Have you ever convinced yourself that being disorganised is an essential part of the creative process - but get constantly frustrated by looking for images or planning projects? "If I'm tidy I'm not a true artist" is one belief Anna Macdonald had. Today Anna and Alice talk about accepting the way you are and how to find the mental space to support your route to becoming the artist you want to be.  We talk about choosing your words carefully, and the curse of being 'busy'. There's a difference between being busy and productive and as a teacher, artist and mum, Anna shares her approach which has allowed her to develop her art and life. We discuss the different ways we use a bullet journal, and also the overwhelm when it comes into organising our digital life.  Find more on Anna's website annafmacdonald.com where you can sign up for a free class this October and find out more about her Artist Laptop course and the Bullet Journal course for artists HERE Find Anna on Instagram at @annafmacdonaldart Also Mentioned Alice and Anna both use Leuchtturm notebooks for bullet journals @gommie_poem on Instagram Find Alice and Louise 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

Are you perfectly confident about yourself and your art? Do you sail through life with no self-criticism? In most cases, the answer to this question is a resounding no. As artists we are all alone - making things that just seemed like a good idea, even though no-one asked us to. There is no roadmap and there are no instructions. So it's natural to be filled with self-doubt. Am I doing this right? Is anyone going to like this? Is this even art? This week, Louise is musing about the importance of self-acceptance. This is more than making ourselves feel good - without self-acceptance, we can't make the work that lives inside us - the unique, compelling, personal work of which we are capable. And if we don't trust ourselves, how can we expect buyers to have faith in us? Find Alice and Louise 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

Being an artist is an up and down business. One minute you're making things you love, the next minute everything has turned to rubbish. One month you sell lots of paintings, the next month you can't give them away. So what do you do? How do you navigate this unpredictable career without going mad or giving up? Not sure we have all the answers, but we have learned some lessons over the last few years and we've both become better at rolling with the punches. We hope this conversation serves as a reminder that we all struggle and we can all come out the other side if we just keep going. Mentioned: Jenny Fermor https://www.jennyfermorart.com/ Sara Breinlinger https://www.sarabreinlinger.com/ The Sensationalists on iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001cbst/sensationalists-the-bad-girls-and-boys-of-british-art Crossfire on iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001c9gh/crossfire Find Alice and Louise 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, Louise is joined by best-selling novelist (and good friend) Jonathan Hall, who writes under the name JM Hall. Louise is making a start on a new series of abstract paintings and Jonathan is beginning his third novel. In this conversation, we explore the challenges of starting again, or perhaps it's more a case of building on what went before? After all, Jonathan is writing about the same characters and Louise is bringing in elements of previous work, so are we ever really starting with a blank canvas? As we chat, we uncover many similarities between writing and painting, share our thoughts on imposter syndrome, discuss the value of taking creative detours, and agree on the importance of an underlying message or theme to our work. Sometimes it helps to step back and see our situation in a whole new light and we hope this comparison with writing makes that possible for you.  Mentioned Find Jonathan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jm_hall_writer/ Jonathan's first novel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09F5N8FR8/ Jonathan's Radio 4 Play 'Trust:' https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mb2k Find Alice and Louise 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 back! You'll notice it's been a longer break than we anticipated and today we are spilling the beans and talking about making decisions in your art life to suit you ... and why it's OK to want something that is different to the things other people want or expect from you.  This was not the episode we were expecting to record today but we hope it encourages you that there is always a way through to finding the fun AND the freedom in what you do... Mentioned Get your free Human Design chart here:  https://www.ihdschool.com/get-your-chart 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

