Why you must find joy in your art

I'm currently revamping all aspects of my Find Your Joy course, and I'm currently working on a new and expanded version of my free annual workshop. This year it will be a 10-day extravaganza designed to inspire all creatives to rise up and inject new creativity into their work.

In the art world, there's a pervasive myth: that true creativity stems from struggle, that the "tortured artist" is the most authentic. But what if this narrative is not only misleading but also detrimental to our creative potential?​

Joy, often dismissed as frivolous, is in fact a profound and radical force in art-making. Engaging with joy doesn't mean ignoring pain or complexity; it means embracing a fuller spectrum of human experience.​

Research supports this. The "broaden-and-build" theory in positive psychology suggests that positive emotions like joy expand our awareness and encourage novel, exploratory thoughts and actions.

This broadened mindset enhances creativity and builds lasting psychological resources. ​

Moreover, joy fosters resilience. A study by Drexel University found that art-making significantly reduced cortisol levels, the body's primary stress hormone, in participants. This suggests that joyful creative activities can alleviate stress and promote mental well-being. ​(And didn't we all know that without a study?!)

So what does it mean to embrace joy in your art practice? Am I suggesting you should chase superficial happiness? Am I encouraging everyone to move towards a kind of toxic positivity?

Of course not. Joy isn't the same as happiness. Happiness is short-lived and usually happens in response to specific stimuli - we sell a painting or get accepted into a great gallery or win a prize. Each of these will engender a feeling of happiness for a short while. But joy is much deeper. It's about reconnecting with the intrinsic motivation that led you to create in the first place. It's about allowing yourself to play, to experiment, and to take risks without the paralyzing fear of failure.​

Your art might be about very painful subjects, and yet the process can still feel joyful.

Another way of describing what I mean by joy might be flow. When we are in flow state, we are completely engaged in what we're doing, so much that we can forget other things we're supposed to be doing.

And when we get into that state, we almost always make something worthwhile and interesting. Having removed ego and thinking mind from the process, we are free to allow creativity to flow through us - and creativity always knows best :)

Consider this: when was the last time you made something purely for the joy of it? Not for a deadline, not for a commission, not for social media validation, and not so that your friends and family would praise your talent—but simply because it felt good?​

When was the last time you genuinely didn't care about making a picture, but instead were immersed in your process?

If the answer is 'not recently,' I urge you to do something about it.

Reclaiming joy in your creative process is a revolutionary act. It challenges the status quo, defies the myth of the suffering artist, and opens the door to authentic, uninhibited expression.​

It is genuinely the quickest route to making unique art that astounds others and satisfies you.

So this week, I invite you to explore what joy means in your art-making. Notice when and where it arises. What activities spark that sense of delight and curiosity? How can you cultivate more of these moments?​

Remember, joy isn't a distraction from serious art-making; it's the foundation of it. By prioritizing joy, you not only enhance your creativity but also nurture your well-being.

The new version of my free workshop will start at the end of August this year and I'm so excited to share it with you. It will be so much better than ever before, because I've found new ways to express why joy matters and how to bring it into your work. I'm designing new assignments, working on new videos, and just giving it all my energy.

Hope to see you there!

Just click this link to join the wait list so you'll be the first to know when the dates are finalised