NOT EVERY PAINTING IS A MASTERPIECE

Hello Everyone!
I’m excited to introduce my newest way to serve artists:
 [THINK | KNOW | GROW]

Enjoy this inaugural issue and contact me with any topics you’re interesting in learning more about.  Sincerely, Cat Tesla

[THINK | KNOW | GROW] Where Creativity Meets Prosperity


Not Every Painting is a Masterpiece [t-h-i-n-k]

My journey began 27 years ago when I wondered if my work was good enough to get into an outdoor art festival. Since I have a nerdy side, I took a photography course to learn how to make slides of my artwork -this was long before the internet existed. To my surprise, I got into the show, won best in my category, got invited to be in a gallery, and sold almost everything I brought (don't get too excited - it was priced cheap!). The following week I went part-time in my genetics job (I have a Master's Degree in Human Genetics and was formally a faculty member at Emory University in Atlanta, GA), and eventually traded genetics clinic for art studio.

The real journey to success has been the one in my head. During the last 27 years I’ve had what feels like millions of moments of uncertainty. There’s always another artist who’s work is better than yours, who’s doing things you dream of doing, and who seems to do it all effortlessly. But that’s just the outside package. The inside package – the person – is very much like you and I. They have their good days and bad days, rejections, struggles, and millions of moments of uncertainty. I’ve learned to be friends with uncertainty -- it has no power over me.

Picasso was an incredibly prolific artist throughout his long career, including:

  • Paintings: Picasso is believed to have created around 147,000 paintings.

  • Drawings: Estimates suggest he produced about 100,000 prints/drawings.

  • Sculptures: Picasso created approximately 340 ceramic pieces/sculptures.

In total, various sources estimate that Picasso created between 147,000 to 150,000 artworks across all mediums throughout his lifetime. This includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, and ceramics.

One question for you:  how many Picasso works can you name? Personally I can’t even make it to 10. I bet in all of those Picasso creations there are some duds. Because not every painting is a masterpiece. Not every day is a successful day in the studio. And the good news is: it’s ok - - it doesn’t have to be. What matters is that you keep going into the studio, that you keep growing and trying, and keep working. The fact of the matter is some results you’ll like, others you won’t.

“My rule for myself has always been:  It doesn’t matter what the output is, save the judgment for somebody else. Make sure that you’re giving yourself the space to let things out.” ~Austyn Weiner


The Color Green [k-n-o-w]

The human eye can see green better than any other color. In ideal laboratory conditions, it's estimated that the human eye can distinguish about 1 million different colors across the entire visible spectrum.

  • Of these, a significant portion are shades of green due to our eyes' heightened sensitivity to this color.

  • Some estimates suggest humans can distinguish between 2,000 to 100,000 different shades of green specifically, depending on the viewing conditions and how "shade" is defined.

  • Trained individuals, like artists or color specialists, may be able to distinguish more shades than the average person.


[g-r-o-w]

If you like the idea of journaling, but have never found a format that quite worked for you...

You might want to try this one.

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The Biggest Mistake I Made at the Beginning