An Artist’s Guide to Finding your Values

Okay. Good afternoon. It's from the Stillwater studio. Does anybody else just need a minute to breathe? I do. Today I'm talking about value. This is just a quick hello with check in, see how you're doing. Hello, Hello. But maybe just a little breathing today. Whatever you're doing, it's never a bad idea for a midday check in with ourselves. I've been out and about meeting with people this morning. I thought I would have extra time, and I didn't. So we're gonna. The plan is the show must go on. And again, I'm Megan Miller.

I'm a landscape painter and a coach. And I work with people to find more joy in their lives. Years ago, I was in a profession that I was burning out from. And I knew I wanted to do something different. So I slowly transitioned into my art career. And I also figured out I love inspiring others to do, to find what is calling them. And so today it's an art lesson a little bit. And you don't need to be an artist in talking about our lives too. So talking about value. So in art, it is separating lights and darks.

And to make a good painting and to make a good life, we have the lights and darks. You have to see. Hello. Hello. You have to see. You have to have the darks in order to notice the lights. And I believe that is true in our lives, that we have those contrasts coming up against each other. We have the dark moments and time periods that we all go through no matter what. And we don't ever want them, but we need them. And then we can see that contrast. So we have both. This is just a home that I had done years ago when I was Megan Schmidt.

And now I'm Megan Miller. Hello. And so that is important. And then the other thing that I like to do, I love to be in nature. And I think nature is our greatest nurturer. So you don't have to be a painter, but spending time outside, I love walking. I walk this morning and then all of a sudden I realize I'm walking and we get really busy in our heads, or I do. And I believe that happens to everyone. Cause we're trying to be productive and thinking about what's next. So one thing that I've done, and I've taught it to painters and I've taught it to non artists, is to look at the landscape around you.

And it can be anywhere. But it's really cool to notice the values. You can squint and you can actually see as land recedes. It Gets bluer and the value gets lighter. So sometimes noticing these things, that happens for painters. I've had people come back that are not painters, and they go, oh, my gosh, I noticed this land and how you painted it, and I can see it in real life happening that way. So here's an example. And again, this is to be mindful in nature. So this is a painting I did in Colorado.

And as this piece of land gets farther away, it's kind of like a blue color. And. And that is a really good way. Oh, thanks. Thank you. Okay. I'm trying to show this. It's a good way in while we're outside to notice what's around us, to notice the greens and the blues and the shape of the clouds. So sometimes I'm like, my mind is busy. I'm like, okay, just stop. Look at the land. Like, what is it doing? What is it telling me? And so it's a really fun practice to do if you're an artist, if you're just needing some time to rejuvenate outside.

This is like how I started really getting serious. When the light recedes, it gets darker, it gets bluer, and the value gets lighter. But it's always, like, different things. Like, some things are. It kind of depends on, like, what you're looking at. But this is a way. When I was really struggling in my life, in my career, in living situation, I would go outside and I decided to paint, but just would observe a lot in what the nature was telling me. And it was so relaxing. So I would bring out my easel and paint.

And it was just such a good way to relax and be aware. In any sort of mindfulness practice is so helpful. So even just carving out hour a day and, you know, don't feel like you have to be an artist, but sometimes the sketching. The clouds. I think clouds are so magical to watch and how they take form, and then in the next few minutes, they release and go away. And so it also reminds me of our thoughts and how sometimes we attach to certain thoughts and, like, certain worries, and then all of a sudden, like, we witness and release.

We're watching the clouds come together, and then they move on. So I think the landscape always has things to teach us. And being quiet and carving out that time is so important, and finding ways to relax your body and maybe just going and breathing and finding a spot in the woods. I have some places that I go walking, and I know that those are. They're always changing too. And, like, noticing the light with different seasons and so I'll go back to the same place in the winter, in the fall and just notice how things like leaves the come together and then they fall off.

And even in those dormant times for the trees, for humans it may look like nothing is happening but underneath the earth there's important work and it's important to be quiet too so that the winter time when the earth isn't moving, it's quiet. We are, you know, animals and we need that quiet time for ourselves too. So that is your, that, that's your art value update for today. So I would love to hear from you. I love for you to go out and this is your homework to go look at clouds. Megan said I needed to go do that.

But this is your permission slip to go and just sit in the land and see the colors and the textures and the compositions. So bye for now. Have a great day.