Why Do We Make It So Hard? – Nicholas Wilton – Ep 64

At the core of everything I do as an artist and teacher is the belief that art-making is available to anyone. Everyone is eligible, no matter their level of training or experience. So why do we make art so hard? Join me as I explore the limiting beliefs that keep us from our creative journey, the magic of starting, and the energy needed to bring momentum and growth to your art practice in 2023.

Listen if you are interested in…

• Understanding roadblocks to art-making  [2:01]
• The magic of starting, the power of story, and learning as you go [6:41]
• Finding the energy in your art practice [19:29]

Find the time

One of the most common hurdles to a consistent art practice is a lack of time. In fairness, this is a perfectly reasonable excuse. The pace with which society demands we live our lives is often exhausting, and our studio can get left in the dust in lieu of a long to-do list. I used to feel this way about running. For many years, I would not go for a run unless I had at least an hour to dedicate to it. I felt anything less was not worth it. But I learned that when you disqualify yourself because it’s not exactly the right amount of time or you can’t meet unrealistic standards, you skip. And when you skip, you break the pattern. And when you break the pattern, ANYTHING can break the pattern. Thus, the less you do, the less you do. Here’s the reality: it takes so little time to actually make art and participate in it. Spending 5 to 10 minutes working on your art is huge compared to not doing it at all.

Motion changes everything

I teach so much about the power of starting in your art practice because motion changes everything. There is a certain magic that happens when we start. After only a few minutes, we start making connections between what we did before and exciting possibilities for the future. Because you’re making something, ideas start to happen. You begin to develop a bit of a flow. You start to connect with more than just the thing you’re working on. It’s a pattern that you drop back into. And that’s the pattern that we want to stay in! But if we’re constantly waiting for the perfect amount of time or the perfect conditions, we’ll never get in motion. The freedom of art-making comes from the process. And it’s in that process that we get to not only discover our art but also ourselves. All you have to do is trust and take the first step!

Saying yes to your art

When we get in motion and submit ourselves to the art-making process, we are saying yes to our art. Not just our current work but all the possibilities of what our art could become. Cultivating growth in your art studio means participating in your art practice. Saying yes and stepping into your art just a little bit is what makes other things happen. This is where energy comes from! The process of participating in our art is important. It gives what we do meaning and leads us to bigger, better, and cooler stuff that creates unbelievable momentum. As we continue to say yes to our art, even if it’s only five minutes a day, we become more open and receptive to the person and the artist we are becoming.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (Audiobook)

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