Recently we've noticed a trend among the artists we know online; there seem to be more and more complaints about social media. Some artists have left Facebook on principle, many are disillusioned with Instagram's shift to bite-sized video content, and most of us haven't even tried Tik Tok. The dissatisfaction runs the gamut - if you have used social media for years, you might be finding it less effective than before. And if you are only just starting online, you might be struggling against the algorithm, and wondering how anyone ever built up a sizeable following. But have we lost our perspective? Social media platforms still allow us to share our art with the world, completely free of charge and surely that has greatly levelled the playing field for contemporary artists? As you may be able to tell, we have more questions than answers, -and we may have done a bit more moaning than usual - but we hope our discussion offers food for thought in an ever-changing world. This is our last episode for a month, as we'll be taking a short break. Do make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss us when we return. Mentioned The Wittering Whitehalls podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wittering-whitehalls/id1630153508 The Muse https://www.amazon.co.uk/Muse-Jessie-Burton/dp/1447250974/ Night Music https://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Music-Jojo-Moyes/dp/0340895969/ The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casebook-Victor-Frankenstein-Peter-Ackroyd/dp/0701182954 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 Louise is joined by American artist Jane Davies for a wide-ranging conversation around the topic of exploration. Jane is a true explorer, always experimenting and seeking new ways to access her creative instincts, resulting in fresh and exciting work that never stands still.  In this candid conversation, we discuss the role of intuition and the value of constant experimentation but we also admit to going off track sometimes and getting stuck in conventional ways of thinking or working. This isn't just a philosophical conversation - we also share some of our own ways of getting unstuck, including two different very practical collage exercises. If you are feeling stuck or bored, we hope this lively conversation helps you to shake things up again - after all, what's the worst that could happen!?  Mentioned Jane Davies website https://www.janedaviesstudios.com/ Jane on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janedaviesart/ Jane on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/jdaviesVT 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

Making art is demanding. It's a creative and personal challenge and ultimately deeply personal. Today Alice talks to somatic coach Tamsin Crimmens about recognising ways our bodies show us things may not always be right... anxiety, frustration, procrastinating - all can be signs to listen... When we're not trying to escape the moment, but BE with it, this is where we build our capacity. In this episode we talk about how to be more present so that instead of bouncing between different states of stress we can turn towards ourselves more deeply ... that can only be good for any artist! Mentioned Follow Tamsin on Instagram @tamsincrimmens Grab your gifted Creatrix Activation here: https://www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk/freebies www.tamsincrimmens.co.uk 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

Does making your own art sometimes feel insignificant in the face of world circumstances? If so, you are not alone. But it's not only the BIG things which can get in the way; what about when "just life" keeps you away?  In this episode we talk about: • how art can be a beneficial and restorative practice • recognising your own capacity and making allowances for other life events • the relationship of our own emotional state and how this relates to the art we make • and when you run out of steam, what is it that ultimately keeps pulling you back? Mentioned  Please continue to use the hashtag #artjuicedrawing  Daisy Fawcett https://www.instagram.com/thenorthernpotter/ Paul McCartney at Glastonbury with Dave Grohl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCZuCgyqLDs Episode 36 Art2Life podcast https://www.art2life.com/2022/06/29/becoming-more-alive-brandi-stanely-ep-36/ 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 turn our attention to the ancient art of drawing and in particular to the question of what makes a good drawing. We both often incorporate drawn marks into our abstract work, but what about drawing as an art form in itself, or as a preparation for paintings, or even as a meditative process designed to enrich our lives? In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss what is meant by the word ‘drawing;’ debate the value of blind or instinctual drawing; and share our own approach to the balance between accuracy and personality. We also consider whether drawing matters at all - is it relevant if you only want to paint abstractly? As usual, we come at this from different perspectives and we hope our discussion sparks some thoughts about what you look for, or want to achieve, from drawing. Maybe it will even inspire you to give it a go! Mentioned If you'd like to review the 6 steps of the Refresh retreat sessions you can find out more here: https://www.soulrocketstudio.com/refresh Link to Tracey Emin artist talk: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Ce_mMoKoQZH/ Danny Gregory https://www.dannygregory.com/ Tommy Kane https://www.tommykane.com/blog Vitamin D: new perspectives in drawing https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-New-Perspectives-Drawing-Themes/dp/0714845450 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