Show Notes
Ever stood in front of a gallery text and felt your eyes glaze over? You're not alone, and it's not you. This week, Dan's back, and we're unpacking "art speak" (aka International Art English): where it came from, why almost nobody enjoys writing it, who it ends up excluding, and what to do instead. Want help finding your own way to write about your work?
Our six-month, one-to-one Healthy Artist mentorship gives you dedicated time to deepen your practice and build momentum in the studio. On session 5 you have a 1.5 hour 1:1 with Dan about articulating and writing about your work in a way that feels authentic to you. If this sounds good to you, you can check out all of our offerings over on thehealthyartist.com To read our Substack reflection on this episode please do so here.
More from The Healthy Artist
What happens when you treat your creative space as a sacred shrine? This week, Martha sits down with mystic artist Critallina Fischetti to talk about her journey from Chelsea Art College to an old Victorian town hall in the Cotswolds.
What is a studio for? Is it a physical room, or an active state of mind you carry with you? In this episode, Henry and Martha talk about the history, rituals, and vulnerable realities of the modern creative workspace. They trace the pendulum from the collaborative factory workshops of the Renaissance to Courbet's bustling public square, straight to the myth of the lone genius in a Parisian garret. But the real heart of the conversation is a very modern tension: how do you maintain the quiet, monastic privacy needed to figure out what you're making, while surviving the pressure of digital performance? Sign up to our colour theory class here. Join us over on substack here. Check out all of The Healthy Artist happenings over on thehealthyartist.com
Martha sits down with abstract painter and educator Henry Ward to discuss the raw reality of a lifetime studio practice. Henry shares insights from his 35-year journey, defining "refinement" as stripping away artistic baggage rather than chasing a slick, polished finish. Together, they explore the "Monday night genius, Tuesday morning crisis," the necessity of getting a painting into trouble, and why material compromise can actually be an artist's greatest catalyst for innovation. Henry also reflects on his parallel career in education, offering a refreshing and optimistic look at the daily compulsion to make art. To view our Substack post on refinement please do so here. To view what The Healthy Artist is up to, please check out our website.
Permindar Kaur built real momentum early- a spot in the 1995 British Art Show, shows across Japan, Australia, the US and Europe. Then, after her second child, she stepped away from the studio for a decade. In this episode she talks about what that break really felt like, why she always knew she'd come back, and what it took to rebuild a practice on her own terms rather than anyone else's timeline. This week over on Substack we wrote some notes on persistence. Read here. To check out more about the artists please follow her on instagram or visit her website. For all healthy artist offering please visit our website thehealthyartist.com
In today's episode Dan and Martha talk about art and burnout and the question underneath it: have you lost your appetite for the thing that got you into this in the first place? Sometimes it shows up as burnout. Sometimes as a lack of confidence, or falling out of the habit of making while still yearning for a more exciting relationship to your work. These are some of the blocks we spend a lot of time working through with people in our mentorship, because showing up for your practice is a form of self-respect, even when you need someone alongside you to find that rhythm again. Links mentioned in this episode: Our six-month mentorship → thehealthyartist.com Companion post, "Notes on Artist Burnout, Passion as Exploitation, and The Art of Calm Ambition" → Link to Substack post The article that inspired this episode, by Harriet Lloyd-Smith → link to article