It's been a weather week here in the mountains! We had a lovely snowfall of light, dry snow and a sunny day to light it up. Until I moved here, I didn't know that snow could glitter like that.
You'd think that being kept inside more than usual would make creating easy. But not so much. Sometimes it takes a little more effort and thought to get going on a project – some momentum to push past the inertia.
So I did something a little extreme: I set my kitchen timer for 3 minutes, grabbed a few supplies, and painted a portrait.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But it has a liveliness around the eyes that I really like. And the best part? I had so much fun making it.
The Permission You're Waiting For
Pssst, a secret about making art: the permission you're waiting for? You already have it. The "right" moment to start? It's right now, with whatever you have.
Imperfection isn't something to overcome – it's proof you're actually creating instead of just planning to create. Those rough edges, those unexpected marks, that liveliness that shows up when you're not being careful? That's you in the work.
You don't need more techniques, more time, or more certainty. You need three minutes and permission to make something that isn't perfect.
I'm giving you that permission right now.
Try This: Three Minutes, One Small Thing
If you're tired of waiting to feel "ready," I’ve got you! My workbook Take What Belongs to You: Wild Creativity walks you through exactly this kind of making. It's built on three exercises that take 30 minutes each – finding what interests you, choosing one small thing, and making something from it.
No perfection required. No art school language. Just you, making marks that come from what actually interests you instead of what you think you "should" make.
The workbook is $17 (instant download) and you can grab it here. Want to see what this process looks like? I filmed the whole 3-minute portrait session – timer, rough edges, and all the spontaneous choices that make it mine. Watch it here.
More from the Studio
Creative companionship: There are 3 spaces left in my Walk With Me membership. It's sustained creative companionship for people who've wandered off the prescribed path – casual studio emails when I'm working, direct correspondence, behind-the-scenes access to what I'm making. Not a class, just proximity to someone proving your way forward is possible. Details here.
Why I left Etsy: I wrote about leaving the platform and what I'm doing instead (spoiler: it involves actual creative sovereignty and Ko-fi). If you've been wondering about the practical and business side of being an outsider artist, that's on my website.
What's keeping you from making something today – really? Set a timer for 3 minutes and tell me what happens. I read and reply to every message.
Light the Way!
Monette
P.S. The workbook has a whole section on making things twice – once to see what happens, then again covering up your first attempt. That freedom to "ruin" your own work? That's where the real creating starts.
P.P.S. I keep going from window to window just to look at the snow. I lived my whole life in Florida before moving here and never really saw it until now. Secret: I call it "magic rain." Because it is. And that sunlit glitter is one of The Creation's best tricks.