114. I Took a Month Off to Paint & Hated It (What It Taught Me About Being an Artist)

After stepping away for nearly two months to focus solely on painting, I thought I’d finally become the version of the artist I had always imagined…someone who spends all day in the studio, creating nonstop. But instead? I felt lonely. Frustrated. Disconnected. And honestly…kind of lost. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the real experience of what happened when I stripped everything away - my workshops, the podcast, community and what that taught me about who I actually am as an artist (and as a human). This conversation is about:Letting go of the “ideal artist” identityWhy isolation didn’t work for me creativelyThe difference between what drains you vs. what energizes youReleasing pressure to constantly createLeaning into connection, community, and conversationNavigating comparison as an artistA personal update on my relationship with my dad and what I’m working throughBig life shifts (including Sam stepping away from his career 👏)And a little teaser… a rebrand is coming 👀If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing creativity “wrong,” or like the version of success you imagined doesn’t actually feel good… this one’s for you. You’re not broken. You might just need a different way. ✨ KEY TAKEAWAYS:You don’t have to fit the “studio artist” mold to be a real artistCreativity doesn’t thrive under constant pressureEnergy comes from connection, not just outputYou can love parts of your work and still outsource the restUnderstanding your patterns is more valuable than forcing productivityHealing relationships doesn’t always mean fixing them - it can mean understanding them