DO YOU HAVE TOO MANY DIRECTIONS FOR YOUR ART?

[@meredithgould5281]

Here I am in 2023 and watched this because a friend forwarded it to me. And just like THAT, something I knew all along but hadn't exactly acted upon, clicked into place. Relief and freedom feelings ensued. Thank you.

[@brendaoquin]

Thank you for this. A couple of years ago I retired and got involved in a lot of different things, church, volunteering, art guild, etc. I liked doing all of these things but after a couple of years it started feeling like I was working again. I realized I liked doing a ton of things but I LOVED doing a few things. I wanted to have time for the things I loved. So, I let go of all of the 'likes' and focused only on the 'loves'. Life changer. I'm so much more happy now, feeling less stress and am more protective to maintain this simpler way of being. Now, to apply this to my art. ha! Needing to simplify my artwork is now my challenge. lol So, thank you for this video and the reminder. I need to apply this to my artwork just as I had done to my daily life.

[@kimranson4775]

Wonderful advice!

[@anniesmith2]

I am needing this right now….thanks!

[@jenricecoach]

I love all your videos. Here's what's really fascinating: I'm a life/work strategist and coach, and everything you're talking about regarding art applies to everything else. This is the heart of authentic living, regardless of whether it's art or hobbies or a job or whatever. I guess that's why you call it Art2Life :-) One more note: you appear to be the kind of human who I call a "rebel with a cause" -- fast thinker, dot connector, intuitive, dazzled by too many possibilities. I'll be sending a lot of my coachees to this channel regardless of whether they're artists! Thanks so much for your generous content.

[@sigrunasa]

Totally got me with comparing to snacking versus hungry and having a good soup! You are so good at clarifying various matters, thank you

[@trinesandns4947]

I struggle with this.Thank you for adressing this.

[@pamelarayne6409]

Thank you, most helpful and self confirming message.

[@aletagudelski6414]

Excellent approach to the "too many ideas" in my head. This helps with my scattered approach to not only my painting but life i general. You continue to amaze me. Thank you!

[@joro2413]

Nicholas, you just nailed it down for me thank you SO MUCH ,

[@sheabee8406]

This is good for me. I'm in an experimental stage since I started my first abstract a few months ago. Just did a new style, it's done well, and I can't stand to look at it. I did it. Going to give it away to family and get on to what I love.

[@johnkitching6293]

I have this in my art life, one subject then another, flipping from one idea to the next’ no consistency I keep stumbling from landscapes to non objective to scraping experiments’. Everything is different this narrowing idea is a good idea I will try’ thank you Nick for sharing

[@judykaplan3580]

I have spent the past ten plus years trying all kinds of creative art forms. I had the space to have my fingers in everything, but I found I would go out to my studio and just stand there and not be able to do anything. It was overwhelming. I recently came across your free Art2Life workshop. I’m now involved in CVP. I’m focusing on abstract painting and I’m loving it. I really want to go deep with this and put the other stuff aside. I love your videos and I, too, love your voice. You have given me courage to be bold and explore where my art takes me. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift of your knowledge and support!

[@FoammeFatale]

Not only is everything you say so incredibly relevant to me but you have an amazing voice! I could listen to you speak endlessly. Thank you for all of your hard work creating these vidoes.

[@barbaralewis2806]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Nicholas - this is what kept me awake last night! Currently starting my list..

[@lawrencebeaudry8600]

Thank you sir, very helpful.

[@annrubino6252]

I really needed this - thank you Nicholas.

[@peaceswirl]

Thank you. So needed to hear this.

[@judydickson2704]

I love your videos! You are one GREAT teacher! I've been painting for two years now and have tried every technique and tool out there! Watercolor, oil and acrylic! Just recently I decided what I enjoy the most is abstract, contemporary with a pallet knife using acrylics! I've been on a roll now for a couple of months and enjoying every minute of it! I have also started popping ideas into a clay box I made years ago! Thank you Nicholas, you're awesome!

[@Art2Life]

So great!

[@belindaroca4577]

Wow.. u totally described me lol.. want to to paint in soft pastels and acrylics cuz I like them both.. 56 y/o and running out of time.

