Artists have always played an important role during times of change but if you find it difficult to create in the midst of a pandemic and injustice movement you aren’t alone. 

In this podcast episode Karen Kinney, author of “The Reluctant Artist: Navigating and Sustaining a Creating Path” shares advice for awakening your inner artist even in turbulent times. Creativity can be a tool for processing emotions and bringing beauty and light into the world. That’s why honoring your own creative process and your voice is more important now than ever. 

In today’s episode we discuss: 

• How to give yourself permission to step away and come back to your art 
• How to plan a personal artist retreat to reconnect with your Dharma 
• Transitioning from part-time artist to making it your main source of income 
• How to take the pressure off your work and create from a place of joy 
• How to navigate your emotions and using creativity to heal 
• Understanding the difference between procrastination and emotional overload  

About Karen: 

Karen Kinney is a professional artist and author whose work has been in numerous exhibitions, nationally and internationally. She has designed installation work for the Los Angeles International Airport and painted murals in the US and Mexico. Her art resides in private collections across the country, including those of Stanford University, actor Bob Odenkirk, and NPR's Guy Raz.

Karen has a passion and gift for supporting others in their creative work and fostering self-expression. She discusses the creative process in depth in her book "The Reluctant Artist: Navigating and Sustaining a Creative Path." She has taught about nurturing creative freedom at the University of Hong Kong, the San Miguel de Allende International Writers' Conference, and at workshops for artists and writers in the States. Follow her at @karen_e_kinney and learn more at karenkinney.com

For full show notes, visit laceyelizabeth.com