ART AND VALIDATION

Hello everyone, and a warm welcome to new subscribers…I’m so glad you’re here!

July is my sabbatical month. I take time to retreat into myself and my art-making. I enjoy the warm summer weather and tend to my garden. I take more walks, read more, and even nap some afternoons. It’s quite delicious, and it always replenishes my creative energy for both my art-making and my coaching. It feels incredibly validating to do this—like giving myself permission to just be present for where my energy wants me to go.

As I have gotten older I am much better at taking time for myself. I guess that is the privilege of aging, and the wisdom that comes with that. July is also my birthday month, and this year I hit the milestone number of 65. I’m feeling so grateful to be here and to continue doing the work I do. Thank you for your support and kind words for what I share. It means so much.

In this month’s blog post, I share some insights into the difference between internal and external validation. It’s been a long journey for me to let go of the need for external validation, and I’m not always perfect at supporting myself. But with intention and commitment, I can now offer myself the gift of self-trust, allowing myself to find more ease in the creative process. I hope you might be able to offer yourself the same, as I am certain you are deserving.

And just a reminder that my blog post is also offered as an audio recording, allowing you to listen instead of read. To access the recording, click on the READ MORE OR LISTEN button in the ‘FROM THE BLOG’ section of this newsletter. You’ll find the MP3 file at the bottom of my written post on my website.

If you have any feedback, I always love hearing from you. Thank you for reading and sharing this newsletter. It is truly appreciated.

PS: For those of you who are new subscribers, I have included a link to previous issues of my newsletter, full of additional resources for you!

INTERNAL VALIDATION

One of the mindset skills that can help us to be more resilient as artists, and to make work rooted in our truth, is to shift from relying on external validation as a measure of our worth as an artist to internal validation.

External validation is like a dopamine hit—it may feel good in the moment, giving us a feeling of euphoria, but it quickly fades and leaves us unsteady once more.

This happens because we are looking outside ourselves for acceptance and encouragement, and we are essentially saying to ourselves that our self-judgment is flawed—we need someone else to tell us we're okay, successful, interesting, valuable, etc. But by relying on others to tell us who we are and why we matter, we're subject to the shifting sands of personal opinions and popularity. This can leave us feeling vulnerable as we continue to search for yet another confirmation of our worth and validity when the well runs dry.

Seeking external validation is a natural part of being human—we want to know we are acceptable and that we will be included. Because of this, many of us have been looking outside ourselves for acceptance for so long that we don't know what healthy self-confidence looks and feels like, or why it matters. As a result, we may not know how to stop seeking external validation, or how to begin to offer ourselves the support and acceptance we need. We may be unwittingly locked in a false belief that others' opinions of us are both true and consequential for us.

So how do we begin to cultivate internal validation skills?

Become more mindful. Firstly, we begin to practice mindfulness—turning our awareness towards ourselves and becoming curious about our nature, meeting what arrives with acceptance and curiosity. This may be a developing practice for us, and we simply want to start where we are by just noticing our current internal dialogue and the patterns that are present for us. We do this by becoming more curious—observing ourselves without judgment.

Acknowledge yourself. Perhaps you become aware that you tend towards self-criticism—as many of us do. Maybe you notice that you focus more on your failures, your struggles, and what you have yet to accomplish or succeed at. The shift you want to make is to take stock of your wins—even the smallest of accomplishments are worth acknowledging.

I often suggest to my coaching clients that they end their studio sessions with a written acknowledgement statement, noticing one small thing that they did well or accomplished, even if it is just that they showed up to the studio that day.

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ARTIST’S MINDSET

PAINTING THE TEXTURE OF MEMORY: CHRISTINA KIMEZE

Welcome to the working studio of UK artist Christina Kimeze, who builds her mixed media paintings on a suede-like board. Kimeze comes from a background in biology and embraces the unconventional, the experimental, as she pushes against the way materials are typically used in art-making.

Her work is about memory and the act of remembering. Pulling from life, personal experiences, and relationships, she tells us that she “gives visual form to a memory” and whatever the sensory aspect of that memory offers is brought into the work.

Kimeze’s surfaces are rich with colour and texture, sensual and tactile. She uses repetition, transparency, and the unpredictable nature of how materials interact with the sueded board—forms appear and dissolve into its luscious surface. Her work is both personal and universal in what it references.

In speaking about her practice, she acknowledges she makes her work for herself—that is what has always guided her and still does.

THERE IS ALWAYS A BALANCE OF MAKING AND DESTROYING: VALERIIA VERTII

Art-making is the ritual that connects us with the world and our lives. These words of wisdom, offered by a young artist with a lifelong passion for making, are her response to why she makes her work, and answer the aching question “Why am I here?”

Valeriia Vertii is a Ukrainian artist now living in Paris and attending the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris. In this Timestamp video she shares the diversity of her practice—working with painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, metal and glass work, wax, latex and photography. Each medium is approached with a desire to understand its physical and emotional language. She sees each discipline as material for her expression and exploration, regardless of the typical approach of keeping them separated. It all weaves together to answer her questions about the subjects she investigates through her work.

Vertii also knows that materials carry their own history and meaning, and that evolves with the artist’s intervention. Her willingness to remain true to herself infuses her work with story, life, and the imaginary. She understands her choice to be an artist, even when it’s not always understood by others. Art has a lot to teach us about life, and it is lovely to hear this young artist speak so thoughtfully to these ideas.

IN THE STUDIO: ANDY DENZLER

Surrounded by the beauty of the landscape, where his purpose-built studio resides, Swiss painter Andy Denzler takes inspiration from the intersection between the natural world and what he calls “the digital echo.”

An abstract painter in the 1990s, Denzler’s work began to evolve to the figurative, and in this short-play video he tells us what is currently occupying his artistic inquiry.

Artists often respond to the changing environment that they are living in or the circumstances they find themselves navigating. Art-making is a form of understanding the disconnect or the developing disruption. In this Opera Gallery video Denzler discusses his new body of work created for his solo show Inner Space, which ran in the spring of 2026.

This willingness to honour our internal truth as artists and people is rooted in the solidity of internal validation and trust.

OFFERINGS FOR ARTISTS

Want to join me in September for the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge?

After taking a break from running the challenge last year, I plan to jump back in this fall. So watch for the details in next month’s newsletter and on my Instagram profile for how you can join the challenge and give your art practice a boost!

Whether you have purchased the course or not, everyone will be welcome to join in!

The 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course is an affordable, content-rich, self-guided course that can be started at any time and is always available for purchase on my website.

Once purchased, you’ll have lifetime access to the course and can repeat the Challenge at any time in the future, giving your art-making the boost it might need.

This course also addresses essential aspects of the artist’s mindset—how we think about and approach our creative work in ways that move beyond fear and limitations and open us to what’s possible.

You can find out more about the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge Course HERE.

You’re also welcome to email me at info@insightcreative.ca with your questions.

THE GIFT OF SHARING

For new subscribers – please enjoy these previous issues of my monthly newsletter. Links to additional back issues can be found on the right sidebar of my blog HERE.

If you know of any artists that could benefit from these monthly newsletters, blog posts, or any of my Course Offerings, please share this email with them and invite them to have a look. They’ll receive my free PDF download on ‘How to Make a Creativity Journal’ when they subscribe.

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