The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell
The podcast at the intersection of art, travel, business, philosophy, and life in general.
We found 10 episodes of The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell with the tag “creativity”.
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Episode 255: Silence, Solitude, and the Creative Pause
June 10th, 2023 | 35 mins 14 secs
art, creativity, pause, productivity, rebecca crowell, time, work habits
Many creative people embrace quiet, solitary moments as portals to being in synch with their work. Stepping away from everyday distractions is a way of nurturing your creative self, bringing you more in touch with your emotions, ideas, and the bigger picture of what you want to express. Yet true silence and solitude tend to be rare in our lives, unless we make a conscious effort to bring them in. Today we’ll talk about the value of doing so as part of the creative process.
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Episode 254: Intuitive, Spontaneous, or Random?
June 5th, 2023 | 32 mins 15 secs
art, creativity, exploration, ideas, intuition, randomness, rebecca crowell, source, spontaneity
Intuition and spontaneity are important to many artists. But what about randomness? While these words are related in superficial ways, they have very different meanings in the context of art practice. Intuition and spontaneity play positive roles. Intuition can be a powerful guide and a source of new ideas --and spontaneity leads to energy and excitement. Randomness, on the other hand, tends to lead you off track and reduce the meaning and impact of your work. Today we will talk about the differences between what is intuitive, spontaneous, and random and how to recognize them in your work.
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Episode 253: Dealing with Rejection
May 27th, 2023 | 36 mins 3 secs
art, business, creativity, exhibitions, growth, mind set, rebecca crowell, rejection, shows
It’s never easy putting your work in front of others to be judged and scrutinized, but if you don’t it’s very hard to gain a wider audience or grow as an artist. Submitting work to galleries, grant panels, juried shows, and competitions tends to become a routine part of what artists do. But for every time you’re chosen for an opportunity, there are many more times when you are rejected or simply ignored. And despite the thick skins many of us develop, rejection is never easy. Today we’ll talk about coping with rejection and try to gain some perspective on its inevitability
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Episode 252: Personal or Formal?
May 15th, 2023 | 31 mins 43 secs
art, creativity, formal, personal, rebecca crowell, structure, style
We tend to think of artistic expression as being very personal, as coming from the artist’s experiences, emotions, memories, and responses. But there are also many works of art that are not focused on personal expression. Instead, the artist is motivated to explore a more impersonal realm of ideas, patterns, and more universal concepts. For most artists, there is a balance between sources that are more and less personal, a balance in working between the heart and the mind. That individual balance is basic to the artist’s voice and unique expression. Today we’re going to talk about these two different approaches to making art and the balance in your own art practice.
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Episode 251: Travel Tips for Artists
May 8th, 2023 | 35 mins 48 secs
art, creativity, hacks, listener suggestions, rebecca crowell, tips, travel
The ideas and energy gained from travel are important to many artists, and when you travel, you seldom leave your art self behind. The stimulation of travel and new experiences tends to create strong impressions and bring on the urge to create while you’re away from home, no matter the overall reason for your trip. This means bringing along at least some art supplies, and lots more if the focus of your trip is a residency or workshop.
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Episode 250: Expressions of Gratitude
April 29th, 2023 | 30 mins 15 secs
art, business, communication, creativity, experience, gratitude, personal, rebecca crowell
As artists, what role can gratitude play in our work and practice? On a personal level, we know that focusing on what we’re grateful for is good for overall mental health and contentment. Today we’d like to talk about specific situations in which appreciation and gratitude can help artists cope with some of the tougher aspects of art practice. Expressing gratitude can also help in your professional life to build mutual appreciation and respect in your dealings with the art world. Today we’ll talk about the importance of gratitude on both personal and professional levels.
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Episode 249: Explaining Abstraction
April 23rd, 2023 | 36 mins 28 secs
abstraction, art, artist statements, creativity, explaining your work, personal relationships, rebecca crowell
Lots of people misunderstand abstract art and don’t respect it as a valid form of expression. We’ve all heard remarks that imply that abstract artists lack talent or skill or are trying to fool people into appreciating something that has no value. If you are an abstract artist, how do you deal with this attitude? Do you have family and friends who dismiss your work? Do you let negative remarks pass by or do you try to provide some background or insight into abstraction? Today we’ll explore why abstraction confounds many viewers and some ways you might provide some insight.
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Episode 248: Feedback Time
April 15th, 2023 | 38 mins 21 secs
advice, art, creativity, development, feedback, mentors, rebecca crowell
As artists, we know it’s good to get feedback now and then so we can understand how our work is seen by others. But managing how and when to solicit feedback can have a lot to do with how valuable and appropriate it will be. While feedback at the right time and situation can be exactly what you need, feedback can also have the opposite effect, and even experienced artists can be thrown off track. Today we’ll talk about exerting control over when and how to receive feedback to make it most valuable.
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Episode 247: Making Progress
April 1st, 2023 | 29 mins 2 secs
advancing, art, creativity, development, failure, movement, process, progress, rebecca crowell
It seems to be a given that as artists we want to see growth and progress in our work --and many episodes of this podcast have focused on taking on the challenges and mindset that feed progress in the studio. But what does it really mean to make artistic progress? Is there any way to measure or quantify progress as an artist? And how is a sense of progress linked to our basic satisfaction as creative people?
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Episode 246: Balancing Art and Business
March 25th, 2023 | 37 mins 9 secs
art, balance, business, creativity, finances, organization, rebecca crowell, strategies, systems, taxes, tips
For many artists that want to market and sell their work, finding a balance between studio practice and business life is challenging. There are pitfalls in spending too much time on the business side of your practice, and drawbacks to not paying enough attention to this. Finding a good balance between your art and your art business is not simply a time management issue, but also one of your focus and emotional investment. Today we’ll talk about some considerations and pitfalls in navigating this territory.