I sat down to work with paper collage ( a medium I'd dabbled in but never really explored) and I noticed myself procrastinating even in the chair. It had been a while since I'd sat there. So I pulled out my Art Session Planner sheet anyway and filled it out, to see if I could flesh out what I was avoiding. That one small act changed the whole session. And it taught me something I didn't expect: the paper collage supplies that actually matter aren't the ones on a shopping l

An art journal can hold painting, drawing, collage, writing, mixed media...or all of them at once, on the same page. Some people fill theirs with words and a little color. Others never write a single word. There are no rules about what goes in, which is exactly why it is the easiest way back into making art after a long time away.

Art journaling might be the cheapest way back into making art, which is a strange thing to admit at the top of a supplies post. But it is true. You do not need a cart full of gear to start. You need paper, paint, glue, and something to glue it to. That is the whole entry fee. Everything below is what I actually reached for building my first one. Buy the few things that earn their place, raid your recycling for the rest, and skip anything that makes starting feel expensive.

Drawing is one of the easiest creative practices to return to because it asks for so little. You don't need a studio or trays of supplies. You can use an HB No. 2 pencil and a sketchbook—or a mechanical pencil and scratch paper. If you must, you can draw in your lap.

Every December, someone who loves an artist, or really any creative person, goes shopping with the best of intentions and absolutely no idea what to buy. Paint, but which paint? A brush, but which one? A craft kit? That 100-piece set with every color looks like a great deal for the money? You came looking for Christmas gift ideas for artists, or gifts for the creative person in your life, and there are plenty below: the good, the great, and the please don't.

A creative challenge is a defined creative commitment with a beginning, an end, and a payoff for finishing. It might ask you to draw every day for a month, complete one unfinished project, or follow a series of steps that helps you get back to making art. That structure is part of the appeal. A creative challenge can help you build a habit, make progress on something you have avoided, or get past the blank page. The problem is that the challenge itself can become another b

Those odd shapes and uneven angles weren’t problems I had to correct before I was allowed to keep going. I could work with them. I could cut a piece at an unexpected angle, attach another scrap, turn the block, and build outward. The discovery brought relief, but it brought something even better: possibility. I loved the tactile experience of fabric. I loved putting colors and patterns together in combinations I hadn’t seen before. I could stack, cut, rearrange, and mix scrap

Shopping for painting art supplies for beginners can make a simple new hobby feel surprisingly complicated. It is easy to think you need a bunch of stuff before you can begin. You don’t. Beginning to paint should feel like embarking on an adventure. Pack light. Choose one kind of paint, buy a few dependable supplies and add to your collection as your skills and interests develop

One of the most common topics in my executive coaching practice isn't leadership or communication. It's guilt. Guilt for leaving work on time. Guilt for taking a vacation. Guilt for investing in themselves and their own development instead of squeezing in one more hour of work. Over the years, I've noticed something surprising: that same guilt doesn't stay at work. It follows people home, right into their creative life. If you feel guilty taking an hour for yourself at work,

Looking for the best gifts for artists? Whether you're shopping for a painter, watercolorist, sketcher, or someone just getting back into art, this guide is full of thoughtful art gifts they'll actually use. Most recommendations are supplies I've personally bought, loved, or would happily give to another artist—plus a few things I think you should skip. Art supplies are one of the most personal and beloved gifts you can give. Which is exactly why they're so easy to get wrong.

What if your art block isn’t actually a lack of creativity? Sometimes you don’t need another idea. Sometimes (I'd say most times) another idea actually won't help. What do you need instead? You need time, space, a clear next step, or a break from the running commentary in your own head.

"I used to make art." Sometimes it's painting. Sometimes quilting, pottery, sewing, knitting, or keeping a sketchbook. The medium changes, but the sentiment doesn't. I've heard that sentence hundreds of times. People think they’ve lost their creativity. I don’t think that’s what’s happened. I think they lost their rhythm. I know, because I did too.

Showing up matters. I’m a big believer in sitting in the seat, lowering your expectations, and being willing to make imperfect art. But I also want my studio time to count.

Whether you're building a home art studio, taking your creative practice and supplies on the road, or looking for the books and tools that have genuinely improved my own creative practice, these are the products I reach for again and again.

For a long time, I treated studio time for artists as optional. It was something I would get to after I had taken care of everything and everyone else. In other words, I treated it like leftover time. The problem was...there was rarely anything left over. The Real Problem With “I’ll Get to It” Creating is a form of self-care, and that kind of time tends to be the first thing to go when life gets busy. Why? Because studio time is usually beholden to no one but o