Fork In The Road

Ever feel like your blank page or blank canvas is plotting against your happiness? Fear not, fellow artist! Embrace the quirks, work with your imperfections and enjoy the chaos. Because in a future of perfect AI creations, humans are going to be able to provide a little humanity with their imperfections, spelling errors and lived experiences. Experiment with colors like a mischievous rainbow. Don’t stick to the basics; let your imagination run wild. Remember, even Picasso had his blue period, but who says yours can’t be a technicolor fiesta? Turn your sketchbook into a comedy club. Doodle caricatures of your artistic struggles, and soon you’ll find that laughter is the best eraser. You might even discover your alter ego. Transform mistakes into masterpieces. Remember, the Sistine Chapel wasn’t painted in a day. Frame your blunders and create a “Museum of Mishaps.” It’s not a mistake; it’s a happy accident, display it with pride. Remember, the key to being a happy artist is one that can enjoy the process, enjoy the relaxation and joy you can have living inside your own imagination, it’s an incredible gift that we are given as human beings, so it certainly would be a shame not to use it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

After buying our cafe/art gallery almost one year ago, I’ve virtually had no time to relax. The business was open seven days a week and open from six every morning. So I’ve been working those hours as well as being a husband and parent to our two young girls. Needless to say my illustration work has been on the back burner for a good part of that year. Only recently I’ve been finding time to get back into my art. Since getting back into illustrating I’ve noticed a definite shift in my mood. I’ve definitely become happier and more relaxed. I think getting into a drawing or a piece of art uses a different part of your brain than what you’re using all day at work or being a parent. It’s like a form of meditation for me. Realising I need my art to be a relaxed and better person all round, I’ve been making more of a conscious effort to get it back into my life. Other ways I relax is getting out in nature, walking and meditating. Anything that takes me out of that busy mindset of all the things I ‘should’ be doing. And of course nothing beats sleep. I go to bed not long after the kids are asleep, normally about 8:30 and wake up at 4:30 to get ready for working at the cafe. I virtually never get 8 hours sleep tho as my kids still wake me up a couple of times in the night. But I do treat my sleeping hours as precious and the amount of sleep I manage to get affects my whole day. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

I should be finishing my kids book, but instead I’m writing this blog post. One word I’d like to give up is should, ‘I should really do that’ . The word ‘should’ feels like an obligation to do something that you inevitably won’t enjoy even though you know you’ll be better off if you did it. I think the words you use externally and internally are powerful and can have you believing something negative that isn’t real. The positive to that is, if you choose your words carefully they may benefit you and help you become more productive. Probably my second most despised word would have to be ‘gunna’ or ‘gonna’ … ‘I’m gonna make a kids book’. By saying it out loud to someone is releasing the dopamine rush as if you’ve already made the book. But now that you’ve said you are gunna do it, it feels like an obligation and you instantly become less likely to actually do it. So rather than say you should do something, or that you’re gonna do something… just do it. There’s a reason why Nike chose ‘Just do it’ as their trademark instead of ‘should do it’ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

I guess I do have a grudge dating back to my early years in school. It’s not really with anyone or anything, It’s more of an opinion widely held by the community I grew up in, where being an artist was something that was only considered to be a hobby. It certainly wasn’t considered to be something you could do as a living. Unless you wanted to be a designer or an architect. So despite having a keen interest in art, I decided to forget about doing what I loved to follow a more conventional career path. Which led me down many roads that in the end weren’t satisfying and weren’t very profitable anyway. I basically could have been doing something I loved while making no money, instead of something I hated while making no money. However I do believe the truth is that if you are doing something you are passionate about, something that you enjoy spending time on and get excited about that you will eventually profit in some way. Even if it’s not making a fortune, I believe happiness is more important than wealth. Sure way back when I was at school was before the internet, which has since opened up and continues to open up many possibilities for obsessed artists to reach their audiences. But if I at least stuck with art for all those in between years, I would have such a larger body of work, skills and training behind me. So at 44, I decided it was time to give art another chance. Since then I have illustrated two published kids books and have almost completed my third and sold around 150 NFT’s something I could have only dreamed about as a teenager, not that I would have known what an NFT was… I still don’t. So never let people or society dictate what you can and can’t be. Follow your heart and your skills will grow along with your potential to earn an income doing it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

