RW]
My brain is such a mess. Doing my best to organize my goals into stepping-stones so that I can avoid paralysis 😅

#creativeprocess

53/???
"A woman" -Eurylochus

#LineArt
#SketchToFinal
#CreativeProcess
#Illustration
#Drawing
#ArtInProgress
#NoAI
#Circe

I've taken the plunge into applying for Artist Open Calls. A classmate shared info, fingers crossed for a response soon. Meanwhile, I'm creating more ACEOs.

#ArtJourney #CareerGoals #ArtistLife #OpenCalls #ACEO #ArtCommunity #CreativeProcess #HopefulArtist #NewOpportunities

Too Much In The Creative Pipeline? Too much creativity? How is that possible? When the pipeline is full... All Sorts Not only is my creative pipeline full, but it's probably far too diverse. This is not unusual for me. I seem to always have creative pursuits in a variety of directions. This moment is no different. But it seemed like an important time for me to review what I'm up to. Or what I think I'm up to. Something's gotta give. Pipeline 1: The Folksong Album You've been "hearing" about this album for years. […]

Too Much In The Creative Pipeline? #creativeprocess #creativity muz4now.com/2026/too-much-in-the-cre...

A minimalist poster design fills the frame with a warm beige background and bold, oversized typography arranged in a striking vertical layout. The phrase “IMAGINATION COMES FIRST” dominates the composition in large, elegant serif letters rendered in deep black. The words are stacked in three tiers: “IMAGINATION” at the top, “COMES” centered in the middle, and “FIRST” anchored at the bottom. Each word stretches dramatically across the page, with tall letterforms that create a strong visual rhythm and emphasize the message. Between and around these massive words, smaller lines of text appear like annotations woven into the typography. Near the top left, a sentence reads, “We imagine things before we can draw them,” with the word “before” highlighted in red for emphasis. On the upper right side, another line states, “We want to express those ideas.” Near the center-right area of the poster, another statement appears in smaller type: “Most creative work isn’t amazing,” with the word “creative” highlighted in red. Toward the lower left, another phrase reads, “Communities should treat creators decently.” The placement of these statements feels conversational, as if fragments of a larger philosophy about creativity have been scattered across the poster. Keywords typographic poster, imagination first, creative philosophy, editorial design, bold typography, minimalist design, creative manifesto, art community, conceptual poster, graphic design Clearly identified as AI-generated; use is permitted for non-commercial creative projects. MidJourney, FLUX.1-schnell model via Perchance, Artspace.ai, REVE, Echoform™.

Imagination Comes First
Every creation begins quietly, long before the first line is drawn.
#CreativeProcess #ImaginationFirst #ArtPhilosophy #CreativeThinking #GenAI #SynthArt #AIart #aiartist #aiartcommunity #GenerativeArt #AIchallenge #BuilderofNightmares

Slightly New Direction!
#SpeedArt #Speeddraw #Squirrely #SquirrelBrain #artprocess #digitalart #vectorart #photopea #painttoolSAI #attentionspan #CreativeProcess #humanmade #humanart #videos

#ExistentialHumor #Philosophy #SelfDevelopment
#Absurdism #ModernStoicism
#AnxietyCore #CreativeProcess
#Growth #WritersOfBluesky

It's official: I'm recording my new album with Ardour. I've been testing out All The DAWs on Linux, and it's hands down my favorite. Stable, feature rich, and logical.

Now that its cue/clip features are maturing, they'll come in handy here and there, although that's not my primary use case. BUT […]

sketches by andy catling illustration

Now that's a pullover. Fashion based illustration. #characterdesign #CharacterDesign #IllustrationArtists #ArtInspiration #DesignCommunity #CreativeProcess catling-art.com

No one gets to define who you are.
You create your own space to become it. ✨

#podcast #podcastclip #reels #creators #creativeprocess #independentartists #storytelling #musicpodcast #fantasy #writersofinstagram #composer #stolives #stolivespodcast #podmatch

52/???
Nightfall

#LineArt
#SketchToFinal
#CreativeProcess
#Illustration
#Drawing
#ArtInProgress
#NoAI

When How Something Is Made Matters More Than What It Says - Dualistic Unity An exploration of how reactions to AI-assisted creation reveal deeper tensions around identity, authorship, effort, and value—inviting readers to meet content on its merit rather than its imagined origins.

