I’ve completed 21 canvases today — a mix of sizes but mostly medium — and I feel both satisfied and drained. It’s payday, and I desperately need more supplies, yet I can’t quite bring myself to justify spending the money right now. Painting properly is an expensive habit when you insist on high-quality materials; it really does add up. Am I happy with the last six hours of work? I’m still undecided. I’ve stared at the pieces for so long that everything starts to blur together and I can’t tell what’s working and what isn’t. I think I need to step away for a bit — a proper break of a few days to clear my head. I’ll post what I’ve made and see how the response goes; if any of it sells, I’ll be straight down to the art store. Burnout is real, and it can happen with anything; I don’t want to end up stuck in that place. I need to find other ways to use my time besides endlessly scrolling online and painting until I’m numb. Maybe I should pick up an oil or acrylic sketchpad and do quick studies instead — that just occurred to me and it feels like a smart move. Okay… that’s what I’m going to do. This will keep me busy and give me fresh ideas for bigger projects down the line. Watercolour is a good idea too — and practical; it’s been far too cold lately to be working out in the wind, rain and freezing weather. With watercolours I can work comfortably indoors and still explore colour and form. Nice idea, Dave! I want to rediscover what it feels like to paint for myself again. Lately every piece I work on has been shaped by someone else’s ideals: my sister hates purple, my mum doesn’t like heavily textured paintings, and my dad could barely care less what I paint. I’m over working on large canvases at the moment. The bigger the canvas, the higher the cost of both the surface and the paints. It shouldn’t always come down to money, but I’ve got to be realistic — I have bills and rent to pay. I’ve even found myself dipping into savings to feed my art habit. I don’t yet know how to make things on a smaller, more cost-effective scale. Basically, I’m spending more than I’m making, and that’s not a sustainable business plan.