Alrighty! It's time for some real talk. If you're like most people who read my blog, chances are that you consider yourself creative and artistic. And if you're new around here, I should probably introduce myself. Hi! I'm Ros. I'm an artist and art educator hugely passionate about art, creativity and it's bigger purpose in your life as a creative being. 

You know how the artist community is supportive? Well, that's an understatement. The community of artists that I feel truly blessed to be a part of is jam-packed with beautiful, kind, encouraging souls. If you are currently feeling discouraged in your artistic ambitions, this blog post is for you. And if you're not feeling discouraged currently, save these for a rainy day!

Artists do it pretty tough. But my point today, is that all successful artists will have one thing in common. They will be confident. They will be brave - either loudly or subtly. They will know themselves and respect the journey. But the trouble is that that confidence is not something that is simply stumbled upon. It is something which grows over time. It is something that you have to nurture, It is something that gets knocked down and needs to get back up. I have discovered a whole bunch of ways to boost my confidence over the years, and because I love you and want to give you a shortcut to the life of a happy and contented artist.

Resilience. The word that is bandied around like it's going out of fashion. On one hand, it seems a bit cliche. Common. Like a catchphrase. But on the other hand, it seems logical to believe that it is bandied around for a reason. And that reason is that it is in fact an important personal quality. An essential one in fact, especially if we want to step outside of our comfort zone on occasion, take small risks or try new things. Because after all, life is long and life will deal us hard blows when we're the sort of people who don't live under rocks.

Marie Kondo is all the rage. Her decluttering technique is famous worldwide and for very good reason. It's a solution to the ever-growing materialism that is taking over western society, that is polluting our planet and distracting us from what really matters.