In this episode I share how I find continued value in the way Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary reframed my understanding of our left and right brains - not only as it applies to our creative process and working with our craft, but how it can guide us in how we work with artificial intelligence. No doubt it will be a major aspect of our future. My original post that inspired this is here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories...

In this - a little bit longer episode - I share the story behind writing my interpretation of The Beatitudes - eight ancient teachings - for those of us who dare to create. My wish is to support us in creating with our singular vision and voice. Then, I share each of the eight Beatitudes. It's a combination of three consecutive journal entries, the first of which I called Supremely Blessed. https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/april-26-2017-supreme-...

Here's an art-making-oriented episode - a practical one. I'm sharing my thoughts on how it is that I decide the form of my paintings - my process of composing a painting. I don't follow rules, I don't even think too much. It's a felt thing. In case reflecting on my process is helpful, here it is! There's no post on my (now new!) website about this. And, you can go there to see all the results of my composing paintings over the years! www.lifeinfullcolor.com The "round" pain...

Doing all this myself, this was bound to happen. A big silent space ended up right in the middle. It's now fixed. I'm sharing this one again, with a short intro and update on an interaction I had with the mailman that I mentioned in the original episode. I felt the need to hear this message today. Here it is on the top of the stack in case you want to hear it - or hear it again - too. This is a calendar time-specific episode, though the ideas are applicable fo...

We get crucial life-fuel from what lights us up. I am here to say that doing what brings us alive is worth the effort to carve out time for. This episode was inspired by a recent experience where I felt this kind of energy - and it reminded me of a journal post I wrote in April of 2016. https://lifeinfullcolor.com/journal/art-life-stories/april-5-2016-brings-us-alive/ Here you'll find my words and the photos of Lenore, Sue and I - and the beauty in the gardens of Filoli tha...

I get really practical in this episode. I share with you the very best way to start out your watercolor experience - as well a great exercise if you've been painting forever and what is in all those tubes is still somewhat a mystery.Get Intimate with Color is a workshop I teach - and there is one coming up on January 25-26 - in person, in the studio in Novato, CA. If you are local, or able to come to the Bay Area then, I invite you to join in and do the exercise with me in real li...

A recording I made in the swirl of uncertainty that so many of us humans are feeling at this time. Speaking for myself - I'm compelled to know - to understand, to be able to predict what will happen. It's a comfort. In this episode I take a look at the flip side - the wisdom in being in the place of "I don't know."I reference a journal post from September of 2016. You can read what wrote here:https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/july-26-2016-wisdom-not-kn...

I just discovered a recording I made - and then in the swirl of my life this past summer, I completely forgotten about. It was late one night and I was in the car with the dog, while waiting at the emergency. I was prompted to share it here after reading a Facebook post from my dear friend Betsy Graziani Fasbinder about the lifecycle of butterflies. Just before recording I read about an aspect of this creature's makeup that I found fascinating - and applicable to human unfolding: ...

Recorded early one morning while on vacation at the end of a supercharged summer, sitting on the shores of Lake Tahoe. A rare moment of solitude on vacation, shared with you, including reflections on my experience of committing to paint every day the summer of 2024. In this episode I refer to a post, written at the end of 2016, when I shared my thoughts at end of a year-long commitment to paint. You can read it here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/dev/life-stories/december-27-201...

A short-ish episode to update you on how my 92 Days of Watercolor are going, amidst a life that suddenly became very full of everything else besides art. While recording the previous episode I was inspired to spontaneously make a commitment to paint every day the summer of 2024 - and invite others to join me. Check it out on my Facebook pages: Cara Brown and Life in Full Color - join the Facebook Group: 92 Days of Watercolor if you like too. I'm also on Instagram:...

In this episode I share some fresh thoughts about something that I was left wondering about at the time I was writing my online journal every week. Something came to me early one morning that I jumped out of bed to share. It's the interplay and intersection between two ideas - creative confidence and commitment. While recording I was inspired to spontaneously make a commitment to paint every day the summer of 2024 - and invite others to join me. Check it out on my Face...

Another episode exploring the challenge of time and attention for our creative work in our lives. I take the "both-and" point of view in debates. We do need to corral ourselves to get to our studios, *and* there are natural rhythms that directs all of life on earth. What if we learn to really pay attention to ourselves and follow our inner direction?This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Trusting your own rhythm" on March 1, 2017, which i...

This is a calendar time-specific episode, though the ideas are applicable for any time in life. I wrote a journal entry in the spring of 2016 when I was in a place of sorrow that coinsided with Holy Week - between Palm Sunday and Easter. I drew upon something I'd learned about a day that isn't talked about - Easter Saturday - for solace and for the reminder, the permission to honor my time of grief. Having a creative practice is a form of the light of love that can transfor...

What is beauty - how is it part of life on earth? And most importantly what is its impact on us - and does it matter? These are the questions I ponder and muse upon in this episode. The story of the restorative weekend that I told in this epsode came from this post: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/my-art-and-process/august-16-2016-just-make-beauty. It's where you can see a little photo collage in bright summer color - and read the whole story. Cara Br...

I took inspiration from something that Martha Graham famously said. Humans can be blessed by a certain unrest, by an inner disturbance, of sorts, that causes us to take action to make stuff happen in the world. It had me clean up my studio, and it keeps me making one new piece of art after the next. It also causes us to do all kinds of things, like tending to some aspect of brokenness in our beautiful world. This eposide was inspired by a post that I published un...

I'm here to support and encourage each of us to follow our own breadcrumbs towards our art. There are strong opinions about whether or not making art based on photos ought to be done. As with all aspects of art-making whether or not to use photos is up to each of us. This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Photos or life - we get to decide" on February 9, 2016, which is here: https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/february-9-201...

I'm trying something different with this episode. I thought I'd offer some "how it works" insights I have about the very basics of watercolor - the water! There isn't a journal post from my website to point you to with the same general message. Though some of the ideas that I share I first wrote about in a post on painting "fuzzy backgrounds" on June 14, 2017. https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/june-14-2017-learning-paint-fuzzy/I hope you enjoy!Cara Brown - Waterco...

Focusing - in order to get stuff done - is more natural for some of us than others. In this episode I take a look at how this is and offer a point of view for those of us who lack the natural abiltiy to easily shut out the world - and the gift in this way of being.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "When it's hard to focus" on July 12, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/july-12-2017-hard-focus/" if you'd like to rea...

The story behind the environment that has been created through gathering with watercolor artists and students over these past dozen years - and how surrounding ourselves with this kind of support impacts the art we make.This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Like Potatoes on Mars" on April 12, 2016, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/april-12-2016-like-potatoes-mars/" if you'd like to read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Watercolo...

Examining the "why" that has us do whatever we do is an interesting and potenitally powerful exercise. I look at this idea with regard to what drives my/our painting efforts - with a little Henry Miller thrown in for fun and inspiration!This eposide was inspired by a post that I published under the title "Why make art?" on March 29, 2017, which is here: "https://www.lifeinfullcolor.com/life-stories/march-29-2017-why-make-art" if you'd like to read what I wrote.Cara Brown - Waterco...