How to Overcome Fear and Uncertainty with Creativity

In this video, Alain invites you to participate in a creative strategy that will help you overcome the fear and uncertainty surrounding us by engaging with your creativity. UPDATE: Join the new WINTER 2021 challenge here: mailchi.mp/a6d8a5d1cb69/creat...
Get seven free underpainting videos here: mailchi.mp/46c0c874901f/under...
Alain's Workshops: www.picardstudio.com/workshops/
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[@harrietruffy3515]

As a hospital based physician, the struggle is real. Art is a great release from the stress. Thank you, Alain for the encouragement, although there is no way I’ll get 30 in 30! Art is needed now more than ever both for us as artists and for those who view it. God bless us, every one, pray for each other, and remember the unsung heroes around us (truck drivers, grocery clerks, kind neighbors).

[@AlainPicard]

Ellie Mae amen to that! And thank you for being on the front lines during this time, we are so grateful for you and all the unsung heroes of this moment. God bless you!

[@mariamoyinloye8003]

God bless you!! Your videos are so inspiring to me as a young Christian artist! I just know the Lord is working through you, thank you for you

[@auri9487]

Truth is honesty. Honesty with my inner true self : I am of nature, nature yields in abundance....naturally unblocked seeing that spirit of creativity-energizes me. Endless possibilities here. Dear Mr. Picard, you trigger that within me. I really appreciate your gifts being shared ‘ I am parched, and you are that glass of water for me.

[@AlainPicard]

You are a poetic thinker and communicator. I'm honored to encourage your creative engagement, keep going and all my best!

[@chenericfree]

Well said. We need to positively embrace this human challenge.

[@antheablackmore5838]

This had me in tears...we are indeed part of a very rich tapestry of life....we are going to transform into a very different future ...praying it will be more love, compassion and equality....more focus on our creativity... Love this idea of a painting a day , love from the U.K. 💕🎨

[@AlainPicard]

Anthea Blackmore big virtual hug to you from New England to the U.K.! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@AlainPicard]

Thanks for watching. If you know someone who could use encouragement, please share this video with them. It could really make a difference! To join the Challenge click here: mailchi.mp/01f788a041c3/create30challenge

[@shannoncurry9584]

Your passion, message and talents are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[@marinabuivolova3347]

Thank you so much. We're all in stress. Art it's the best way to get positive in as life. God Bless you

[@AlainPicard]

Many blessings to you Marina. Keep painting!

[@mifasola1]

Watching you create calms me every moment I watch. You inspire me to paint lemons! I'll take that challenge with you. I've been painting more than ever

[@AlainPicard]

mi fa so la wonderful news! So glad you are painting more!

[@robertweinblatt2018]

Now it's easy! I'm not squeezing it in ! I'm back and forth through out the day! You know, painting, eating, painting, dogs etc...🙏🏻🙌🏻

[@judicleghorn7582]

I love this. It rather terrifies me to commit to a whole painting a day, but I will try!

[@monetcafe]

You can do it!! Have fun. :)

[@panchoverde5078]

You are my new favorite artist. My old favorite is James Gurney, so... respect.

[@AlainPicard]

Hey thanks Jesse, I'm so honored. James Gurney is incredible. Thanks for listening and watching!

[@robertweinblatt2018]

I totally agree and this is an opportunity to really get with our art and put everything we feel into it for ourselves and in turn we all can benefit! I've been doing a painting a day for I don't know how long now but it's helped in many ways, including making my work better and more expressive, and I might add a relief from the crazy hectic world! ART IS BEAUTY EXPRESSION AND IS TOTALLY STRESS FREE! 🙏🏻😍👍🏻

[@AlainPicard]

Kudos, Robert on already doing a painting a day, that's great!

[@yvonneverwoerd-horden9865]

Thank you so much for this idea! With no work right now, I struggle through my days. But my best friend mentioned this morning, about making my art my (home)work right now, and later this morning I accidently run into your video. I am some days behind, but will pick it up from here! Sending you my greetings from The Netherlands!

[@AlainPicard]

That is wonderful that you are joining Yvonne!

