This week we're talking risk, ambiguity and the great unknown. As Louise prepares to teach her annual course, she has been reflecting on the blocks and fears that so many artists experience. Together, we explore our own comfort with risk - where are we willing to leap into the unknown and where do we perhaps hold back a little? What is the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset? And where can we perhaps push ourselves to take just a little more risk? During our chat, we discuss whether age plays a role in our inhibitions, explore the idea of dancing with fear, and debate the concept of comfort zones and safety.  Mentioned Join Louise's free Find Your Joy course here https://www.louisefletchercourses.com/wait-list-fyj-2022 See Alice's latest paintings here. https://alicesheridan.com/duality/ See Louise's latest paintings here. https://www.louisefletcherart.com/private-view-the-layered-landscape Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Welcome to an essential conversation about money with Michelle Walker. This is often the least favourite part of being an artist, but being profitable means being sustainable. How we manage the often-avoided subject and working out your relationship with money is key for your art career growth. We talk about calming your nervous system so that you can approach your money matters with a clear and positive attitude, thinking of your relationship with money in a rather surprising personal way. Let Michelle introduce you to your inner finance manager so you can get a better grip on charging your worth and understanding your business better. We've all experienced the energy drag which can arise around this topic - and how good we can feel when we can change our approach. Grab a pen - you'll need it! Take this further and join Michelle on her upcoming Money Mojo challenge which kicks off soon Join the Money Mojo for Artists Challenge HERE: https://tinyurl.com/moneymojochallenge Mentioned Find Michelle at www.michellewalkerart.com Follow her on Instagram @michellewalkerart Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

As Alice gets back from two energising trips away we talk about where in life we find a balance to create the life we want. If we have ambitions and desires, sometimes we need to find that space and energy to face a stretchy goal. But we also need to make sure what you want is for you.... maybe there's a different way.  It's quite OK to want something, but as life is always shifting it comes down to being honest and finding your personal approach. We ask ourselves where we place limits on our dreams or whether we are led by a feeling of what we have to prove before we can make certain decisions. As creatives we have perhaps an endless capacity for looking out for the new. But in the bigger picture - now what? We have a few questions we ask which may help you, so grab a pen and take some time out with your journal! Mentioned Join Louise's free Find Your Joy course here https://www.louisefletchercourses.com/wait-list-fyj-2022 Get the Time to Shine Early Bird rate here: https://www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine Find out about Alice's Connected Artist membership here: https://alicesheridan.com/artists/ Graham Norton novel 'Holding' https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holding-Graham-Norton/dp/1444792008 Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Nicholas Cage film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11291274/ Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Today Louise is joined by two guest artists - Trayci Tompkins from South Africa, and Amanda Pickles from North Yorkshire in the UK. Together they discuss the challenging issue of confidence. A few years ago, both Trayci and Amanda took the courageous decision to shift their art in a new direction. Trayci had many years of experience as a best-selling ceramicist and Amanda was a full-time artist with a highly successful business making commissioned paintings, but both felt the pull of something new and took the brave decision to pursue their own artistic paths. In this inspiring conversation, we discuss how this change has impacted both their art and their lives - this is a conversation that will stay with you for some time. Mentioned Join Louise's free Find Your Joy course here https://www.louisefletchercourses.com/wait-list-fyj-2022 Find Trayci on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/traycitompkins/?hl=en Find Amanda on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amandajpicklesallotmentstudio2/?hl=en Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week we're both preparing for solo exhibitions, something that would have seemed unbelievable to us when we first started out on our art careers. That prompted this informal chat about the lessons we've learned along the way, and some of the hurdles that can keep you stuck.  Some are things to avoid - not rushing to make sales, getting addicted to the first sense of success or waiting for approval before you begin. Others include the ability to leave things behind when you're ready to move on, finding supportive people to talk to, remembering that our goals will shift anyway, and learning to rely on your own internal validation.  We also reconsider reels and talk exhibition prep, framing, and the misery of celebrity life, so this is one not to miss!  Mentioned  Louise's free course https://www.louisefletchercourses.com/wait-list-fyj-2022 Alice's new work https://alicesheridan.com/duality/  The Reel that's going crazy... (up from 50k to 200k+ views since recording  https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc08aBEI00_/  The Virtual Art Summit 2022 www.virtualartsummit.com/go Alice and Kelly Wynne on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc28JffJDwo/  Ira Glass the Gap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91FQKciKfHI  Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at:  www.alicesheridan.com   www.louisefletcherart.com  Follow us on Instagram:  @alicesheridanstudio  @louisefletcher_art  Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week's chat was inspired by a book called Alchemy by Rory Sutherland. The premise of the book is that the best way to solve any problem is to abandon logic and cast aside rationality. We discus the different ways irrational thinking could be applied to life and to art. For example, can we do away with common ways of operating and make our own rules? (Would people prefer prices that are based not on size of painting but on how much the artist like a piece or how much time they spent on it?) This book has prompted Alice to rethink the way her paintings might be available and it has spurred Louise to face up to some pricing blocks. Perhaps our conversation will spark some similar realisations for you.  Mentioned Alchemy by Rory Sutherland https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemy-Surprising-Power-Ideas-Sense/dp/0753556529/ Louise's Find Your Joy taster course https://www.louisefletchercourses.com/wait-list-fyj-2022 Alice's Time To Shine 14 day program https://www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, Alice gets to grips with a DIY job and it sparks a discussion about time - in a world where there is never enough of it, how do we come to terms with this most troublesome aspect of life? In different ways, we have both experienced the downside of trying to do too much, including the fact that this prevents us from enjoying the present moment. If art-making is a journey without a final destination (and surely it is), then what are we rushing towards? Why do we feel this pressure to not fall behind? And how can we reframe our thoughts around time? While we don't have all the answers, perhaps our discussion will spark some ideas for you, particularly around how you can be more mindful about time. Mentioned Find out about the Time to Shine course here: https://www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine Louise's interview on Learning to Paint https://www.learntopaintpodcast.com/podcast/episode48 Even The Rich podcast - Elizabeth Taylor https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-loves-elizabeth-taylor-we-will-have-no-more-marriages/id1500477470?i=1000530109907 Ferne Cotton podcast with Will Young https://podcasts.apple.com/lv/podcast/will-young/id1353058891?i=1000556926241 Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

