Finding a balance between doing and being / August 11, 2017 by Guest User

Finding Balance

Over the past few weeks, I've been trying to regain some balance in my life. Sometimes I get so focussed and overwhelmed by my to do list that it feels like I am constantly in my logical mind. This gives my authentic, intuitive, creative side very little space to enjoy life and be present. It's a constant journey for me to find that magical balance between doing and being.

What does finding balance look like for me?

Pulling back from social media a bit to reconsider what I am posting and why.
Taking time to listen to what I need first, instead of going directly to the to-do list in a manic need to get everything done.
Thinking about what is essential in my life and what I most need to do. What are the things that I feel like I need to do but I can really cut back on?
Re-filling my creative well by finding other creative people who can speak to what I'm going through.

Are you dealing with similar issues?

I thought it might be helpful to share with you some of the things that I'm reading and listening to that have helped me restore balance. Here are a few of my favorites:

Brene Brown on the Being Boss podcast, sharing about vulnerability for creatives
Lisa Congdon talks freely on her blog about how she is recovering from burnout.
At Left Brain turn Right - Anthony Meindl's book on how to live a more creative life
The Creative Life podcast - James Taylor's podcast in which he interviews creative entrepreneurs
Gather the People - A book by Sarah J. Bray where she shares a simple, honest approach to creating work
I am not hustling and I am not crushing it - Kerry-Anne Gilowey talks about how to deal with chronic physical issues or other things in life that challenge our idea of perfectionism

Stepping back a bit has given me some time to come up with new ideas for classes and projects. Stay tuned in the coming weeks, when I will have some exciting things to share with you!

finding your creative voice e-course.png

Finding freedom in your art is a process. We are all growing and learning every day. I truly believe that I can help you to step outside of your negative thoughts and embrace your natural way of creating.

Are you ready to get started?

In my Finding your Creative Voice E-Course you can:

Let go of self-judgement and learn strategies for authentic creative expression
Experiment with various mediums and styles such as watercolor pencils, pens and collage
Create an entire project from inspiration to completion
Using your sketchbook as a guide, you will begin to see your own style emerge through observing what naturally draws you to creative flow
Gain confidence to keep a creative practice that will enrich your life
Get encouragement from others who are on their own journey and experience a warm and accepting community

No art experience necessary! Open to beginners or advanced students.

Sign me up!

Do you have creative tips, tricks or questions?

I would love to include any ideas that you have on how to jump start your creativity or take it to the next level. What have you found that's worked for you? Or do you have questions that I can answer in my next newsletter? Email me at esther@estherloopstra.com and let's create a creative community!

Making Room for Creativity / July 17, 2017 by Esther Loopstra

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when the solution to a problem came to you so naturally and easily that it made you wonder "How did that even happen?" I'm sure you've also experienced plenty of times when you've been STUCK for hours, days and maybe years without a solution. Why does the creative muse only visit us when she feels like it? Isn't there anything we can do to make us more creative and come up with solutions faster? Most of the time, when I sit down to tackle a job I'm so focussed on getting it done that there isn't any room for the magic of the creative process.

Drawing Fall, an Exercise in Play / November 3, 2015 by Esther Loopstra

Happy Fall! I hope you all are having a terrific Fall Season. Since the leaves have been changing, I've been enjoying my walks in the evening the beautiful colors and patterns. I get so busy working during the day that having a little break to reconnect with myself, my husband and nature have been essential.

I normally spend time in the morning drawing an inspirational phrase in my sketchbook that I feel I need to remember that day and some sort of freeform pattern. This helps get me out of my head and all of the things I need to do, and connect me with my creativity.

One day on a walk, I began picking up some of these leaves. I had an idea to draw on them instead on in my sketchbook. I wasn't sure how or if it would work. But I like to pay attention when I have the question "WHAT IF....?". This question is the beginning of play and is essential to inspiration.

I loved how that first leaf turned out, so I've been creating more and sharing them on my Instagram feed. This isn't some giant success story, my Instragram following didn't suddenly grow to 10,000 and I didn't get offered a book deal or anything. I just created something that was fun for me and people seemed to enjoy it too. And it fulfilled my need for play, fun and exploration.

So much of the time we are paying attention to deadlines and our to do list and we don't give ourselves time for fun. I find when I haven't made time for it I get grumpy. That's just a sign that I need to do whatever it takes to fulfill that need - soon! Play helps us learn and gets us out of our stuckness. Why don't we do it more?

What do you that helps you get out of your head and into the realm of creative flow? It could be cooking, dancing, playing with your kids. See if you can commit to 5 or 10 minutes of play/ exploration this week and see how it impacts your life and your imagination.

Practical tips for finding an Illustration style / August 26, 2015 by Esther Loopstra

Hi Everyone! I recently began working in a different style of illustration, one that I've been thinking about and playing with for a long time. I thought I'd share a bit about my process and my creative "breakthrough". I feel that I have a consistent style as far as my illustrations go, but my paintings are a bit more free flowing and intuitive.