[@jennifermichelemarus3101]

Hey Alain! I hope you are staying safe and are well. Please be safe and I look forward to more of your videos! Much love, from your friend with green eyes, Jennifer.

[@AlainPicard]

Jennifer Michele Marus thanks and have a wonderful April! Hope you can join us!

[@AlainPicard]

APRIL 30 UPDATE: With the overwhelming level of engagement, I’ve decided to keep the #CREATE30CHALLENGE going in May. To join the Challenge click here: ​mailchi.mp/01f788a041c3/create30challenge

[@teresas8929]

Thank you, art keeps me sane! Keep safe out there everyone. I have been using my 99% rubbing alcohol to make hand sanitizer for friends with immunity issues. No alcohol underpainting for now. I look forward to the Challenge. I

[@sallyroldan2971]

Thank you for this challenge. you are making a difference in lives. I so appreciate this direction toward my creativity because my days are currently filled with making coronavirus mask, while I am grateful to be able to help it seems to be so daunting and so having some time to build my creative peace will help me feel hopeful.

[@AlainPicard]

Sally Roldan thank you for being an unsung hero in this time, and God bless you as you lean into your creativity!

[@veronicacamilotti5947]

Alain, você é um fofo!!!

[@cathymozley809]

Alain, thank you for your encouragement and support of artists all through the year, but most especially during these trying times. I have been house sitting on Vancouver Island for a month, and due to the circumstances of travel because of the virus, will probably be here at least until the end of April. I brought my pastels with me and have been doing a painting at least every other day, but now am out of paper. Hopefully an order I placed with a Canadian art supply will get some UArt paper to me this week. Then I can accept your challenge. Painting helps fill my time of isolation, calm my spirit, and encourage and reassure my family and friends 3000 miles away in the U.S. that all is well with me.

[@AlainPicard]

Cathy Mozley thanks for sharing and God bless you in your time away. I am so glad creativity helps you to find calm and encouragement!

[@jodiroman4521]

Thank you so much Alain! You are very inspiring!💜

[@AlainPicard]

You are very welcome Jodi!

[@joandreicer1656]

Thanks, Alain and Mirjam. This is awesome! Take care as well.

[@AlainPicard]

Hey Joan, thanks and did I hear you say, "YES..."? Hoping you will join the challenge!

[@patriciapilipuf4128]

Alain thank you so much your empathy inspires me

[@AlainPicard]

Patricia Pilipuf you are very welcome!

[@LeslieMillerAuthor]

Alain, this message could not be more timely. Last week I felt incredibly anxious about my financial situation during this crisis, but yesterday and today I noticed I feel calm, energized, and even excited. I couldn't figure out what had caused the change until I realized I've been painting more than ever and had just taken a creative leap forward with my work. This exciting creative energy has literally wiped away my fears and I certainly intend to keep it going! I've already signed up for your challenge and will be sending it out to all my painting students to see if they'd like to do it with me. I've been wanting to get into the habit of painting every day and hope the challenge will get that habit going forever! By the way, do you paint every day?

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Leslie, thank you for your reply, and vulnerability. God bless you in this time, I am so glad you are feeling a surge of creative strength! I don't always get to paint every day, even as a professional artist due to all the demands, so I am also excited for this opportunity to paint every day with you!

[@mozelleforman2390]

Thank you Alain! I have been painting everyday - it is keeping me calm and focused. I am excited to have a community of wonderful artists with whom to share the challenge.

[@AlainPicard]

Hey Mozelle, so good to hear from you, and I am thrilled you will accept the challenge!

[@mjpete27]

Very encouraging and inspirational, thanks for giving us thoughtful insight and a challenge anyone can participate in. I do enjoy watching your videos and hope that you and your family are well and healthy too! I am looking forward to seeing the results of this challenge! Who knows I may even be well enough to have a go myself! Thank you and take care of yourself and your family.

[@AlainPicard]

Michael, if you keep the paintings small, you could do it!