I’ve never been one to get excited about travelling. I hate planes, confined spaces and crowds. And if I wanted to have a relaxing holiday, I definitely wouldn’t journey to another part of the world. But the very few times I have traveled, my attention has always been drawn to the creativity and artistic skill embedded in the history of other cultures. And at the times certain works were created I’m not sure what thought was given to how their art was going to span time, but so much has. I’m not sure how that’s going to relate to our current generation of digital artists. There are going to be virtual worlds in the future where digital creations can exist, and maybe that’ll become our new reality. In which case creating art for the virtual world is a very smart idea. However all we need is some cataclysmic event and the whole era of digital art and creative ideas could be lost forever. Unlike the physical creations of eras past. Maybe we should get back into making statues out of marble and creating beautiful hieroglyphics to tell stories to future generations. So in answer to the question, the furthest I have traveled is from Nairne, South Australia to Petra Jordan. The skill and creativity that went into the tombs, monuments and dwellings that are carved into the sandstone cliffs is mind boggling and is apparently 2300 years old. I’m not sure many creative people today could imagine their work being viewed in another couple of thousand years from now. I wonder if any digital artworks will have that kind of longevity? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

My dream home would have to include an art studio. I’ve never had an art studio so it’s an exciting new concept for me. But rather than it being this big mess of works, collected objects and art clutter, I think my art studio would be very minimalist along with my house. Because external clutter for me is a direct reflection of the clutter that’s in my head. When I think of the space it would have large windows that bring nature in, and in good weather be opened up to basically turn the space into an outdoor area with a roof. I currently carry my art studio around wherever I go. Basically because I get very little time to create art. So my main tools for creating art are my pencils, sketchbook, iPad and my phone, and that’s it. New additions in my dream house studio would include a standing or sitting drawing desk with cameras constantly set up to allow me to do sketching livestreams quickly and easily whenever I want. Also a coffee machine would be great. As for the house I’d want to live off grid in a self sufficient home that needed very little additional heating or cooling, something with thermal mass that keeps the temperature at a constant, comfortable level. So for me living easily in nature would be a big thing, it’s where I feel the happiest and the most creative. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Apparently it takes 21 days to create a habit and 90 days to make something a permanent lifestyle change. So I’ve got a goal to work towards with my ‘make art everyday’ challenge that I have set myself. As my previous blog post stated I just need to start my art everyday and do a minimum of five minutes on the piece I’m currently working on. Then over time, if I only manage five minutes a day I’ll still start to see my artwork advancing. When illustrating the Super Scout kids book for Elijah and Crumpet I had created a great habit. I had first carved out a piece of time that I could draw. Then I would do a livestream every night. This would make me accountable for showing up everyday and helped me stay consistent, even when I wasn’t feeling it. Times change tho and that little slice of time no longer exists. So I suppose you need to be on the lookout for other slices of time that you can use to create your art. Currently. I wake up at 5am and get ready for the day; open the cafe at 6:30 and work until 3, kids get to the cafe after school, kids home time activities and dinner, then bedtime. I’m usually in bed the 8:30 and I’m completely exhausted. However one thing I can rely on at the moment is the kids waking up in the night. So after getting them back to sleep, that’s when I draw, when it’s quiet and peaceful. My drawing has a timeframe of a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of an hour, as I still need to get some sleep so I’m not a zombie the next day. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s what’s currently working for me. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

There are so many benefits to making art everyday. For me creating is something that I need to do for my mental health, because like so many creative people if you aren’t creating you become miserable. This can take many forms; from sketching to painting to writing a blog post, or even marketing your artwork. I have personally started a routine where I sketch or do digital illustration work everyday, even on my busiest and most distracting days. I’ve created a discipline where I pick up the pencil or iPad and draw for a minimum of 5 minutes, to progress my art projects. That way I know things are moving forward everyday single day. More often than not I get into the flow of creating and my 5 minutes becomes an hour. But if I’m just not feeling it, or my day is too hectic I just put it away after 5 minutes. My brain seems to be happy with this method and my mood is way better than if I’ve gone without creating for several days in a row. Five minutes might not feel like much time at all, but it certainly adds up over time and you get see constant progress in what you are working on. Also considering most of these sessions tend to grow into 30 minutes or even an hour, you start to see massive growth in your work. I also feel that by exercising these muscles everyday, even for a little bit of time. Your skills develop a lot quicker and you see improvements in your work, and that becomes more encouraging to do more. So my new little deal I’ve made with myself really feels like it’s working. It’s something about not committing to a large chunk of time everyday. It’s just committing to starting everyday and seeing where that takes me. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

After sharing my version of art guilt on my previous blog what I didn’t expect was that virtually everyone has an opposite version of art guilt. They feel guilty when they don’t create art, not when they do. I imagine either version is potentially damaging and exposes the fact that almost all creators are in a state of guilt for spending too much time or not enough time on their art. But one thing can be certain is that the life of a creator is happier and more fulfilled when you are actually creating. So to avoid both kinds of art guilt, I think the next step is to figure out how much time do you need to spend on your work to not be miserable. But then not spend all your time on art so that your life falls apart around you. I suppose you could call it art life balance. The best way to find time for your art is to take it seriously and schedule it in. Or if you are like me working 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, you need to find pockets of time that will allow you to create. Sketching between pouring coffee’s, blogging while on the toilet, illustrating while sitting with your kids waiting for them to fall asleep, basically anywhere you can multitask your creative life into your everyday life. Art life balance isn’t easy, but it’s essential for creative people be happy. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

