The Mama Judy and Jill Podcast

Episode 28: Best Artistic Advice Given - Our Listeners Share

• Jill Gottenstrater

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In this episode, Mama Judy and I share insights from YOU, the listeners. We posed this question on Instagram>> What is the BEST piece of advice you've received that has influenced your art?

We got so many GREAT responses and are thrilled to be sharing them here with you today! Take these nuggets of advice and use them to inspire and guide you in your creative life! 

We thank the following artists who submitted a piece of advice to share on this episode:

Pam at https://www.instagram.com/pamv6820/
Wanda at https://www.instagram.com/paperpalacequeen/
Corinna at https://www.instagram.com/corriespapertrail/
Amy at https://www.instagram.com/amyudani/
Lynn at https://www.instagram.com/lynnmourer/
Billy at https://www.instagram.com/billygart/
Alexandra at: https://www.instagram.com/alexandraalmeida2519/
Christina at: https://www.instagram.com/christinaangelosstudios/
Karen at: https://www.instagram.com/karenzowie/
Bella at: https://www.instagram.com/bellsie6/
And https://www.instagram.com/un_coeur_creatif/

If you'd prefer to watch this podcast, you can find us over on our YouTube page (The Mama Judy & Jill Podcast).

We'd LOVE to hear from you! Click here to send us your thoughts and ideas for a future episode.

Send us a direct message on Instagram:
>> Mama Judy on Instagram
>>Jill on Instagram


Speaker 1:

Oh good, you made it. We are so glad you're here. Welcome to the Mama Judy and Jill podcast, an intergenerational chat about life, art and the creative process. I'm your host, jill, and joining me is my wonderful co-host and bonus mom, mama Judy. Let's get started. Well, hello everyone. We're so glad you've joined us today. Hi Mama Judy, hi Jill, good to see you what a beautiful day, yes.

Speaker 1:

so today we thought it might be fun At the time this is recorded and at the time this will be published on the Mama Judy and Jill podcast. It's at the end of the calendar year, so it's in December. You may be listening to this at another time, but we're getting towards the end of the year and we thought it would be fun to offer some inspirational quotes from people. You all listeners that turn into us.

Speaker 1:

So Mama Judy and I, both on Instagram, asked a question in our Instagram stories what is a quote that someone has told you that has influenced your creative process or your art journey the most? And so we got several quotes turned in. People gave us their insights, so we thought we would share those today, and our goal is that you might hear something from someone else that is inspiration and this becomes like your quote, or it might encourage you to think differently about something. And Mama Judy and I both, when you say, when I started reading through these, I was like, ooh, I'm going to steal that one. I need to think about that one. Is that the same for you, mama?

Speaker 2:

Judy, that's exactly. It's like going to someone's Instagram page and being inspired by their artwork. So a lot of these were good reminders or inspiration and, like you said, they also help you see things in a slightly different way.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes, exactly. So I'm going to read them here. I got to put my readers on. I'm going to just go down and kind of read them and give a little shout out to whoever sent them into us, and so thank you for those that did turn these in the first one. So our question was again what has been a piece of advice that someone has told you in your life that has influenced your art or your creative process? So Pam V 6820 says the piece of advice was enjoy and embrace the creative process rather than focus on the desire to produce a wow product.

Speaker 2:

Oh, that is so good and that's probably one that I still fall into the trap of, and I'll reference a commission piece that I have done a big painting, and I put it out on Instagram to have the community follow with me because it's a big project for me. And I'm not kidding Jill, just like Pam, I or like she said I kept trying to oh well, she liked this. Oh, I don't know, you know, and I'm trying to create the perfect piece and, like Pam, I had to pull back and say it's not about the end, it's about the process. So that is advice that I will probably always need to tell myself.

Speaker 1:

Same, and also when we interviewed Wanda Katz on our podcast and that was episode 24, by the way, that was something that she talked about to just really the importance of the process versus the final outcome, and I think most people listening would say the same thing, but it is so good to remember.

Speaker 2:

Yes, because we all know it intellectually, but sometimes emotionally, we do get off track. Yes, we do.

Speaker 1:

Okay, here's. Oh, speaking of Wanda, actually sent one in. She's the next one down here on the list. Hers were in all caps with an exclamation point at the end. Just show up.

Speaker 2:

Oh boy, isn't that the truth. We've mentioned that before, but I mean, that's the number one. If you don't show up, how can you create?

Speaker 1:

Yes, and speaking of showing up, Mama Judy and I ended up not publishing a podcast episode last week because I got a concussion and I just wasn't able to do the recording and all that kind of stuff. But what happened with the concussion, Mama Judy and this is not one thing I told you about what happened afterwards, but I had such a lack of motivation to do anything artistic. I would come and sit down at the table sometimes, but then I kind of got depressed because I would just stare around at stuff and have no inspiration at all. So I do think it had to do with the concussion, but I still tried to show up, but it just nothing worked. But I finally got back into doing stuff a few days ago, so that's good.

