Don't Put Art at the Bottom of Your List
Showing up to your Creative Practice - PART 1
Hi Friends,
I almost didn’t write today’s newsletter. I had a busy week - applying for a grant, doing my business taxes (for the first time), enjoying the final week with my mom in town, etc. etc. Good things, life things. I kept telling myself that I didn’t need to write this week. This was both liberating AND frustrating. Because I actually deeply wanted to be writing. So here’s what’s come up. This is part 1 of a 2-part series on showing up to your creative practice.
Enjoy!
I’ve always had a bit of an allergy to the idea of showing up predictably to anything — let alone a creative practice.
After all, my creativity is rooted in devotion, not discipline.
And I want to keep it that way.
Much of my personal journey, and the work I do with clients, centers on honoring our inner seasons: the ebbs, flows, pauses, and bursts of creative life. Letting go when it’s time to release. Resting without guilt. Rekindling curiosity. Building momentum organically.
It’s a feminine, regenerative, deeply cyclical approach to making art and building a business.
So the idea of publishing a newsletter every single week, like clockwork? It sends shivers down my spine.
And yet… that’s what I’m attempting to do.
Why?
Because lately, I want to be writing more.
Not just in theory, but in practice.
I want this newsletter to be a living garden. A place to plant ideas. To tend to them. To invite others in. To smell the roses, cross-pollinate, linger…and plant some more.
But in order to do that, I have to actually make space for it.
Not just aspirational space. Real, non-negotiable space.
And lately, as life and business get busier, this writing practice is often the first thing I put aside.
I say it’s because I’m honoring my natural rhythm.
But if I’m being honest?
That’s not the whole truth.
When “being reasonable” is actually “avoiding the hard stuff”
I often tell myself:
“I’m just in an ebb.”
“I’m tuning into what matters most right now.”
“I need to work on what matters most”
But when I really look at what’s happening, I see:
Perfecting parts of my business that don’t need perfecting
Consuming more content than I create
Prioritizing other people’s needs and timelines
And the writing?
It gets pushed to the bottom of the list.
After everything else is handled.
After everyone else is taken care of.
It’s not that I’m in a true creative winter.
It’s that I haven’t made my creativity a priority.
It’s that I haven’t created boundaries around what I claim matters to me.
If I dig deeper, it’s also about fear:
Fear of not “excelling” at the things I’ve been validated for (the non-creative and “productive” responsibilities)
Fear of “failing” creatively, of having nothing to show for the time invested in my practice
Fear of running out of good ideas
What’s shifting for me: Cultivating the artist identity
Here’s the mindset that’s helping me shift:
Every time I show up to write, I cast a vote for the artist I want to be*
It’s not about forcing myself into rigid routines.
It’s about choosing which part of me gets to lead.
Am I the person who occasionally creates when the mood strikes?
Or am I someone who claims their art as central, even when it’s inconvenient?
As James Clear says, your habits are how you embody a particular identity.
And I want my identity to be deeply rooted in creative expression.
This doesn’t mean abandoning other priorities. It simply means letting my artist self take the front seat, and allowing everything else to support her, rather than the other way around.
A reframe for you (and for me)
This isn’t about pushing through when your creative well is empty.
It’s not about ignoring your rhythms. I still reserve the right to opt out when rest feels more aligned than writing.
That’s why I call this a weekly(ish) newsletter.
But I also don’t want to hide behind the veil of “honoring my cycles” when really, I’m:
Avoiding the discomfort of showing up
Procrastinating in productive-looking ways
Letting perfectionism drive the bus
So if you’re feeling disconnected from your art. Like your writing, painting, cooking or idea-pursuing always comes last, maybe ask yourself:
What would change if I let my artist self lead?
What if I showed up not just as someone who sometimes creates, but as an artist building a body of work?
Even 20 minutes a day is a love letter to that identity.
And sometimes, that’s enough to keep the pen moving, and the publish button well oiled.
*yes, this is a riff off James Clear’s Atomic Habits, which goes “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
What’s Next
Here’s what I’m cooking up behind the scenes. I would love for you to join if it speaks to you:
1. The Artful Club
I’m starting a new series of monthly sessions to support your creative life. Think of it like a cozy creative circle with thoughtful prompts, gentle accountability, and space to reflect.
The next session is TOMORROW. It’s free and open to all:
“Money Stories” – Wed, June 25 at 19:30 CET
We’ll explore your personal money narratives, and how they show up in your creative work and career. Save your spot here.
1. The Artful Career
If you’re dreaming of a more creative, energizing, you-shaped career — something that actually fits your priorities, curiosities, and rhythms — I’m opening doors again for The Artful Career in August.
It’s a 3-month program for multi-passionate creatives ready to design their work life on their own terms. You’ll walk away with clarity on your next aligned steps and a personal compass to continue illuminating your path.
This is the first time I’ll run it as a group program, so there will be special pricing for this first cohort.
If that’s you, hop on the waitlist to get early access + special perks:
That’s it for today.
Thank you for being here.
With love,
Paula