The responses we received aligned with the same pattern we saw earlier in the year, when we noticed three main responses as the pandemic unfolded. The first group have experienced much difficulty with finding focus and motivation for their work. One described the situation this year as “paralyzing.” While some experienced this mainly at the beginning of the pandemic, for others it has persisted. It’s likely that very few artists have avoided these times completely, with the constant influx of bad news.

A smaller group of artists who responded have kept on in much the same ways and with similar work as before COVID arrived. In our earlier podcast, we speculated that continuing with what is familiar is helpful in making the studio a refuge from all the other changes, a steady and productive place removed from the outer chaos.

The largest number of people who responded to our question, though, experienced positive changes in their work and attitudes. They appreciated the extra studio time due to lockdowns, and looked for inventive ways to use materials on hand and to connect with other artists. Some found new directions in their work—a focus on drawing, launching into plein aire painting, discovering photography as a creative outlet. Several found meaningful connections to their immediate environment when travel was cut off. And several expressed insight into the meaning of their work for them and their gratitude for being able to pursue it.

Many of us are feeling hope that the anxiety, lockdowns, isolation and other difficult aspects of the 2020 pandemic situation will be easing up in the coming months. How will we look back at this time and what has it brought to our work that was not there before? Thankfully, for many artists there have been gains along with all the hardships and losses.

If you are interested in buying a 3D Printer this is the best deal Ross could find on an Ender 3. This is not a paid endorsement, just a personal recommendation!
https://www.talkable.com/x/UqZPCK

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Thanks to everyone who has been sharing the show and to Albi Ulat for donating via PayPal. If you would like your own shoutout on the podcast donate here.
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Cold Wax Academy (formerly Squeegee Press) would like everyone who enjoys using their special cold wax tools to know that all sizes of SP Create squeegees are back in stock! Rebecca and her partner Jerry McLaughlin are also launching their online live learning sessions as part of the new membership program, and all sessions will be recorded for future viewing by members. For more information, and to become a member of Cold Wax Academy please visit their website at http://www.coldwaxacademy.com and click on the Membership button.
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Have an art related product, service, or event you would like to advertise on the Messy Studio Podcast?
Email Ross at rticknor.core@gmail.com for current mid-roll advertising rates.
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www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.coldwaxacademy.com
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The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

Currently Rebecca is in quarantine in New Mexico, fortunately without symptoms. She did have to cut her time in Ireland short and return to the United States before the suspension of international travel. This meant canceling a workshop, an important source of income, and spending the next two weeks confined to her home. Like many other artists, she has also canceled other upcoming workshops and travel.

The pandemic now affects every aspect of our lives as artists, from the postponed or canceled events and galleries on the economic brink, to the need to shelter in place, possibly apart from our studios, and the loss of personal contact with other artists. It can be hard to focus on our work when we are feeling anxious and distracted by the constant flow of bad news, and worries about ourselves and our loved ones.

There is much about the current situation that is unknown and beyond our control. But concentrating on what we can control, including our attitudes is the key to staying mentally healthy. Even though many things now seem hopeless and frightening, there are also positive aspects to the situation on which to focus. Acting in generous ways, thinking of how to help others, and realizing we're all in this together can all help with remaining on track. For many of us, a spiritual component is critical to maintaining the right attitude to survive and thrive in the midst of a catastrophe. Technology is a help in many aspects of what we're now dealing with, and spirituality is no exception. Whatever your spiritual philosophy, there is an app that will send you daily devotionals, meditations, or affirmations. Spend some time every morning reading these rather than the latest COVID-19 news. This will set the tone for the rest of the day. The news is important, but it can wait a few minutes.

As artists we are very fortunate to have the commitment to our work to help us in this time of isolation. Some of us are lucky enough to have ongoing access to our studios, but if not it may help to remember times when you created in less than ideal circumstances, as most of us did starting out. We can value the chance to catch up on projects, do some online learning, or delve into some idea that has been on the back burner. For many of us, our time in the studio is now our own, without the need to prepare for upcoming exhibits or meet other outside demands., and there is a certain freedom to that. We may also be able to catch up on projects that have fallen by the wayside. because we don’t find them very fulfilling, like bookkeeping or cleaning; clearing out a backlog of such chores is a good feeling.

Besides more time in the studio, many of us also have more time with our families. Try to establish a routine to help you make the most of this time, including as much time as possible to your art. Adjusting to working in your studio while caring for school aged children who are now at home will be difficult, but there are many educational resources online to help. Your kids may also enjoy making some art with you, and learning about what you do.

Financial difficulty will hit many of us and create a great deal of anxiety. One suggestion is to develop a new income stream related to your art practice now, such as an online course, a mentoring program, or instructional video series. An art course aimed at children might be especially appropriate at this time. Think about what your specialized niche might be and have confidence that most artists have an insatiable thirst for learning and improving. While it will take weeks or longer to develop something worth charging for, starting now is a smart move. Even the isolation imposed by COVID-19 ends soon, we'll be feeling the economic strain for some time.