Speaker 2:

But you were still following Wanda's advice, you were still showing up and you had extenuating circumstances, and I want to expand on that a little bit. We can show up someday, we can sit down and we can be uninspired or just not be able to think of something we want to do. And when you show up and you're sitting there, then the next step is just to make that first mark something simple and just don't worry about not being inspired unless you have a concussion. Now you get a pass on that one, okay, good.

Speaker 1:

I kind of felt like I did, but I thought I'd mention that. Yes, just show up. That is a great one.

Speaker 2:

Thank, you, wanda and Pam. So far, yes, thank you.

Speaker 1:

Okay, our next one is from Corey's Paper Trail. That's the Instagram handle. This is such a good one. Stop comparing yourself to yourself.

Speaker 2:

That's really interesting. I got to think about that, corey. I'd like to know more of what you meant by that, because the most common thing is to compare ourselves to somebody else, but stop comparing yourself to yourself. I'm really going to think about that. I'm going to try and do some creating later today, and that will be what I mull over in my mind. Thank you, corey, for not just answering, but also giving me something new to think about.

Speaker 1:

I'm not sure and I wonder too if it could be that you set a certain bar and if you didn't create the thing that you just created, just say you loved it and you're like, oh, that was so good, what a fun process. I love the final piece, the next piece. You didn't get that feeling about it as much and you're kind of like, well, this is crummy compared to my last thing, maybe.

Speaker 2:

That well, and that happens. I you know I hadn't thought about that, but yes, that's happened to me. Where I've got one is flowed and I just love it, and the next one you go. Oh, maybe this goes in the trash, can? Maybe that's what Corey meant, but I am going to keep that in the back of my mind and think about that one, yeah, me too.

Speaker 1:

And the next one. I should have put this in with Wanda's, but Karen Zowie wrote do it, like just do it, the old Nike saying just do it. So it sort of lines up with what Wanda said just show up, wouldn't you do it? Show up, put something into practice.

Speaker 2:

And we can. If we were going to number these, wanda's could be first number one. Show up number two, just do it. And that goes back to what I said. You don't have to do the whole thing, just do it. Just make the pencil mark, put a little color on the page. Yeah, that's a good one too, and fits right in with the process.

Speaker 1:

And then we have Pam for the next one. Enjoy and embrace the creative process so that once you're getting in there, enjoy it, don't just think about the outcome, think about the process while you're in it.

Speaker 2:

And in fact, jill, sometimes I have to, not have to, but sometimes I will sit down and just remind myself, before I even pick up a piece of paper, I'm going to enjoy this process and that's the mindset. Then that sort of puts my little ego and that little character inside that wants to create the perfect masterpiece at bay. Put some on notice. Look, you're not allowed, we're just going to enjoy the process. That's an excellent. Every one of these are spot on.

Speaker 1:

Yes, they are okay. Moving right along. Let's see what Amy Udani says. Try creating when you feel sad or angry. It might surprise you with what you create.

Speaker 2:

Oh, this, amy. This is so true when you, you know, we've talked before art as therapy, where you use it to process emotions, but I've actually heard artists say that where they have anger was the one they were talking about, where they were so angry at something that just happened that they went in and just it happened to be a painter through paint against the canvas and then, when they stepped back and came back later, it was something that had taken them to a new level in their art. So, yes, I think there is and I might be getting myself into trouble here, so if anybody disagrees with this, that's okay but I don't think there's any emotion that cannot be helped by creating. Whether it's anger, whether it's sad which is what Amy mentioned whether it's grief, anything, everything. I think art and creating can help us process those and, as Amy pointed out, you might come up with something new, exactly, yes, I love that idea, but then don't compare yourself to yourself when you go back to try to repeat it.

Speaker 1:

Yes from Corey. Corey's advice Love that one Okay this is from our friend Lynn. Lynn says do that which brings you joy.

Speaker 2:

Oh, what a wonderful, uplifting one. Yes, because joy is such a great state to live in. And if you have something that can put you in that state, that is just awesome.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I agree, and even, as Amy said, when you're creating from a place of sadness or anger, interesting to think about, when you're creating something joyful Now you do a lot of grungy colors and stuff that's like your thing but wonder if, when people are creating in a joyful place, if the colors are more vibrant or more pure or something like that. You know, but it can't be true all the time, because you create, enjoy and you have grungy, darker, kind of moody colors. But it's not like you're coming from a dark, grungy place, but I bet some people do. Their colors are a lot more bright and vivid.

