Do you often use words like 'struggle' or 'hard' to describe making your art?

If so, you're not alone.

I run an online artist community and these are some of the most commonly used words among new members.

Each month, we focus on a new theme and this month we're working on sketchbooks. Members are working in their books, and those with more experience are sharing their own sketchbooks to help us all see what's possible.

Yesterday one of the members posted a collage from her sketchbook and described the process of making it as "a struggle." She described her many challenges with resolving the piece and then added 'but I did have fun.'

This is such a perfect example of what we do to ourselves as artists ... the sketchbook is a place where you can experiment, play, try out ideas, and fail gloriously ... all without having to show anyone else. Above all, it is a place where you can express yourself openly - and this means YES, it should be fun!

The struggle comes when we feel a need to make something "good."

If this resonates for you - if you judge a painting session not by how enjoyable it was, but by whether you produced an end result that you liked - try asking yourself what is driving the need for a result. Most likely, it's the fact that you are making the result mean something about you.

Good result = you have talent and are worthy.

Bad result = you have no talent and are not worthy.

But here's the thing --- nothing could be further from the truth. All of the artists you admire have a long history of failure. In order to be great, they had to experiment and try new things, and when they did that, they often messed it up. Failing was/is a necessary part of the process.

If you have a sketchbook (or a studio) filled with perfect paintings, it doesn't mean you are a fabulously talented genius. It just means that you're sticking to what you already know. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what makes you happy - but it won't move your work forward and it won't help you learn just what you are really capable of.

I believe each of us has a responsibility to ourselves to push our artistic abilities as far as we can. To keep learning new things. To follow ideas wherever they lead. But I know from experience that this means I will make a lot of mistakes. And I have learned to embrace those mistakes with almost as much enthusiasm as the successes.

Once you learn to love failure - because you see it as a necessary step on the path to where you are headed - you are free to explore, free to experiment, free to try anything without harsh self-criticism.

Embracing this mindset has made all the difference to my art making and I hope it will help you too.

In a few months, I will be running a free 10-day course as a taster for my annual "Find Your Joy" program. If you add yourself to the wait list for Find Your Joy, you'll be the first to know when the free course opens up. Click here to add your name. Hope to see you there!