Fresh and inspired

It's good to be back <3

Working on new artwork ★

Dear reader,

After two months of being on break, I am back(!) to my normal routine of sending an email out every other Sunday. I’m feeling refreshed and inspired. I’m eager to form the writing habit again. To learn how this medium will inspire the visual work I currently have in process.

As I am sitting down to write this, I am reflecting a lot, and to best organize my thoughts, here is a list of all I’m excited about.

Resistance, resistance. The first couple of weeks I entered my break were wob-bull-ly. I met so much resistance even though I technically had nothing on my plate. I intentionally carved June and July to be distraction-free art-making time. But I noticed how I immediately wanted to fill my attention with busy work. I thought about updating the SEO on my website (drag) and refreshing my welcome email (boring). My loving community kindly reminded me simply to let it go (shoutout to you, Joanna). And make the art. So, I moved through the uncomfortableness. I encouraged myself to take small steps toward art-making even when I felt zero motivation. Creativity is truly a muscle, and when I’m out of practice, it takes a few strokes to find momentum again. There’s truly a lot to learn in resistance. I’ll uncover more about this topic in an upcoming podcast episode.

Taking risks. I didn’t know what kind of art I was going to make. I felt myself slowly becoming deeply inspired but there was a block when I thought about approaching my work how I have traditionally. As I slowly shed my uncomfortableness, I chose to lean into what felt exciting. To just move past the judgment I held against myself. Which has ultimately led me to some really interesting places. I am creating artwork that looks so different than my previous work, and I am so utterly excited about it. It’s refreshing. It feels right. I don’t think I would have arrived here without a break. And I don’t think I would have arrived here without taking risks. Feeling confident to push my processes. To work with different materials. And trust my intuition.

Side-b forever <3 I’m three months into facilitating side-b and it is home. I’ve truly loved writing/blogging behind the scenes of my creative process this summer. I’ve divulged the conversations I have internally, how I think through making decisions, the tools I use to support myself, where I go for inspiration, and the incredibly cool and inspiring things I come across. I think, in a lot of ways, this is a part of my life’s body of work. Side-b is an art piece. Process is my artwork, and this is where my process is realized. If you’re curious about this space, side-b is open at pay-what-you-want pricing through the end of this year.

Looking ahead and not looking ahead. One of the greatest outcomes of my break that I will treasure forever is the gift of doing things because they simply feel right. Because I want to do them. During this time, I wasn’t working towards an end destination. Every moment in my process I was doing it because it was what I wanted at that very moment.

Now that I am here, I can slowly see how I might share the work I created. I am navigating this fine line between keeping my process alive and adding tasks to my to-do list so that I can celebrate all I have created. I’ll be curious to learn more about myself in the season ahead. What personal modalities I create to keep myself grounded in this way of working. To not get distracted by end results. But savor the room to remain in process.

I’ll admit, I was a little unsure how I’d come back to this space. I could feel the weight increasing as August 4 approached. Nervous that I had to write something profound. Something that kept me relevant. I remind myself of what I learned. Creativity is a muscle. And this is just one other fiber that I’ll need to do a few reps before I feel strong again.

How have June and July treated you? I’d love to learn.

Talk soon,

Lauren

P.S. I am currently booking spots for August and September mentorships. Learn more about my month-to-month mentorships here →

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• Currently reading: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

• Currently watching: The Olympics in between Gilmore Girls

• Currently eating: Lots and lots of nectarines and this recipe

• Currently shooting on: this camera

Viewfinder podcast returns this Wednesday, August 7!

If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting—I’m Lauren Sauder, an artist, writer, and mentor. If you enjoyed this post, here are a few ways you can connect with me:

• Download the Artist Mixtape—a mix of books, playlists, and residencies to provide inspiration and company in the studio.

• Receive letters from me—bi-weekly letters from me about what I’m working through in my creative practice and life.

• Enlist me as your mentor—if you are a creative interested in support and guidance to grow your creative practice.

• Get in touch with me directly—send an email to laurensauderstudio@gmail.com.