Speaker 2:

Yes, I would say that that happens and actually I have experimented with those brighter colors and they are more joyful, they're happy.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Not that my dark colors are unhappy, but I just love them. To me they all the grunginess reminds me of Mother Earth.

Speaker 1:

Yes, Okay. The next one comes from someone Mama Judy and I both know and love. Billy G Art is his Instagram account.

Speaker 1:

This is my son Billy, and Billy is 27 year old. Mama Judy's grandson, billy is a computer programmer but he does a lot of sketching and painting and stuff and he's very creative and artistic as well. Billy says when drawing, don't be afraid to shade more than you think you should. And he got that piece of advice from someone. He had drawn something, I think, and put it on Instagram and I think he said if anyone knows, and he asked a question about shading. I'm pretty sure that's what happened and someone came back that is a real good artist. So it says when drawing, don't be afraid to shade more than you think you should.

Speaker 2:

I think that's great, and we can take Billy's specific art to say in art in general, don't be afraid to do more of whatever it is that you're doing than you thought. For example, if you're using a technique or a color that you're not used to using, don't be afraid to use it. Try it out, just see what happens?

Speaker 1:

Try it out. I could almost. When you said that, I pictured. I don't know why this came to my mind, but I pictured a little jar of paint, bright teal, sitting on someone's desk and being frightened to use it because it's like, well, how do I do this? Like it just seems so bright and like, just do it.

Speaker 2:

Just do it like someone said earlier, jane, don't be afraid, and I think the two words, three words that I would take from Billy's is don't be afraid, mmm, yes, that is so good.

Speaker 1:

Okay, here is our own friend, alexandra Almeda. 2519 is her Instagram account. The advice that came into her from someone years ago, she said, to have multiple projects, so when I get stuck on one I have others. She said I was told this in 1997.

Speaker 2:

Wow, very good and she's right, and I've heard Alexandra say before that she always has several and actually that's a pretty common one, I think, for people out on Instagram that I follow, and we can kind of tie it in to not just what Alexandra said, where you get stuck on one, but your mood. You can have projects going that you're not in the mood to do what you're doing on this project, but maybe you're in the mood to do this one, so it can kind of be all encompassing. I love the idea of having multiple things and maybe I have ADHD. I just I like flitting from one to the other so that if I'm even if the overall projects are journals, I have the little bitty ones, I have the medium size, I have the big one. I can just work in whatever size I want and throw them on the floor and collect them later. I love the flexibility of multiple projects.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and I was curious when Alexandra said that, so I responded back to. This is a direct message between the two of us, but it gives a little bit more feedback on this, which I just think is really interesting. She said she had traveled to Finland and she met a really nice lady, and she said that this woman always had multiple crochet projects, so she always felt inspired by at least one. That's an interesting point too. Like, even though you're really into this journal, you might not be so into that journal when you sit down to it next week, but if you look over at this other one and, wow, that looks really fun and good. So I love that.

Speaker 1:

And she said I followed her piece of advice because, although I had been doing that since I was an adolescent, I thought that I should finish something before I started another project, and she showed me that I shouldn't put that pressure on myself. Oh, excellent. So that's even more advice about don't feel this pressure like you have to finish something just because you started. Come back, the creative inspiration will come to you at another time perhaps.

Speaker 2:

Yes that is. I'm glad you asked Alexandra that and we got that further information Excellent.

Speaker 1:

Yes, Okay, let's read the next one. This is from and I'm going to butcher this pronunciation, probably because I'm not French, but this is from un cur create creative which is a wonderful name, because it translates, if I'm correct, into a creative heart. Oh, okay, so it's in French, which I love, and this person said do your art for you.

Speaker 2:

Oh, good, excellent, all of these. I just love this because they all fit together. Every one of these is important yes and you should. Even even when you're doing a commission for somebody, you really should do it for yourself first. Do what you love again, not what you think that person will. So yes, that's excellent advice Do it for you?

Speaker 1:

Yes, and I think too as a hobbyist, someone that doesn't have to sell their art, so anyone that just does it for fun it's easier for us to follow this versus someone that does have a commission. They know they have to turn this around, so it's probably a little bit more of a challenge for them to do that. Still, very Important and I think, mama Judy, when you were working on this big commission piece than you had, I could sense three even you post about it some on Instagram that you were trying to follow your own Intuition, even though you knew it was for this person, for this reason. But I could sense that you were trying to Do it for you in a way, because you knew whatever that would be would be right for them.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and in fact it actually. In that process, several of the things that were mentioned today came up and I stood in front of the canvas. I was trying to think, well, what would she like? And what I found was no inspiration came when I stepped back and said, you know, I'm just gonna do. My interpretation of what I think she likes became much easier because in that Flip I began to do it for me, not for her okay.

