This week's discussion was originally planned as a chat about persevering with unfamiliar materials, but it soon broadened into a conversation about change in our work. We discuss the importance of finding ways to shift our work, and the role materials can play in that. We both strive to constantly push our work in new directions, but this can lead to real feelings of discomfort if we are also seeking results in the form of finished paintings. In the end, we both agree that new ideas need time and space in which to grow. If we give up at the first hurdle, we never get to find out what might have been possible. So Alice has decided to persevere and make life difficult sometimes with new materials while Louise will continue to make paintings she doesn't yet understand.  Mentioned Khadi paper https://www.jacksonsart.com/brands/khadi 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 talking support systems - what are they? How do we find them? And why do we need them? We have supported one another over the last few years and we have both found the relationship valuable for different reasons. But what are the other ways we have found to support ourselves? In this episode, we talk about the value of online communities and real life relationships, but also the importance of asking for help and support in other parts of our life, so that we can make room for art. We also talk about learning to say no, and asking for support from the wrong people, which can be so destructive. We hope this episode inspires you to look at how you might be able to shore up your art practice by leaning a little bit on other people - even if only now and then. Mentioned Alice's Connected Artist Group www.soulrocketstudio.com/connected-interest Louise's Art Tribe https://www.louisefletcherart.com/art-tribe 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 dive into a successful launch and tease out the lessons we can all learn. Louise recently released her book Life Force which is about the process of making a series of paintings and then she released the actual paintings online. This had always been her plan but along the way, she encountered people who questioned the idea, and suggested that a physical exhibition would be a better idea. Despite temporarily losing focus, she eventually returned to her original vision, a decision which paid off. In this episode, we discuss the importance and value of going your own way with your work, even when (or especially when) you are not sure where it will lead. We also examine how to tune in to inspiration and intuition so that you ARE actually pursuing your own unique direction. Mentioned Louise's book "Life Force" at Bird Eye Books https://birdeyebooks.com/products/life-force-a-painters-response-to-the-nature-poetry-of-ted-hughes See Louise's Ted Hughes paintings online https://www.louisefletcherart.com/shop/life-force 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 discuss the recent outage of Facebook, Instagram and Whats App and share our thoughts on the realisations it brought up. We rely on these apps for all sorts of things - we connect with our friends, we share our art, and some of us run our businesses using at least one of these platforms. When they vanish, we can feel lost. But we believe this outage reminds us that there are other ways to stay in touch and other ways to market our work. And that in fact, we could focus our efforts a little more widely. Neither of us believe that we will have to do without social media, but we can make it a little less central. We end our chat with a challenge to you, so stick with us to the end! Mentioned Louise's book from her publishers https://birdeyebooks.com/products/life-force-a-painters-response-to-the-nature-poetry-of-ted-hughes Louise's book from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Force-Painters-Response-Nature/dp/1914079647 George Pointon on Twitter https://twitter.com/GeorgePointon_ Grand Designs https://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs Location, Location, Location https://www.channel4.com/programmes/location-location-location 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 welcomes special guest Jo McCarthy to the podcast. Jo is a small shop mentor who helps creative professionals build their e-commerce businesses and in this episode, she shares her expertise on how to successfully market your work online. Alice and Jo discuss blocks to selling (and how to overcome them) and also discuss the importance of taking small steps rather than trying to make giant leaps.  Jo suggests reframing the idea of productivity, and viewing your business in terms of capacity rather than time. She also explains why she she uses a 'can do' list rather than a 'to do' list. Perhaps most importantly, Alice and Jo discuss the importance of showing up and starting to sell even thought everything is not yet perfect. If you've been feeling unsure about selling online, this episode should make you feel much more comfortable about just getting out there and "evolving in public." Mentioned Find Jo on Instagram at  @jo_at_firain And her website www.firain.com Seth Godin blog post: https://seths.blog/2016/03/show-your-work/ Alice's Time to Shine course: 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

We've all been there - bursting with ideas and new directions! It's exciting, it feels fun BUT when should you follow these nudges or when should you be disciplined and stick to a plan? Ideas can often shift during work in progress and it can be hard to know what's a natural variation or a misleading distraction. We have some pointers to help you identify when things can feel too scattered and some ways you can review and bring yourself back on track, whether that's creating a cohesive group of work, when it's good to say no and how safely 'shelving' an idea may not be as risky as it feels.  Mentioned Find out about Alice's Time to Shine Alice's challenge : www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine or on her website here:  https://alicesheridan.com Barbara Sher: Refuse to Choose book  Katherine Palmers Needham colour sketchbook post on Instagram here Instagram @KatherinePalmersNeedham_art 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

How comfortable are you sharing your art? Are you one of those people who shares regular videos or blog posts? Or do you tend to shy away from being public about your work? Alice is preparing to launch an exciting new visibility challenge and that sparked a discussion about the importance of this facet of our art careers. It's simply not enough to just make wonderful art - we also have to put it out into the world and that means putting ourselves out there too. The truth is that people buy art from artists they can connect with and they can't connect with you if they've never seen you. In this episode we discuss some of the blocks to visibility and share our own thoughts on the importance of making ourselves visible. Mentioned Find out about Alice's Time to Shine Alice's challenge : www.soulrocketstudio.com/shine or on her website here:  https://alicesheridan.com This is my House https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000tjfz/this-is-my-house The Cleaner https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09pm3dv/the-cleaner-series-1-1-the-widow 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

How much time should we spend thinking versus painting? Are we wasting time if we simply sit in a chair and look at what we made? And how can we approach analysing our own work? In this episode, we discuss the importance of spending time with our work at various stages - including setting intentions, assessing progress during the making of the work, and reflecting on paintings once they are complete. Time pressures, and a focus on productivity, can make it challenging for some artists to take a pause, but we both agree that it's important to step back and find some distance from our work - whether that is halfway through a painting or once a series is complete. In fact, we think that pause improves our productivity because it allows us to clarify our thoughts and set clear intentions for our next moves.  Mentioned Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjBvRURtc-Q 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

We've all experienced it - we're working on a painting we love and then ... oops, we make a few wrong moves and the whole thing feels ruined. Or, as recently happened to Louise, we'e working in a painting late at night, feeling really good about it, and then come back in the next morning to find nothing is as we thought. But is this really a problem? In this episode, we discuss that sinking feeling and offer a different viewpoint. During our conversation, we dig into the stages of a painting, discuss whether we have ever actually ruined anything, rail against the use of gesso to 'just cover it up,' and agree on the importance of intention as a guiding principle. We also share our thoughts on a new art book and digress into a slightly nerdy discussion about Mailchimp.  Mentioned Remembering in Paint by David Mankin https://www.david-mankin.com/book 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

We have returned from a break - except was it really a break? We both seem to have been almost as busy and this realisation sparked a discussion about time management, priorities, and what we want from our art - including how important it is to make sales. Over the break, Alice has been developing new ideas in a supportive group while Louise has been considering how she wants to share her work. But we've also been reconsidering where we spend our time (we even allow ourselves a little moan). This isn't an episode with "how to" tips or a focused message - it's an honest conversation about the artist life, including throwing paintings on bonfires, managing "to do" lists, paring back our ideas, and finding time for ourselves. There is also a bonus discussion on finding the perfect coffee mug - you're welcome lol. Mentioned Courtyard Pottery Grassington https://www.instagram.com/david.ashby.ceramics/?hl=en Linda Bloomfield mugs https://lindabloomfield.co.uk/product-category/handmade-porcelain/mugs-cups/ John Hall obituary https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/rip-john-hall-perfect-mancunian-21348415 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