a fine art routine after taking an unusually long break from creating art.

By unusually long break, I took time off from drawing and painting for 10 months because during this time, I was recovering from creative burnout. Therefore, my attention was focused on engaging with other creative activities to fill my creative cup.

But now that I'm feeling much more refreshed and recharged, I started drawing again. Even though these are the first baby steps on the path to reclaiming my art, it feels like a BIG win!

So allow me to share with you my strategies for getting back into art.

1. Remove Resistance By Drawing in A Small Sketchbook

When I creatively burned out, I accidentally associated drawing, painting, and creating art with stress. Now, I'm on a journey of undoing that negative association.

To accomplish this goal, I recently bought a tiny sketchbook. The dimensions of this sketchbook are only 12 x 12 cm or 4.7 x 4.7 inches.

This was an intentional choice because I knew drawing in a larger sketchbook or on larger paper would feel far too intimidating. All that empty white space feels overwhelming when you're rusty and out of practice.

As such, I decided to remove resistance by drawing small in a small sketchbook.

You see, I'm an artist who loves to fill up my sketchbooks as much as possible. You can check out examples of pages from my sketchbooks in this video. But right now, returning to my old drawing and sketchbook habits is too big of a jump.

As an artist, the best way to break through mental resistance is to be kind and gentle with yourself as you slowly teach your mind and body that it's safe to create again, thus dissolving the resistance.

Therefore, I'm drawing in a small sketchbook to score easy wins because psychologically speaking, my mind feels rewarded whenever I fill up a page. All of a sudden, creating art feels fun and achievable once again!

Key Takeaway: When you create small, consistent, and manageable wins, your mind starts to associate the habit (in this case drawing) with positive emotional association. The more you associate a habit or an action with positive emotional imprinting, the likelier you are to keep repeating that habit or action.

2. Remove Pressure by Drawing in Short Sessions (10 - 20 Minutes)

This second point is important because it compliments the first point.

If you take a long break from art and try to return to your old habits, you're pressuring yourself to meet an expectation that you likely aren't able to meet at that moment.

This is no different than an athlete who takes time off from regularly training or a musician who takes months off from practicing their instrument. When you return to your craft, you need to take it more easily at first.

This is the reason why drawing in a small sketchbook is wise. It doesn't take much time to fill each page when you're doodling, drawing loosely, or swatching inks and pencils.

Take me for example. I can fill an entire page by drawing or sketching for only 10 or 15 minutes. Sometimes I draw a little longer if I can handle 25 - 30 minutes without feeling stressed.

This is a wonderful strategy for creating art after a break because you're removing pressure from the equation. When you don't put pressure on yourself to create art, you're much more likely to show up for yourself and be consistent with your art routine.

Key Takeaway: Drawing in short sessions of 10 - 20 minutes is long enough for you to break through resistance, get in some light practice, and draw calmly with little to no pressure. Likewise, it's short enough that you aren't likely to fall into patterns of overthinking or pressuring yourself to create a masterpiece because the stakes are small.

I shared these 2 strategies with you today so that they would inspire your art routine.

I know that life can be busy and many things demand our energy and attention. But if you act with intention, you easily can make time for the things that really matter to you, such as your art.

Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much art you make or how long you spend creating each piece. In my opinion, the real reward from art-making is found in your creative journey as you become the artist you aspire to be.

Now, I'd love to hear from you and your experience!

ACTION STEP: Reply to this email and let me know about your art routine, Reader. Do you have a healthy art routine that helps you practice consistently? Do you have any neat tricks or tips that you would like to share? Let me know!

Talk to you again soon,

Your friend,

Miranda

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