Speaker 1:

Next one is from Christina Angelos Studios, and this was her advice Five minutes of drawing a day starts your brain thinking creatively in the morning. Oh, I love that five minutes of drawing, even if we're not normal drawers. Like I thought oh, I'm not a drawer, but that is. It seems like a great little exercise just to get your brain going it is, and I think I don't.

Speaker 2:

I haven't done that, you know, I think I sit and doodle or mark me, but maybe I'll take that advice Under consideration and just have a little drawing pad, because she's right, you're training your brain, which is a muscle, to be creative and get that creative juice going. Good idea.

Speaker 1:

Mm-hmm. So if you were to sit down and draw, mama Judy, what might you draw? Just whatever comes to mind, or something I.

Speaker 2:

Might draw a sunflower, or I might draw a Table or or just something. Yeah, I might draw circles, yeah, exactly balloons.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, Christina. Okay, Bellsy, six yes another Bellsy six. We know Bellsy six. Bellsy says don't be afraid, or judgy can't make a mistake, true bill.

Speaker 2:

It's so true. Thank you for reminding us that inner voice, that judgmental voice, is always lurking back there and we have to remind ourselves. This is about the process and In, if you think about it, jill in the creative growth of Any creative person. What appears to be a mistake Might just be the beginning of something different. But where we are, let's say we're stuck doing something a certain way and we accidentally do it a different way we may look at it as a mistake. I, instead of oh, this might be a new beginning.

Speaker 2:

You know, Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone, or Edison who invented light. One of them think it was Edison. Somebody asked him after he'd done hundreds of experiments aren't you going to give up? You haven't been able to figure it out. And he said something like no, I have just found a thousand ways not to make a light bulb. So when we make a mistake, it's not a mistake. We've just found a way not to do what we want to do. Yes, and I think if we just change the wording a little bit, our perspective on something, it will move us beyond judgment. Yes, the judgment is a killer. Yes, it is.

Speaker 1:

Episode number five, a look at mistakes in the creative process. That was an episode that early on in our podcast that we recorded stuff about making mistakes. So if you're interested in that or you're struggling with that a lot, you might want to go back and listen to that episode as well. Yes, well, mama Judy, I think the one thing I failed to think about, like for this podcast episode and this is as we wrap up is what was the best piece of advice. I actually did not sit down to think about that, but I will say I think mostly it's come from you and it's maybe not one certain thing I can think of, but you always have been one to just encourage me.

Speaker 1:

That's a mix of all of these. Just try it, jill, don't judge yourself. You know, like all of these things that people are saying are the things that I've heard from you over the years. So I'm lucky enough to know that I just have a mixture of those good pieces of advice. But I think, especially for someone who didn't think she was a creative person, to have someone say everyone is creative, just try something, see what you like. Like that type of advice, especially if you're not someone who's currently creating or you're struggling with that.

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you, and I didn't find one piece of advice that resonated with me. Because every one of those resonated with me? Yes, because I know they're all so true and you need those reminders, even if you've been creating since the day you could walk, because we all forget, we all fall into traps, and every one of those pieces of advice are just perfect.

Speaker 1:

And.

Speaker 2:

I hope and I'm assuming that in your newsletter, which people can sign up for, that you will make a reference to those and the people so that they can get credit for giving us back the advice that helps us today.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I will link up to all of those different people in the newsletter. That's a great idea.

Speaker 2:

Yes, indeed Great. Yeah, it was fun, and I'm always so glad when people give us comments and feedback. I know that when they're out there on Instagram, there's a thousand different things catching their attention, so for someone to take a moment to answer that, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 1:

Me too. Yes, thank you for all the inspiration everyone, and it was fun chatting with you today. As always, mama Judy Yep and we will see everyone next week.

Speaker 2:

What's that? Oh, I keep moving. Because the sun is shifting. I thought, well, no, maybe I should sit here. It'll look like I have a halo.

Speaker 1:

Yes, it does so. If you wanna see Mama Judy on YouTube on our YouTube, if you're only listening today she's sitting outside in her home in Southern California in the desert. I talked to my dad earlier. He said it was gonna be in the 70s, I think mid 70s. Oh yes, it looks glorious. It's sunny, versus here in Asheville we're probably in the 50s, but it's misty, rainy. It's one of those days after we get done here, the three of us are gonna go watch a little movie downstairs.

Speaker 2:

Perfect, two perfect days and we hope everybody has a perfect day.

Speaker 1:

Yes, we do All right, everyone until next time. We will see you then. Thanks again for listening.

Speaker 2:

Yes, Love you.

Speaker 1:

Ditto Love you.