What does it mean to live a creative life? What does it take to achieve your dreams? And is that any different if you write for a living rather than making visual art? This week, Louise is joined by writer Jonathan Hall, whose first novel was recently published to critical and commercial acclaim. But this success was 59 years in the making and Jonathan has experienced his fair share of setbacks along the way. In this episode, we look at the importance of self-belief and the necessity of an unswerving commitment to our creative practice. Our discussion uncovers numerous similarities between the life of a writer and that of a painter, including the fear of a blank page or canvas; the impact of rejection; the need to "paint over" things you really like; and the importance of finding your own unique voice. It's refreshing to approach the topic of creativity from a different perspective and we know you'll enjoy Jonathan's wisdom and humour. Mentioned Jonathan's novel "A Spoonful of Murder"  https://www.bookdepository.com/Spoonful-Murder-J-M-Hall/9780008509613 Jonathan's BBC series "Trust" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mb2k Jonathan's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jm_hall_writer/ Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

This week, we have a chat and then answer some listener questions, but our whole discussion revolves around a central issue: How do we manage this artist life? How do we make our work? How do we run our businesses? Are we getting it right? (And how does this relate to the choice between broccoli and chocolate?!) This is one of those rambling discussions that we hope makes some sense in hindsight. Listeners add to the conversation by asking about what to do when a painting takes a different turn, and also how to know when a painting is done. In the end, we both think it comes back to understanding that there is no "right" way to do things. What a relief!  Mentioned "Rich Dad Poor Dad" book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-T-Kiyosaki/e/B001H6GV90 "Drawing and Painting the Landscape" by Philip Tyler https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drawing-Painting-Landscape-course-lessons/dp/1785003240/ Minnow Pond Tarot https://www.youtube.com/c/minnowpond Georgina Noel's "Inner Work" podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inner-work/id1506024168?uo=4 Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Do you feel your art needs to be beautiful? And if so, what do you mean by beauty? We dive into this topic because we are both thinking about this idea as our work morphs and changes. We discuss the role of beauty in art history and how much of the art that we love is NOT beautiful - and yet how we are still drawn to creating beauty in our own work. In the beginning, perhaps, we both aimed for beauty because it was a measure of our skill level - but once we attained those skills, we seem drawn to pushing the boundaries. But how much imperfection can we allow in? How much raw expression is too much? Of course these questions are personal to each one of us, and we hope this discussion helps you think about beauty in your own work.  Mentioned Drew Steinbrecher on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drewsteinbrecher/?hl=en Dead Eyes podcast https://headgum.com/dead-eyes Creative Pep Talk podcast https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/zdqvn-3717c/Creative-Pep-Talk-Podcast Find our websites and sign up for our newsletters at: www.alicesheridan.com  www.louisefletcherart.com Follow us on Instagram: @alicesheridanstudio @louisefletcher_art Credits: "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License