Content often gets judged by the words on the surface. What changes when attention shifts to the intention, care, and attention that shaped those words?

dualisticunity.com/when-how-som...

#CreativeProcess #Awareness

How To Keep On Creating Art ( and tips for ART BLOCK) 🎨 Draw With Me & Answering Your Questions! YouTube video by Halleyvision

Halleyvision: "How To Keep On Creating Art ( and tips for ART BLOCK) 🎨 Draw With Me & Answering Your Questions!" | #Art #NoAI #ArtTips #ArtGuide #DrawWithMe #DrawingProcess #CreativeProcess #Rest
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK2S... ⯆

WIP
I tried to work on a new piece, starting with the colors as a base... its not my thing, usually my process is more drawing-centered, so I've been struggling with this piece.
Somehow, I will finish this illustration.
#DigitalIllustration #CreativeProcess #DigitalArt #Illustration #ArtJourney

Bewilderation

March 2026

#digitalart
#art
#artist
#artwork
#digitalartist
#digital
#artoftheday
#design
#DigitalDesign
#graphicdesign
#ArtCollective
#DigitalCreations
#DigitalArtwork
#CreativeProcess

Dreyfowl

March 2026

#digitalart
#art
#artist
#artwork
#digitalartist
#digital
#artoftheday
#design
#DigitalDesign
#graphicdesign
#ArtCollective
#DigitalCreations
#DigitalArtwork
#CreativeProcess

Creativity feels like this:

Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.

Then suddenly...
Magic. ✨

That’s because creativity happens when your conscious effort meets your unconscious mind.

So if it feels slow right now,
you’re probably closer than you think!

#Creativity #Ideas #CreativeProcess #TheWitchingHour

Brew a little focus. One cozy task at a time. 🍵🐾

Working on a productivity app and this is a branding direction I’m currently exploring. Cozy, calm, and a little matcha-powered focus. 🌿

#AppDesign #CozyAesthetic #CreativeProcess #MatchaVibes #DigitalIllustration

A creative life should nourish you, not drain you. That belief sits at the heart of my conversation on Making It. Sending encouragement to all the creatives showing up today. tinyurl.com/y9dnmrxj #CreativeProcess

When How Something Is Made Matters More Than What It Says - Dualistic Unity An exploration of how reactions to AI-assisted creation reveal deeper tensions around identity, authorship, effort, and value—inviting readers to meet content on its merit rather than its imagined origins.

If meaning is influenced by the care, presence, and attention behind something, the question shifts. What does it mean to truly make something?

dualisticunity.com/when-how-som...

#CreativeProcess #SelfInquiry

51/???

#LineArt
#SketchToFinal
#CreativeProcess
#Illustration
#Drawing
#ArtInProgress
#NoAI

If you're balancing art and business and wondering if you're doing it "right," you're not alone. I shared some reflections on this journey in my recent Making It interview. tinyurl.com/y9dnmrxj #CreativeProcess

For those wondering what my short story writing process looks like. This is what it's like. Also, I pretty much still use MS Word 2007 99% of the time. #amwriting #writing #WritingCommunity #horror #horrorsky #ghoststories #shortstories #fiction #fictionwriting #creativeprocess

#vashthestampede #trigun98 #trigunfanart #creativeprocess

Inspiration doesn’t always come first.
Many times it appears after you start.