[@lenaseger7945]

Alain, thank you for your support for me and other artists. I am new since last year in watercolour and dry pastels and your support during this time has given me so very much knowledge and inspiration . I did not know that I had an possibility to paint at all, but after watching many of your wideos I feel so happy with my art. There is still a long way to go but painting make me every day calm and hopeful. Especialy these days when I 79 years old (Swedish) have been told to stay inhouse and avoid any human contact (at least contact closer than 1.5 metres). Thank god for internet. I can share my painting with friends and I am going to start a private painting group via Skype. I will accept your invitation and I will try to make the best I can every day during April. I think I have paper enough for 30 days. Thank you and take care!

[@AlainPicard]

Lena Seger your words mean so much to me thank you! I am honored to have encouraged your creativity in this way. Thank you for accepting and sharing your art!

[@louisehones]

Thank you for your lovely words of encouragement. I find a great deal of peace and calmness when working on my pastels. I will join you with the 30 pastels in 30 days. Sounds like a very good use of time.

[@AlainPicard]

Louise Hones thanks for accepting, that is wonderful!

[@sarahneglia7626]

Good Morning Alain & Mirjam ... and Thank You for your inspirational message to our group and to the World, A dear message of Hope & Resilience ... That is so important for us all to remember. And I love the Challenge You both offer for the month of April ... I'm all in!!! :) ... much Love & Prayer to you both and your Wonder-Full Family! :) ... I should let you go, so you can run and entertain those rambunctious Boys of Yours!!! :( )

[@AlainPicard]

You are very sweet, Sarah, thank you! So glad that you are in on the challenge, YES! Many blessings to you too!

[@alisah7292]

I'm onboard with the 30/30 challenge! Great message and we do need to stay positive and create!

[@AlainPicard]

Alisa H awesome, thanks for saying yes!

[@vickiestokes5643]

I am so excited about this challenge..a time of moving forward in small steps. thank you for bringing it to us..Im excited

[@AlainPicard]

vickie stokes yes! Love that you are feeling exciting!

[@christineamstutz420]

A whole hearted big thank you for your commitment, for your serene message, for your calm. You project into the world a calmness and so many deep thoughts that will help transform fear into hope. Hope chases fear ... a desperately needed transformation! Take care ... and I will be in for the challenge 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you very much Christine for your heartfelt words. They mean so much! Let’k keep spreading hope and sharing our love for art and humanity together!

[@christineamstutz420]

Alain Picard ❤️

[@jarrettjackson8177]

Challenge accepted! I'm smiling already thinking of the collective power this challenge will create. Thank you Alain

[@AlainPicard]

jarrett jackson awesome! Great to hear from you and thank you for accepting!

[@lowen838]

I shall try! I’m also emailing out a hymn every few days to my fellow Bible Study members who are hunkered down at home. We DO need to do all we can to provide encouragement to others. I’ve decided to work on my facial drawing skills....no better time than now. Thanks!

[@monetcafe]

Amen!! How sweet of you to email hymns ... they are always so full of the hope in Christ that is eternal!

[@BeezeeCohen]

Alain, You have inspired me even before the health crisis. Your message and challenge to create couldn’t have come at a better time. I and so many others are self-isolating or practicing social separation. What better way to connect than through our art creations. Thank you for sharing your time & talents with us. Bless you. Keep safe!

[@AlainPicard]

B Cohen such kind words, thank you!

[@monetcafe]

We’re a tapestry!! Love that💜 Thanks for offering such hope.

[@AlainPicard]

Monet Cafe' with Artist Susan Jenkins you too my friend, keep it up!

[@jorymason3901]

Thank you Alain for your calm wisdom. Our house is in the midst of renovations, so taking 30 mins or so per day to stay connected and creative sounds like perfect therapy.

[@AlainPicard]

Jory Mason hey friend, so good to hear from you! Glad you can accept and share this challenge with all of us! Be well!

[@aliciamolloy5948]

Hi Alain, thank you for this encouragement and wonderful and thoughtful message. I will take part in the challenge, thank you for doing this!

[@AlainPicard]

Alicia Molloy thanks for accepting, so glad you are joining us!