We are all currently faced with enormous changes and challenges, and it's all happening fast. Some people will sit at home, hypnotized by the television, waiting for this all to be over. But others will use this time to improve their work, improvise with what they do have, and address neglected aspects of their lives.

To quote the late Toni Morrison:
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self pity, no need for silence, and no room for fear. We do language. (or in this case, art…) That is how civilizations heal."

Here are some great learning resources for you...

Access to your library online:
https://www.overdrive.com/

MIT's open courseware platform:
https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Skillshare has a banner ad at the top of the screen for two months of premium for free:
www.skillshare.com

Here is a list of free resources put together by Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/martingiles/2020/03/19/free-software-for-businesses-and-schools-covid19/#467e08ee752d

For more Messy Studio:
www.messystudiopodcast.com
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For more from Rebecca Crowell:
www.rebeccacrowell.com
www.squeegeepress.com

The Messy Studio Podcast is a CORE Publication MGMT production.

As teachers, awareness of these rules and dictates that we have accepted as fact is especially important. Unchallenged assumptions can be passed from one artist to the next very easily. These beliefs become inner voices that continue to influence an artist long after the words are spoken, and can hinder an individual’s critical thinking and ideas. For example, almost all of us were told at some point that it wasn’t possible to earn a living as an artist.

Those of us who attended art school often encountered instructors who gave completely opposite though well-meaning advice, and part of our learning process as students is developing a sense of what advice to follow. In art school, one teacher told Rebecca that “what is personal is Universal” and later, another found her work too personal and advised that “nobody wants to read your diary." Integrating these two ideas was eventually meaningful for her, so what seems opposing advice may also be different angles on the same idea.

Even purely technical advice can be examined in light of its usefulness and truth. For example, many painters are told to “never use black paint straight from the tube”. Rebecca has 35 years of professional experience in breaking this rule.

Oddly, even positive, or encouraging advice can be detrimental. You may find an instructor pushing you in a direction in which you are not particularly drawn. While exploring directions in your work other than your natural tendency can be helpful, you should always stay true to who you are. Becoming overly influenced by any one individual will make it difficult to discover your own personal voice.

So what does good advice sound like? Good advice tends to open doors, make you think, and produce insights. It may be strict or formulaic, such as rules about safety or best practices, but if so it should be supported with reason and established principles, not simply opinion. The more open ended and inclusive advice usually deals with individual voice and direction.

Always consider the source, and your own biases when giving advice to others. As you both receive and give advice, try to distinguish fact from opinion. Use critical thinking and challenge assumptions that seem arbitrary and unfounded. Don’t forget to be open to what is rational, and founded in principle. There is always a possibility that your existing opinions may not be correct.

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What does your art mean for you as a person living your life? How does what you do in the studio lead you to be a better person or have a more fulfilling life?

I realized in posing the question it is hard to separate out studio practice from the rest of life, or from who we are as people. But thought it would be interesting to get other artists ideas on this.

May lead to future podcasts, let us know if you’d like to more about any of these ideas

reading the answers was uplifting/ how deeply these artists feel about what they do, central to their lives and who they are.

Answers ranged from the somewhat concrete (such as learning to see and pay attention to the world) to others quite spiritual or soulful. A lot had to do with self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, learning to see things through.

Probably most people could have gone on at length as their statements were pretty concise and pithy. Not an easy question to sum up, covers a lot of ground.

The root of the question: Consider the person you are when making art -- can you and do you access that in dealing with daily life. If not, can be a huge challenge but awareness is a start.

some natural, organic change over time though--because you are living it in the studio, a big part of your ife

Example—
patience, letting things unfold, living with some uncertainty.
Letting things go, moving on
Is there carry over?

These can be big issues—and what we learn from art practice is ongoing—we can glimpse it but forget, over and over. But still there may be progress over time.

My own response: my art practice
In terms of personality—has made me more trusting and optimistic about life in general –that endless cycle of trial and error and coming through in the end—still learning
the big picture--how I process life’s experiences, a loop of input and output, leading to overall deep satisfaction, sense of living a full and self-reflective, life –integration of inner and outer experience.

Creative practice and healthy emotional life:

Happiness, sense of purpose in life

self-knowledge --increased self-awareness on some level: authenticity, what is your true voice; trusting in intuition

Self-confidence/self-acceptance /knowing yourself and what you want, what is right in the moment. Helps with business side too.

Ability to be happy in solitude and treasure alone time/learning to dedicate your studio time

Spiritual aspects: connected with meditation practices, being present, sense of deep gratitude
Focus on the moment not the outcome, valuing the journey

Humility, letting go, learning that sometimes things turn out best when we step out of the way and stop trying to control everything

Lessons learned:

Being willing to try and fail, take risks, value of what is learned the hard way

problem solving—how to overcome obstacles, “thinking laterally”, letting things evolve

Perseverance

really seeing the world around us in both visual and conceptual ways

Wrap-up: the question tapped into people’s passion for their work—and how much a part of who we are it is. Every one of us can be grateful for what our work brings to our lives in positive ways.

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www.squeegeepress.com
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