Well, hey there. Welcome to another episode of the Savvy Painter podcast. My name is Anne Trees Wood. I am your host. And if you have been listening to the podcast for a while, welcome back. And if you're new here, I am so glad that you have found the podcast. If you're an artist who wants practical tactical tips to create a meaningful art practice

that is fulfilling and supports you, you are in the right place.

And in this episode, we're going to talk a little bit about what's going on right now.

I know that the world feels really heavy

right now. It's chaotic. And a lot of people are wondering, how does my art even matter in all

of this? I've gotten a lot of emails and questions about this. And maybe you also thought, like, who am I to create

right now or even worse? Why should I even bother? But what I want to show you today is that

maybe you're asking the wrong question. Instead of wondering, who am I to make art, I want you to consider the opposite.

Who are you not to make art right now? I know, I know, let that settle in. The thing is, is that

art isn't just about the artist who creates it. It's not just about you. It's about connection. It's about relief,

both for you and for the people who need what you create. It's about staying human when

everything around us pushes us to disconnect. And yet creating right now can feel nearly impossible. And I totally get that. When we're

feeling really stressed, when we're feeling scared, uncertain, or overwhelm might even take over,

the creative instinct might be to shut down. That part of your brain that allows for play and curiosity and innovation, it goes offline.

And when that happens, it's really easy to think that you've lost your spark or that you're just

not motivated enough. But here's the truth. It's not about motivation. It's about safety. And right now, a lot of us do not feel

safe. So today we're going to start at the beginning by acknowledging your emotions without letting

them control you, not ignoring them, not pushing them down, but actually feeling them,

tending to them, and understanding that your emotions do not

define you. Because until you do acknowledge that, creativity is always going to feel just out of reach.

This is how we make art when it feels like the world is burning down, not by forcing ourselves through it,

but by grounding ourselves first, by remembering that art is more than a transaction. It's more

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