Well hello there it's Antries and welcome to another episode of the savvy

painter podcast. The number one thing I have been hearing over and over again since starting this

podcast is that artists feel isolated. There's no one to ask when they get stuck on

their paintings. No easy access to other artists who know what it's like and can give advice on the nitty gritty stuff like which medium works best for a particular technique or where to go for a certain resource.

Since I started the savvy Painter podcast I've been asking

listeners like you what your biggest struggles are and here are some common replies.

I'm feeling the pressure to get some work done. I feel all alone in it sometimes and I want to connect

with other artists who understand what I'm going through. Another artist says, I struggle

with having enough time to do everything and be everywhere at once.

I know it's not a reasonable answer, but there are so many shows, competitions, and

residencies that to sort through which ones are the best for career advancement, it's a career in and of itself.

Or this artist who says that my family tries to be supportive, and they really are,

but they can never understand how hard it is. I mean you have to be an artist to really get that.

So I kept hearing these same frustrations over and over again, and for a long time I didn't do anything about it. Artists kept telling me that they need an

ongoing mentorship, somewhere they can ask questions and get guidance about what to do next.

That's why I created the Savvy Painter Growth Studio. It's an ongoing program for artists who are dedicated to honing their craft and learning to paint well.

It's a community that supports each other, shares freely, and throws in a little bit of tough love when you need it.

If that sounds like a program that you can thrive in, applications to Growth Studio are now open.

Go to savvy painter.com, workshops to learn more or to apply.

Casey Zavaglia is my guest this week.

Casey creates embroidered portraits of close family and friends.

After 9-11, like many of us, Casey realized that the most important thing in the world is family,

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