Start, even if you don’t have all the answers yet. ✨

#Creativity #CreativeProcess

Creative momentum doesn't come from hustle. It comes from trust, rhythm, and partnership. Grateful for this thoughtful conversation on creativity and sustainability. tinyurl.com/y9dnmrxj #CreativeProcess

Is This What You Call Progress? #CreativeProcess Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Is This What You Call Progress? #CreativeProcess #guitar #hope #singing #songwriter

Opinion: Productivity culture can interfere with creative work.

Some things need time more than they need speed.


#CreativeWork #SlowDown #QualityOverQuantity #TimeToCreate #MentalHealthMatters #CreativeProcess #InnovationTakesTime #WorkLifeBalance #ArtisticExpression

Check out Paper Phoenix Ink's Interview with Grimalkin Artist, Christian Howl!

paperphoenixink.com/2026/03/13/getting-to-kn...

Link also in bio.

#PaperPhoenixInk #MusicInterview #ArtistSpotlight #CreativeProcess #InterviewSeries

Is This What You Call Progress? #CreativeProcess ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * I’ve been working on this album for a while. Am I even making progress? Are we there yet? ## The Long and Winding Road Not yet. There’s still a long journey ahead. But I made significant strides over recent few days. I’m working on a new rendition of “Wreak-less”. Yes, I already have three versions of this song, but give me a couple of minutes to explain. If you’re following along, you know that I have been working on a folk album for more than two years. Every song has some or all instruments recorded (but read on to learn about the surprises on this current song). There are two songs in preview. Those are “Wayfaring Stranger” (a traditional song) and “Early” (a recent original song). That’s progress, but not even close to done. ## Progress In Spite Of There are 9 songs in progress for this album. As I noted, Wayfaring Stranger, the one “cover” song, is ready. There will be two original songs that I’ve previously recorded. The other six songs are newly (not previously recorded) written and arranged by me. I’m mostly excited about these new tracks. Unfortunately, the times we are in have taken a toll on my drive and inspiration. Living under a fascist government definitely hurts the soul of a caring artist. We creative folk long for freedom and this regime wants us to be anything but free. So, I (and we) must find our way through this in spite of that thwarting. We seek ways to rise up. In fact, the title of my album is “How To Rise and Keep Rising“. Appropriate given the backdrop. ## Singing Is Telling This current song presented me with several attention-getters in recent studio sessions. First, recording vocals is one of the very challenging parts of this process for me. In order to make progress, I have to feel the fear and record it anyway. Once I have ~~a good~~ an adequate vocal take, I work with it in the mix. That tells me a lot both about the singing track, but often even more about the instrumental tracks. This was certainly true on this new version of Wreak-less. There was a guitar part that was bothering me. All of the instruments in this recording are acoustic, so this very electric-sounding acoustic guitar part was not working. I decided to ditch it. ## Telling Is Progress Well, almost. I kept it in the choruses, but as a background part. To adapt the song to the much softer, more introspective version that’s shaping up, I pulled out my Taylor. This acoustic guitar lent itself easily to a finger-picked track. This is the instrument that now holds the center of the arrangement. My guitar playing has taken second fiddle (pardon my mixing of metaphors). I’ve been fully focused on piano and organ playing (besides singing). Still, the simple chords in this song were quite easy for me to fill out an arpeggiated finger-pick. That shift allowed the lead singing and harmony vocals to shine. Are my vocal lines perfect? No way. But they are part of the progress for this album. ## Focus Ahead In this rendition of “Wreak-less”, I really wanted a mellow, pensive mood. And I think I’ve created that. The track is not done, so I am not ready to share it yet. Except with my spouse. When she listened to it, she encouraged me to strip out even more. So, this track will be the height of exposed vulnerability (at least for me). There are places where a single voice and single guitar hold down everything. I look forward to being able to share it with you. Meanwhile, the progress on this song is helping me to be more hopeful. May you find reasons to hope and thrive in the challenging times we are facing. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Is This What You Call Progress? #CreativeProcess #guitar #hope #singing #songwriter muz4now.com/2025/is-this-what-you-ca...