[@marcyshannon2607]

Count me in and look forward to see what is in the future like color, shapes and feeling for me. Thank you so much.

[@AlainPicard]

Great news, Marcy! So glad you are saying YES!

[@BrigittevTien]

Thank you for this video. You’re an amazing artist and a wonderful person. Loved the part about the tapestry. Not only are we all a thread but that makes us equal and all of us equally important to hold the world together ✌️I’ll accept the challenge, I use these hard times to learn pastelpainting and I have a long way to go. This challenge will probably speed up the process 😉

[@AlainPicard]

Wonderful response Brigitte, and thank you for accepting the challenge! Your words mean so much!

[@bks4951]

I'm in!

[@AlainPicard]

YES Barbara, so glad you are joining the challenge!

[@arngurl05]

I'm ready!

[@AlainPicard]

Yes! So glad you are in Iris!

[@denisegrossman3840]

Sounds great!! I can meet the challenge!! I love it love and creativity in the midst of uncertainty!!

[@AlainPicard]

Denise Grossman thank you for accepting, and have fun!

[@judylarkins2521]

Will give it a try.

[@AlainPicard]

Great news Judy!

[@65sunnyday]

Oh, yes; I accept your challenge!

[@AlainPicard]

65sunnyday awesome, so glad you said yes!

[@irener1892]

Thank you!

[@AlainPicard]

You're welcome Irene!

[@jmeetze8]

I know you are right but I have had a very hard time staying motivated since all this started, I did spend all day cleaning and arranging pastels so i guess I should put them to use, I will give the challenge a go.

[@AlainPicard]

Thank you Janette, don’t lose heart, your creativity is important!

[@margaretbrownhill1193]

Alain bless you, this may help me to use my soft pastels more than I have been, I see also that one can use other mediums as well, which is good, I look forward to joining you in this challenge, but I will try to make focus more on soft pastels which I admit I have been neglecting

[@AlainPicard]

Wonderful news, Margaret, so glad you will accept the challenge! Yes, any medium counts, the criteria is a painting a day! It will be great for your soft pastel development to focus there. Keep going!

[@demenshea]

Thank you Alain for this beautiful message that is so badly needed in these stressful times. I spend every day in my studio either painting or writing or reading just centering on something other than the news that flows across the airwaves and ether. It is good to release some energy in a super positive way and share it with others. This is a fabulous challenge and one that I gladly accept. Would you like us to post our challenges as we complete them? I look forward to seeing your work and others. It gives us all something to share in this time when personally sharing anything is taboo. Thanks for the opportunity! “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Thomas Merton

[@AlainPicard]

Donna Rees thank you for your lovely words! Yes, post your work with the hashtag #create30challenge so we can see them! Thanks for accepting!

[@roslynburgess-clay1419]

I’m up for this Alain, never done one before...looking forward to it!!! 🤗. Feeling blessed that l am a follower of Christ so have perfect peace in these troubled times. God bless you and your loved ones 💕. “... though l walk through the valley of the shadow of death, l will fear no evil for Thou art with me...” -

[@monetcafe]

Amen sister Roslyn!!! He's got us!

[@roslynburgess-clay1419]

Monet Cafe' with Artist Susan Jenkins Oh yes sis, feeling such peace and know you will be too. Praying for your family xxx

[@AlainPicard]

Roslyn Burgess-Clay awesome that you have joined the challenge! This is one way we can speak to the storm and say, “be still!” God bless you.

[@roslynburgess-clay1419]

Alain Picard Alain l have done my first painting for Day#1 but don’t know where to upload it. On fb I can get to #create30challenge but nowhere to upload my painting. Can you help.

[@Frostedminifirecracker]

Doing this for May and June

[@AlainPicard]

Way to go Dana, that's awesome!

[@tammydoherty8623]

Great timing! I am a teacher and between end-quarter grading (pre-pandemic) and trying to connect with students to support them and make sure they are okay, and putting together new online content... it has been many long hours in front of the keyboard, and (worse!) my painting area taken over by toppling stacks of paper and other school mess. I stayed up until 2am to set up an alternative school work space and am energized to turn this time at home into something beautiful. I am also wondering how we might use our creativity to spread the joy to nursing home patients etc. who are isolated from visitors.