[@skipheart4]

I needed to hear this today. Thank you

[@fen8992]

Just watched this and it's perfect for me right now! I've got a glue gun, resin seascapes, watercolours, coloured pencils & odourless mineral spirits and my favoutite acrylic paints, all waiting to be more fully explored. I'm creating pressure for myself and definately spreading myself thin. This is just what I needed to hear!

[@bravelace]

I love your channel and have subscribed. Such honest and real advice! It would be super cool to hear you work through this particular situation with someone to get a real life example of how to narrow in on a focus. Thank you for sharing! I’m binge watching right now. So great.

[@CaroleMora22]

This presentation reminds me of the idea of "the power of limits".

[@MeEliotSmelliot]

Thank you for a very worthy message! It is so appropriate for me!

[@janetjoslin6463]

OMG this is actually my biggest problem! I love it all but like you say I never delve deeply enough into one thing because I see something new that I want to learn or do and I go off on a tangent. I have made wearable art I have made jewelry I have done encaustic.... I do refashioning of clothing,.... I should say I have done these things in the past. But recently I had to move to a smaller place and so I had to give up a lot of my materials to do all this. Inside of me is the desire to simplify, and I was forced to do this! It was very traumatic because it felt like I was letting go of so much of Me!! I also was struggling financially, and I have struggled with selling and marketing myself. My house is full of my paintings, fabrics jewelry I’ve made.. Anyway, because of being so unfocused, ADHD, whatever you call it, and now can’t afford any more art materials I am forced to slow down. But still the anxiety is there every time I experience a new idea or passion! So, I am trying to focus on painting with oil and cold wax, which is a struggle, and frustrating, yet challenging! Inside of me is the dream of having a large messy studio, where I picture myself being like a kid, expressing it all with no worrying about what it costs for supplies...and that way I could find my way for once in my life...i am 77, and not in good health, , so I feel like I don’t have much time left to find my way...so I am just trying to remind myself to not think about selling my art, but to just have fun and play (in my small space where I can’t get messy) “have patience and stay in the present moment! (although, if I could sell my art, I then could afford the LARGE MESSY STUDIO WITH ENDLESS SUPPLIES”!! So there is my dilemma ........

[@katriebonanno5282]

Thank you Nicholas! I recently found out about this channel and I am so grateful for your thorough explanations. I feel like I have learned more in just a few of your videos than 4 yrs in art school!!

[@TheGeogirl]

I think it’s funny that I didn’t catch on to this myself because I used to say this about university. Every year the classes would get better because they would narrow down into the subject instead of being super broad like in first year.

[@VeronikaBan]

Great point! Me too i have too many ideas and it's difficult sometimes to go deeper in one thing, couse time flies and if you do not choose one thing to go deeper, its very possible to get lost in the ocean of ideas.. So i also get to the point to concentrate at one thing and work it deeper.. Great metaphor with food, btw.. totally getting the point.. This is first video from you that i am watching and i immediately subscribe your Channel 👍🏼😀🙌 Cheers and best greetings from Berlin!

[@lidiasajdak8468]

thank you very much indeed for this piece of advice. particularly helpful for a person who has so scattered mind as I do. I love working with all possible media. in my case process is more about realization what I want to convey and that seems to attract the right medium or media. love the idea of writing down all ideas but what I do is mainly collecting some inspiration items such as photos, scraps of paper, threads and so on placing them in boxes or folders so I have "seeds" ready to go in future.

[@petercehily2687]

This is very useful and timely advice for me. Thank you so much

[@karenb9517]

Thanks, Nick! This is really useful information, because I tend to do the same thing. Looking for what gives me juice and following that is a great tip. Hope you have a good week!

[@crazyabstract4917]

Thank you

[@robertwebber8672]

As always a great and thought provoking post. please could I ask you a nerdy question. How far apart are the screws behind you on the wall, both vertically and horizontally. I am having a loft converted to a room to paint in. I have never painted canvasses on the wall and want to try. Thanks and Best Robert

[@dario1965]

I totally agree. To any field of study there is breadth as well as depth. The depth is where one can realize themselves. Even in math (I heard:)