This one is controversial!

OK, deep breath ... here goes with my controversial email.

Art courses might be doing you more harm than good. And the issue might be that you're looking for a shortcut.

Perhaps this email doesn't apply to you, in which case, just skip down to the video (it's a good one!). But if you are someone who has taken multiple courses from different artists - and found yourself confused and adrift as a result - stay tuned!

I believe there are two basic kinds of art courses:

1) courses that involve the tutor showing you what they do
2) courses that help you find your own way artistically.

The first ones are the easy ones to teach. All I have to do is show you how I paint, and describe my tools and techniques, and we're done. You learned something.

But did you really? You learned how I paint, but it's very unlikely that you and I are meant to paint the same way. Somewhere inside you is a fully-fledged artist just waiting to come out. That artist has to stay buried inside if you're busy trying out someone else's process and approach.

See, the teacher spent years developing their way of working. And it probably has evolved and changed a few times. They process and their approach and their style all come from deep within them, and are a reflection of their own beliefs and ideals and interests and concerns. As a result, their work has depth and meaning.

When you try to use their process, you simply get a pale imitation that lacks any of the depth, and is therefore ultimately unsatisfying. This can make you feel like a failure, but you're not the problem.

To make matters worse, many artists take more than one of these types of courses. First they paint some landscapes, then they take an abstract course, then they do another abstract course with a teacher who paints in a totally different way. Before long, they are in a complete muddle. They don't know what to paint or how to paint it.

This is because all their knowledge is externally focused - it's about how someone else likes to work - and none of it is internally-based.

The second type of course - the ones that help you find your own way artistically - are a rarity. That's because they're much harder to create.

I have recommended a few of these courses in this newsletter before. Of course there is my own Find Your Joy (which obviously I think is the best lol) and which will run later this year. Then there are three courses that are not available again until 2024 - CVP, Learning to See, and Creative Shift. All have waiting lists.

All of these courses help you find your own path with your work. They encourage you to follow your own interests and to continually dig deeper into who you are and what your art is about. They teach principles and mindset shifts, but they don't lay out instructions for paint application.

It's exciting stuff, but it's also long-term work. After taking one of these courses, you'll likely need a year or two to assimilate the learning and start finding your own way. Those who commit to that journey reap the benefits. If they keep showing up and keep working, they see amazing results. 

But there are many students who complete these courses and feel frustrated that they haven't yet found the magic key. So instead of working at their craft, they take a bunch more classes - usually the kind where the teacher shows you how to work like they do.

You can guess the result - perhaps you've even experienced it. The students just become more and more confused. They can't find their own way because they haven't allowed space to explore themselves.

So if you are currently finishing up any of the courses I mentioned, do yourself a favour and do not go looking for other courses. There are no short cuts!

Instead, dive back into the exercises from the course you took, review your notes, think about what you learned. If it's possible, register to take the course again as an alumni (all the programs I mentioned offer this option at a steep discount).

When you realise that the joy of art is in the process, you are free to spend time on finding your way. Dig deep and explore who you are, and you'll create meaningful art that is uniquely yours :)