[@AlainPicard]

Hey Tammy, strength and peace to you in this time as a teacher! I love your question about nursing home patients, it shows your heart. May your creative energy and activity cultivate new ideas of how you can share some kindness with those who are isolated in this time. All my best!

[@ildefonsoruiz4142]

Hello Alain , I love your paintings to the cake,congratulations for your videos,I live in Spain I wanted to ask you a question: where I can buy the glue paper to fix it on the wood,which asks to see in a video of you, thank you

[@jpascualripa]

Me ha gustado mucho tu propuesta de que pintemos un cuadro al pastel cada día durante el mes de abril. Los míos, como tú te puedes imaginar serán de escenas urbanas, de pequeños pueblos de Navarra (España) de unos 100 habitantes o menos. Estos pueblos son Urbiola, Luquin, etc. que están a unos 500 metros de distancia uno de otro. I really liked your proposal that we paint a pastel picture every day during the month of April. Mine, as you can imagine, will be from urban scenes, from small towns in Navarra (Spain) of about 100 inhabitants or less. These towns are Urbiola, Luquin, etc. that are about 500 meters away from each other.

[@kathyhall668]

You speak to me.

[@pakanandkumar8204]

Your thoughts and words have really moved me. Alain, is it too late to sign up for this challenge? I did something today.

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Pak Anand Kumar, it is not too late to sign up!

[@jaelflores3717]

Thank you for your encouraging words. I started drawing and painting a little everyday while working from home. Is it ok if use another medium besides pastel?

[@AlainPicard]

Sure Jael, you are welcome to use any medium you like.

[@jaelflores3717]

@@AlainPicard Thank you! Looking forward to it!

[@michellekleingers8238]

I'm bummed. I can't figure out how to post a pic of my artwork on your #create30challenge. Any advice from you or other people reading this would be lovely

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Michelle, you can share your daily paintings on social media using the hashtag #CREATE30CHALLENGE. You only need to type the word/hashtag #CREATE30CHALLENGE and your art will automatically be added to all the #CREATE30CHALLENGE posts.

[@janetfraley4110]

Why every time I use a blender with my pastels no matter what kind, it pulls the pastel off the board or paper? My fingers are the only thing that does'nt. Also thank you so much for the challenge, I'll give it a try. Blessings

[@AlainPicard]

Janet Fraley glad you joined! Yes blending tools disrupt the pastel. Soft brushes are kinder to the pigment but in general they will knock off pigment on sanded surfaces. Try foam insulation it pushes it in for toning the surface with dry pigment. All the best!

[@chriswitherspoon7122]

Alain, do the 30 challenge paintings all have to be in pastel?

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Chris you are welcome to use any medium you like.

[@chriswitherspoon7122]

@@AlainPicard thank you. When I am not working in our hospital laboratory I am cranking out the paintings. It is the best stress reliever.

[@michellebonneville1455]

How do I know for sure I’m included in the challenge?

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Michelle, to receive the challenge details and calendar please sign up here: mailchi.mp/01f788a041c3/create30challenge

[@MrJairo3259]

Alan can i participate using watercolor way?

[@AlainPicard]

Yes Francisco you can use any medium you like.

[@keykey1401]

Ah i saw this late

[@trishcaro5031]

I was signing up for your 30/30, when dropbox required access to everything on my device in order to download the challenge. Why are you requiring such access in order to participate? It seems very invasive and unnecessary.

[@AlainPicard]

Hi Trish, it sounds like you have a Dropbox issue, as there is no need to use Dropbox to download the challenge. It's a pdf on the web browser, so it sounds like your device is trying to tell you how it wants to save it. Try your preferences and good luck! I would never try to access your private content in any way. All my best

[@suzypastel5206]

Désolé !!!!mais je ne comprend pas ce que vous dites des sous titres écrits seraient bienvenue😍🥰merci