The shame. The guilt. It ain’t a way for fully grown adult to behave.Surely there’s something more productive you can be doing with your time. Cleaning the house, Folding the tea towels, Grooming the Guinea Pigs or emptying the kitty litter. Surely there’s a better use of your time rather than painting, drawing and playing like some kind of child.. That’s art guilt. …Maybe if I could make money from it, I could justify the ridiculous waste of time. … but do you really need to get paid to justify your creative time? I’m like a lot of other creative people, we become miserable when we aren’t creating. So if the only thing that art does is make you a happier person. Isn’t that a good reason to create? A good reason to schedule guilt free time. So you can show up happier in the other parts of your life, and most importantly fold tea towels with a smile on your face. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Join myself and Dawn Petty as we talk about Art therapy and her broad range of traditional and digital art styles that include embracing the new landscape of NFT’s on VoiceHQ. Dawn on VoiceHQ https://www.voice.com/verset420 - Dawn on Instagram https://instagram.com/dawnpaints - Dawn on Twitter https://twitter.com/verset420?s=21&t=VkNhzFjbWMYeQz63jRG4bA --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

On today’s podcast I chat with NFT artist Tray Fisk about authenticity, supporting the art community around you and how to price your NFTs. We are both creating art on the new platform VoiceHQ and we talk a lot about the new and exciting space and community. We also talk a lot about Tray’s piece titled Su - https://www.voice.com/creation/100000001057467 Check out Tray Fisk on VoiceHQ - https://www.voice.com/trayfisk Tray Fisk Twitter - https://twitter.com/trayfiskart Tray Fisk Instagram - https://instagram.com/trayfisk --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

I chat with thriving artist Patattoune about the importance of doing the work you love. The benefits and difficulties with running an Etsy art store and why we should be embracing the addictive nature of tiktok. Check out Patattoune on Instagram: https://instagram.com/patattoune?utm_medium=copy_link --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

In today’s podcast I chat with Darrell Merrill the nerd artist about what it’s like selling your art at markets and conventions and also about the joys and perils of doing commission work. Please check out Darrell’s Instagram page while listening to the podcast and show him some love and let him know you’re listening to the podcast https://instagram.com/dmnerdartist1962?utm_medium=copy_link --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

I'm starting the daily vlog again and I started off ages ago doing a one minute daily vlog and then I would compile them all at the end of the week into a seven minute podcast and then I would use all the text that I would extract from these videos to make blogs so I'd be doing a vlog blog and a podcast and I would put out about one minute every day and that seems fairly achievable so let's give it a go again and because sometimes I think the initial ideas that you have are often the best. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Good old-fashioned paper newsletters, posted in an envelope to a person's address… Who would've thought? It’s just such an amazing idea. In an age where people's emails are bombarded by junk, spam and things that just get deleted and deleted and deleted.I think sending something to someone's residential address has a real personal touch now. I know that personally I hate going to the mailbox, and I hate what I pull out of my mailbox because it's always bills and stuff from politicians and the local hardware store. Just think what it’d be like to get something in the mail that you actually want. And with a physical newsletter, I think that it can be almost tailored to the recipient. It’d be an amazing thing as a fan to receive something handwritten or maybe even a post card, just saying thank you for supporting my art. I know in a lot of marketing circles marketers talk about filling up your funnel and other kinds of gross things like that. But rather than attract cold clients to your work because cold clients are hard client to win. However someone who has already purchased your work, has already shown an interest, if you nurture these people from the moment they buy your work and just keep up an open line of communication continuously with them. Not harassing them just letting them know what you're doing, where your art’s going what you're creating. it just adds that personal touch and I think it's highly overlooked. I think if you want to stand out, you want to be original you want to make your clients, your fans, your followers feel special then send them something special. Thanks to Michael Warth @warthstudios for this brilliant marketing suggestion for artists --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Artists of Instagram share their tips on how to stay motivated and have a productive creative practice. To get involved in the conversation please join me on Instagram https://instagram.com/andycmarshall --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

In today’s podcast I talk about the many difficulties we face as artists and talk about possible ways to overcome them. To join future podcasts and discussions please check out my Instagram Stories https://instagram.com/andycmarshall --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Questions asked on my YouTube sketchy livestream, while I’m illustrating the second Elijah and Crumpet kids book. To ask your questions, drop into my YouTube channel at 9:00pm ACST https://youtube.com/c/AndyMarshallForkInTheRoad --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message

Is documenting your journey a really bad idea? Surely people will steal your ideas! Here’s my thoughts on the subject. To get involved and ask a question you can leave me a voice message on Anchor. Or tune in to my Sketchy lives 9:00pm ACST on YouTube, Twitch and Twitter. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andycmarshall/message