Finally, I can tell you what's happening!

I have been plotting something since last October and it's finally coming to fruition.

It's a strange feeling to have held a secret for this long. I normally just tell people what's happening with very few filters. But this was a decision that affected a lot more people than just me, so it needed to be handled carefully.

At the end of July, I will be stepping away from teaching.

Even writing that feels a little strange. Teaching has been a huge part of my life for so many years. Thousands of videos, courses, workshops, live calls, conversations and emails. Entire days spent thinking about how to help artists overcome the things that keep them stuck.

For a long time, I assumed that was simply what I did.

I saw myself as an artist yes, but also as a teacher and mentor. The three became so intertwined that I stopped thinking about where one ended and the next began.

But over the past year or so, I've felt something shifting.

I still love teaching and I still care about artists as much as I ever have.

What I've felt is a growing desire to see what happens when I give my own creative work my full attention.

For most of my career, painting has existed alongside a dozen other responsibilities. I've run businesses, built courses, managed teams, created programmes, and designed marketing campaigns. Art has always been at the centre of my life, but it has never had all of my attention.

Now it can.

The truth is that I don't know exactly what comes next, but I know I have to find out. I've spent years encouraging artists to follow their curiosity, trust themselves and make space for the things that are calling to them. It would feel a little hypocritical not to listen when my own instincts are telling me the same thing.

So that's what I'm doing. I'm making space to paint, to experiment, and to disappear down creative rabbit holes without wondering how they might become lessons or courses or workshops.

Once I'd made the decision, though, I found myself facing a problem.

Teaching wasn't something I could simply walk away from because there were too many people I cared about.

Art Tribe matters deeply to me. I didn't want to see it disappear, so I spent months working to find a way for it to continue and grow without me. That's why I am so delighted that Trayci Tompkins will be taking over.

Many of you already know Trayci. She has been part of Art Tribe almost from the beginning and has played a huge role behind the scenes for years. The response from the community to her plans has been overwhelmingly positive. Of course people are sad to see me step away, but they're also excited about where she intends to take things next.

I also wanted to make sure that everyone who joined Find Your Joy and Momentum received exactly what they had been promised. If you invested in one of my programmes, I felt a responsibility to honour that commitment. Arrangements have been made so that students will continue to have access to the materials they need.

Then there was my team - one of the hardest parts of this decision was knowing that it affected people whose livelihoods were connected to the business. I couldn't make peace with my choice until I knew they would be taken care of too.

The lovely thing is that many of the people you've come to know through Find Your Joy, Momentum and Art Tribe will continue to be involved, supporting Trayci and helping shape what comes next.

In truth, much of the last eight months has been spent trying to make sure that my decision created as little disruption as possible for everyone else.

I wanted to leave things in good order and keep my promises. And I wanted to hand over something healthy, thriving and full of possibility.

One thing I should say is that if you're reading this newsletter, very little is going to change for you.

The newsletter isn't going anywhere; neither is YouTube, Instagram or Substack.

In fact, you'll probably see more of me rather than less. What will change is the nature of what I'm sharing.

For years I've been teaching from experience. I've been helping other artists navigate their creative journeys.

Now I'm about to embark on a new one of my own.

I have absolutely no idea what it looks like to live a life centred entirely around making art. I've never done it. There has always been something else demanding my attention.

So that's what I want to explore.

What happens when an artist gives herself permission to focus completely on her work?

Will the paintings change? Will the ideas change? Will I discover things I couldn't see before?

I genuinely don't know. What I do know is that I want to document it.

The newsletter will continue as a record of what I'm thinking about. Instagram will become a visual record of the work. YouTube will continue to share life in the studio. Substack will give me space to think out loud.

There will be successes and failures, certainty and doubt, breakthroughs and blind alleys.

I won't be teaching a path I've already travelled - instead I'll be sharing the path I'm walking.

And if that sounds interesting, I'd love you to come along with me. I promise to make it interesting :)

Finally, if you've ever wanted access to my teaching, Art Tribe is now where it lives.

Everything I've created over the years remains inside Art Tribe. The courses, workshops, projects, recordings and resources are all there, and over the past few months I've also been creating one final six-month course designed to help artists find their own way with their work.

In many ways, it brings together the ideas that have underpinned almost everything I've taught. I think it might be the best course I've ever created and if you're an Art Tribe member, it's completely free.

If you're not, this is your time to jump in before the doors close. You can sign up HERE for a monthly fee (cancel any time) or HERE to commit for a full year (to save two months' fees).

So while I'm stepping away, the teaching itself remains, and I couldn't be happier about that.