I’ve been practicing meditation and manifesting for decades, and one thing I know for sure is that imagining myself in the space is the first step toward making it real. Before my feet even hit the floor each morning, I take my day for a test-drive in my mind. I might glimpse the next phase of a painting, picture myself giving a talk, or see a lively meeting with business owners or collectors. I don’t just see it—I feel it in my whole body. [...]

Awakening your association muscles means noticing how every choice you make shapes your creative process. Everything within you emerges through your art. Learn to recognize how each element affects the others. Consider how advances in optics influenced art, or how technology led to new musical instruments. Everything is connected.   Your hand has two sides, and so does your creative process. One side holds the brush; think of the other as your creative soul or muse. Each side informs the other. Your point of view shapes your story. Reach into a deeper understanding of why you create. What is your story? The more [...]

 The more advances that technology makes, the more ways scammers find to take your money. Artists are no exception to scammers. You would think the amount of money they could swindle wouldn’t be significant, but I guess if you have a large operation going it can add up. I get almost daily emails, texts, or inquiries about my “captivating art”   Here is an example from today. I have posted it exactly as it arrived at my inbox.   Dear sandraduranwilson, I recently had the pleasure of discovering your artwork, and I was immediately captivated by your unique style and creativity. Your pieces resonate with [...]

Life is composed of memorable moments; I call them sparks. They can be both good and not so good memories. When you tune in with all your senses to these moments you encode them into your memory, and they shine more brightly than the lull of the everyday. They are out of the ordinary and they begin to define your story. You probably don’t remember what you wore to school on a Tuesday when you were in 5th grade...unless it is attached to a memory that is extraordinary. Here are some training tips that will help you define and encode significant moments. [...]

Routines serve as an effective way to save time. By following a set sequence of actions each day—such as waking up, drinking coffee, checking messages, reading the news (or choosing not to), working out, having breakfast, and beginning work, there is no need to spend energy reconsidering every decision. This streamlined approach helps you move efficiently throughout the day. However, the predictability of routines can also have a downside. At the end of the day, you might find yourself wondering where all the hours went. When you try to recall specific moments, like what you saw during your commute or on [...]

Many people say things are on their bucket list or they’ll do it eventually, but making time for our goals is a challenge. How can you make time for what matters, and where do you find it?   Time can be perceived as going by quickly or dragging on and on. I wake up on Monday morning and write down my to-do list for the day and the week, and it seems like by the afternoon the week has gone by. Where does that time go? When I am waiting for an appointment or sitting in traffic, time will drag on. When I [...]

Do you like to read short stories? They are like tidbits, morsels of something really scrumptious that leaves you wanting more. One of my favorite authors had a book recently published posthumously. I have read everything he has written including his young adult books. Carlos Ruiz Zafón was known for a series of books, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, set in Barcelona. He did not consider the books a series but rather a cycle. The books could be read in a chronological order or the order in which they were published. He loved watches and his favorites were ones with clear [...]

I work on many pieces of art at a time because I love to experiment with color combinations, materials, created collage elements, and as a way to use up extra paints and mediums. I also like to explore untried possibilities. What happens if I layer the magenta over the yellow? What would it look like if I reversed the order? Explorations and “making backgrounds” are fun and relaxing activities, but eventually you need to get down to the work of finding resolution in the piece and finishing it. Getting it matted or hung on the wall is also a big step.   When [...]

Hiking in southern Utah refilled my creative well and I discovered an architectural masterpiece in the desert. Last year at this time I was visiting everything Gaudi in Barcelona before heading to Morocco to teach an art retreat. [...]

I just returned from teaching several workshops in the Pacific Northwest. I met students that were just beginning on their artistic path and seasoned creatives. No matter where you are on your journey we all arrive at a similar place at some point, it is the muddled middle. This may happen in life as well, but it almost always happens during the course of painting or creating you get stuck. You begin with joy and abandon or purpose and direction only to reach a place where you get bogged down in the messy middle. I have witnessed so many artists [...]