Painting Every Day (Or Trying To)
My July Watercolour Adventure
Hello painterly pals! It’s me again, Kati from Austria, curly head, dog lover, and painting enthusiast, writing about my many, many, many challenges. How’s your summer been? Has it been filled with sunshine and lots of painting?
When Life (and June) Get in the Way
While I don’t control the weather (you cannot blame the dreadful rain on me), I do try to take control of my painting output. I went into June having painted embarrassingly little. I try not to beat myself up about it and neither should you! Life happens. But what I know is this: when I pick up my brushes, even for a couple of minutes, I feel calmer, happier, more grounded. Which is good! Which is why I want to do it more often.
Enter: World Watercolour Month
Along came Louise with World Watercolor Month created by Charlie O'Shields, and I thought, this is it, my chance to create a habit and paint every day! Now, I am dreadful at doing things that are good for me, but I never shy away from a challenge. I wish there was a switch in my brain, seriously. How hard can it be to do the things you love?
Discord Buzz and False Confidence
July approached and there was a buzz over on Discord. Many members have become good friends over the years of following Louise’s teachings, and we were all very excited. We talked about the prompts, whether we would follow them, and what we were going to paint. I was completely convinced I’d prepare some line drawings beforehand, get my space ready, and create a low barrier to actually start painting and to participate in this great event.
July 1st: Panic Mode
And then… life happened. July 1st approached so rapidly I didn’t even notice. The last day of June came as a shock. My room wasn’t prepared, no line drawings made, and I didn’t even have the faintest idea what to paint. I didn't feel creative at all. I wanted to join in on the fun of posting, sharing and celebrating watercolour. This cannot be! I cannot fail on the first day already. You can imagine my inner turmoil.
I went on Discord and discovered beautiful paintings by my friends. Some had prepared drawings following the prompts, some followed their own inspiration, but seemingly EVERYONE was painting. Except me. Now, I know this isn’t true, but for the sake of this text, let’s exaggerate. A little drama never hurt.
Saved by the Cherries
So there I was, panicking. It’s World Watercolor Month, my chance to paint a lot and I wasn’t painting. Then my knight in shining armour arrived in the form of Louise’s monthly challenge on Patreon: beautiful, juicy cherries, complete with a line drawing. YES! This was going to be my first painting. And to my surprise, it was fun! Neither the dreaded reds nor the pressure (from myself) to create artwork I’d be proud to show off stopped me. I finished without major panic or doubts.
My first painting for world watercolor month. Reference thanks to Francesco Cantinelli from Unsplash.
Day Two: Leaves to the Rescue
On day two, I still felt uninspired and scared of trying my own thing, but I was adamant. I was going to paint every day. I used a line drawing of an old Louise challenge - some leaves. Somehow, having the drawing and a good reference photo chosen by my teacher filled me with confidence. I was happy I hadn’t made excuses and was simply painting.
My second painting of some leaves.
Day Three: The Watermelon Disaster
Day three rolled around, and things started to go sideways. It was the last really hot day of July (we had four weeks of rain after that), and I just wasn’t feeling it. I thought, “Girl, you don’t have the energy for a Louise-style painting today. Do something simple and easy and be done with it.”
I picked a watermelon reference from the hoard on my phone, it seemed fitting for the heat. Easy, right? Wrong. The pink flesh bled everywhere, the rind was a disaster, and my patience evaporated faster than the summer sun. I finished quickly and had zero fun with it.
My third painting gave me trouble!
Murder Mysteries and Houseplants
The next day, I thought, let’s do something whimsical and quick. Which is not entirely true, since I did have time, I just wasn’t able to flick the switch to fun. I painted illustration-style houseplants from Instagram while listening to a murder mystery audiobook.
My boyfriend laughs hysterically when he sees me painting dainty flowers while listening to crime and blood. But it works: listening to something I need to focus on keeps me from overthinking. Just you wait, in a couple of decades I’ll be painting in front of my cottage, Miss Marple–style, while solving mysteries in my head.
The houseplants took me longer than expected. Fun, yes, but not the most rewarding. Still, I had painted every day, and it began to feel like a routine. No excuses, just painting.
My fourth painting - illustration style houseplants.
Bookmarks and Other “Easy” Things
I missed day five but made up for it with three little bookmarks the day after. Here’s what I realized: those tiny illustration-style bookmarks I thought would be “easy” actually took a lot of work. With Louise’s tutorials, I can follow her recipe almost blindly, but stepping out of my comfort zone required way more effort.
My fifth painting....coffee anyone?
So, I kept looking for “easy” inspiration online. Spoiler: it wasn’t actually easy. But I was painting, and that made me happy.
My sixth painting.
Feeling Like a Real Painter (Finally)
Days 7 and 8 I returned to an old Louise challenge, a green leaf in a vase. It took me two days, but it was a joy. I felt like a real painter again. I had created something I was proud of.
The Crash
And then… crash. The next day I couldn’t sit down to paint. That mental block lasted until day 16. I felt stressed every day, like a complete failure. How was it possible that I couldn’t do the thing I love most? Why was that blockade in my mind so strong? I got a lot of support during this time from my friends over on Discord. It's a good feeling to not be alone. Know that you aren't alone. Many of my painterly pals felt the same as me with time, life, or doubt invading.
Oranges, Poppies, and an Epiphany
On day 16 I finally painted loose poppies. Then I stopped again until day 20, when I painted loose oranges, both from Instagram references, not my own. A trend was clear: I wanted easy and enjoyable, but my chosen references weren’t delivering. I ended up fiddling, wasting time, and being unhappy with the results.
Time for a change. I realised painting every day on top of a job, a dog, a relationship, and, you know, life was too much pressure. For me, painting can’t be treated like a job in my diary. If it becomes a chore, I resist it.
With that epiphany, I started to relax. I focused less on painting every day and more on what painting gives me - the feelings of calm, joy, and focus. That was enough to pull me back in. That, and wanting to paint something for my friend’s wedding. I can’t lie, I always need a little push. But that’s okay. I may not be the most productive painter, but when the stars align, and I get a nudge, I manage to do what I love most.
This is a painting I did from one of Louise's tutorials.
A Virtual Hug for You
So if you, like me, struggle with consistency, self-doubt, or mental blockades, may this little (ok, pretty long) text be a virtual hug and encouragement: you don’t have to paint every day. Find what works for you, and remember, the result is always secondary to what painting makes you feel.
And now I’m done stealing your time. Go back to enjoying Louise’s amazing content while I figure out how to paint watermelons without swearing.
If you are interested in learning to paint in watercolour, I have hundreds of online, voiced over watercolour tutorials for all skill levels.
