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Jun 10, 2020
3 min

An Artist Cannot Fail

First published July 2018 "An artist cannot fail: it is a success to be one." I came across this quote from Charles Horton Cooley. I like...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
4 min

Inner Critic - Fun and Games

first published June 2018 One of the highlights in my other job1 is running an inner critic workshop with Year 2 art students. At that...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

What Moves You?

first published June 2018 Have you ever felt that you have a choice between sliding into inertia as you operate on autopilot, or forcing...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
4 min

Creative Drought - Effort Or Surrender?

first published June 2018 Sometimes we can feel like we’re in an inspiration drought. I wonder what would help. It might be useful to...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Eight Variations on Being Blocked

first published June 2018 When we talk about creative block, I wonder if we all mean the same thing. Here are eight ways different...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Taking Heart

first published May 2018 As I continue to read about different people’s morning routines, I realise I’m most inspired by those whose...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
2 min

Who Are An Artist?

first published May 2018 The grammar jars. As it jars too, when the artist finds her self-talk sounding like a dysfunctional committee. ...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Crossing The Threshold

first published May 2018 My friend, Yvonne Laeubli, runs vision quests in the Swiss Alps. Based on Native American traditions, “The...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Procrastination

First posted April 2018 Many artists and writers identify procrastination as a problem. Some have schedules that make my eyes water. They...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Flow

first published April 2018 Over the last couple of weeks I’ve juggled way too many things, and my regular painting habit was interrupted....

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Navigating

first published April 2018 Sometimes it seems that having a good plan, and being well organised, is the best way of moving forward in our...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Getting Lost

first posted March 2018 “Sometimes I have to stop working because I don’t know what to do next,” complains the artist, “and I feel like...

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Five Ways To Make It Easier To Make Work

Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
2 min

Five Ways To Make It Easier To Make Work

First published March 2018 1. Make your studio or desk welcoming; leave it tidy enough for an immediate start the next time you return to...

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Feeling Keenly, The Wonder In Ordinariness.

Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Feeling Keenly, The Wonder In Ordinariness.

first posted March 2018 “It's hard to believe, but it takes courage and fortitude, and often sudden suffering, to accept that we are...

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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Pooh Bear And Spaciousness In Time

Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Pooh Bear And Spaciousness In Time

First posted February 2018 I would have been at my job today, interviewing, but for the extraordinary weather conditions here at the...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

The Death of an Art Practice

First published February 2018 There can be periods in our lives where our creative output stops and it feels like more than the usual...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Overwhelm: Time and Rhythm

“I’d love to start but I feel overwhelmed.” “When I think of it I feel sick.” “There’s just too much happening.” I’ve had the opportunity...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

Offending the Muse

First posted February 2018 Creative block is hell. I’ve offended my Muse many times, and she’s stormed off. I’m going to share part of a...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

The Studio Nap

First posted January 2018 I used to work in a well-known studio complex in Glasgow, and often miss the daily contact with other working...

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Elise V Allan

Jun 10, 2020
3 min

A Hundred Things to Do

first posted January 2018 “I have a hundred things to do. I have a dozen things I really want to do. I long to do nothing. I long for a...

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