ISSUE 1 ◦ by Heidi Horchler
 
 

GETTING STARTED | 8.9.19
 

Hello from my workroom,

It’s the height of summer in the desert. The monsoon season has been less than stellar so the light cloud coverage and few sprinkles of rain falling outside my window today are welcome.

I want to thank you for the support you’ve given me by signing up for this newsletter. My goal is to keep it brief, interesting, and inspiring. Please feel free to share any feedback by emailing me at heidhorch@gmail.com.

The theme for this first installment of the newsletter is Beginning. I just brewed a nice strong cup of coffee, listening to Florida, the first album by Diplo, and all over the place, kids and teachers are preparing for the start of a new school year. And YOU are getting ready to be creative.

Starting something new is both exciting and frightening. We want to try it, have been wanting to try it, daydream about the day when we’re so accomplished at this new thing, and yearn for the person that we will become as a result of this as-yet-undiscovered genius. But…what if we fail? Maybe we tried what we thought was an easy first step, and OH MY GOD HOW COULD WE BE SO IMPOSSIBLY BAD AT THIS???

We quit band, throw out our tap shoes, rip up our novel, and dump that horrible first painting off at the first Goodwill we see. Ugh. Forget about it, I guess I just wasn’t meant to be creative, says that little bastard of a voice in your head.

But now I want you to think of something that you’re good at. Maybe you can type a billion words a minute, maybe you can skateboard, maybe you can figure out a 20% tip for the waitress in your head without using a calculator. Or you could be an awesome cook. Maybe you’re the one at your job/in your family, who everyone else comes to for *fill in the blank.*

Were you good at that thing the first time you tried it? Of course not! Did you burn a few dinners along the way? Probably. Did that stop you from trying the next recipe? No! You kept going. You failed, you learned and you tried again.

So what makes you think you should be able to draw the first time you sit down with a pencil? Geez, give yourself a break!

So what are your creative goals? What medium would you like to try? How can you get started? Read along for some inspiration, and a project to get you started.

(Also, if this newsletter isn’t loading well in your inbox, you can read it online by clicking the link at the very top, above my blue shell logo.)
 

OK let’s do this!
 

Latest updates from me, and other places where you might find some inspiration:

For a detailed, step-by-step description of how I made my latest painting, Mushrooms, click here.

Sometimes you just need a little pep talk. This video might give you the boost you need. Plus a little peek at my workspace.

This book has been around for a while, and whenever I saw it I was like, “Pfft, like I need someone to tell me I’m a badass!”

But when it popped up in my library’s “suggested reads,” I gave it a shot. All I can say is it’s a game changer.

(I’m a cheapskate, so I listen to audiobooks for free through my library and the Libby app.)

Andy J. Pizza is the host of this energetic, informative, and inspirational podcast. He focuses on building a creative career, getting past mental roadblocks, and building a community. I have learned a TON from listening.

For a deeper dive on using various disciplines to clear the way for creativity, read this article from Brain Pickings:

Madeleine L’Engle on Creativity, Hope, Getting Unstuck, and How Studying Science Enriches Art
 

Non-arty, but worthwhile finds:
 

The passion project of Circa magazine is Cheap Old Houses. So if your new beginning involves a move, grab your hammer & nails and head over.

Get your Irish on with a 1990’s based hilarious Netflix series, Derry Girls. Warning: very foul language; and you might need to watch with the captions turned on.

 

This Month’s Project!

Make a Name for Yourself
 

DISCLAIMER: I abhor ads on websites. I do not put advertising, click bait, pop-ups or anything like that on my website. I also do not have a “donate” button or a Patreon site. If you would like to support me, you can do that by either purchasing my artwork, or by sharing my work with others. Please forward this email, share my posts on facebook, or even just tell someone about me. I much prefer a grassroots effort of sincere supporters over gimmicky promotion.

As always, thank you so much for your support.

xo,

Heidi