Sitting here with 2 of the 3 of my babies in bed with me and typing this post on my PHONE, there’s literally no doubt in my mind we are creative beings.

I have a whole spiel about why art matters, but the bottom line is, we were called to be creative and YOU ARE TOO.

Did you know adult coloring book sales have SKYROCKETED in the last two years?! Add COVID to the mix and we ALL need a little stress relief.

Can I get an AMEN?!

Today I’m sharing three easy tips to paint with watercolor, and NO it doesn’t have to feel intimidating, it IS fun, and you can’t do it wrong. You’ve got this!

START WITH WATER

Sounds simple right? Painting is all about how much water you had. Too much water? Your color will look dull (ie… not full of color). Too little water in? You may not be able to make your pain go as far as you like. Neither of those are wrong, it’s all about what you want. Take a scratch paper and add different levels of water to your paper.

now add paint and notice how each looks different based on the amount of water.

Just PLAY. There is no right or wrong way. I personally love using a glass jar for my water because I love hearing the clinks. Art is therapy, right?!

STOP DECIDING AND START PAINTING

It’s pretty typical, but I have a hard time deciding what to paint. I have an overwhelming amount of ideas in my head, and sometimes I just want FUN, sometimes I want to try something new, and sometimes I want a challenge. It doesn’t matter what you paint (paint circles, paint dots, paint lines, paint squiggles, paint your coffee cup, paint with your coffee), but just start.

DON’T CRITIQUE

We are all our own worst critics. That inner toot just digs at us with those snide remarks, but don’t listen to it! If I’d have listened, I wouldn’t have launched collections of watercolor paintings, created an entire business around my self-taught skills, and created a daily painting practice.

All I’m saying is; be slow to judge yourself. This exercise of painting is purely for your soul. If you want to learn deeper skills, I GOT YOU! But for now? Just enjoy the show you’re creating—the slow and lively process of watercolor. I talk all about my process here.

Painting doesn’t have to be hard, and statistics show that art truly helps ease stress and makes your mood better. Whenever I pop into the studio (even for a small pocket of time) it fills me up and I just feel peace. I hope you can get your own peaceful practice started too!

Need help getting started?! Get your FREE watercolor page download. And if you wanna get super fancy, to snag a watercolor or bristol paper set from Hobby Lobby or Michaels and print it on that!