Drawing Connections

What research in psychology and cognitive science has to tell us about creating art and thriving as artists

Posts in Growing Your Brain

What's Luck Got To Do With It?

What's Luck Got To Do With It?

I’m feeling grateful and pleased that my painting, Head On Again, recently won first place at the 2024 Cold Wax International Juried Exhibition. Grateful, pleased and … lucky. What does luck have to do with it?

Insights Into My Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyJuly 22, 2024Whats Luck Got To Do With It, 2024 Comments

The Fear of What Other People Think - Reframing Fear, Part 4

The Fear of What Other People Think - Reframing Fear, Part 4

Is it really fear we feel when we worry about what other people think about us or our work? Reframing “fear” in this context as “vulnerability” helps identify a range of useful strategies for thriving in an uncertain social environment.

Cultivating Creativity, Getting Things Done, Series: Fear and Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyNovember 9, 2023The Fear of What Other People Think, 2023 Comments

The Fear of Not Knowing What You're Doing - Reframing Fear, Part 3

The Fear of Not Knowing What You're Doing - Reframing Fear, Part 3

Is it really fear we feel when we are in situations where we don’t know what we’re doing? Reframing “fear” in this context as “confusion” can help us identify a broad range of strategies for what to do when we feel out of our depth.

Cultivating Creativity, Getting Things Done, Series: Fear and Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyNovember 3, 2023The Fear of Not Knowing What You're Doing, 2023 Comments

The Fear of The Blank Canvas - Reframing Fear, Part 2

The Fear of The Blank Canvas - Reframing Fear, Part 2

Is it fear that artists and writers feel when facing the blank canvas or page? Reframing fear in this context as uncertainty about how to make a start or keep going can help us identify concrete ways to become unstuck.

Cultivating Creativity, Getting Things Done, Series: Fear and Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyOctober 26, 2023The Fear of The Blank Canvas, 2023 Comments

Reframing Fear and Art (Part 1)

Reframing Fear and Art (Part 1)

Sometimes what we label as fear is really uncertainty, confusion, or vulnerability. Read on to learn how reframing fear can lead to problem-solving solutions that are more useful than the vague encouragement to “be brave.”

Cultivating Creativity, Getting Things Done, Series: Fear and Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyOctober 19, 2023Reframing Fear and Art, 2023 Comment

Seeds of Change In My Artwork

Seeds of Change In My Artwork

In this short post, I reflect on the recent drivers of change in my artwork.

Insights Into My Art, Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyJune 26, 20232023, Seeds of Change In My Artwork Comments

The 10,000 Hours Myth and What It Really Takes to Develop Expertise

The 10,000 Hours Myth and What It Really Takes to Develop Expertise

Practice strategies you can use to turbo-charge the knowledge construction that underlies expertise.

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyJune 21, 20232023, The 10000 Hours Myth and What It Really Takes to Develop Expertise, model building Comments

Fine Art, Not So Fine Art, and the Problem With Categories

Fine Art, Not So Fine Art, and the Problem With Categories

The problem with categorizing art and why I’ve decided to drop the “fine.”

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyMay 3, 20232023, Fine Art Not So Fine Art and the Problem with Categories, perception Comments

How To Get The Most Out Of Online Art Classes

How To Get The Most Out Of Online Art Classes

Six strategies for maximizing your online art experience.

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyFebruary 22, 20222022, How To Get The Most Out Of Online Art Classes, model building Comment

Color On My Mind

Color On My Mind

An in-depth color course helped me rethink my haphazard approach to color.

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyApril 8, 20212021, Color On My Mind, model building Comments

A Small Experiment in Drawing, Racism, and Changing My Perception

A Small Experiment in Drawing, Racism, and Changing My Perception

Can we consciously change the way we subconsciously think?

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyFebruary 11, 20212021, A Small Experiment in Drawing, Racism, and Changing My Perception, small experiments, perception, model building Comments

Writing My Way to Clarity

Writing My Way to Clarity

Writing is a great way to explore and clarify your own understanding of your artwork and art practice.

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyDecember 1, 20202020, Writing My Way to Clarity, model buildingComment

Drawing When Your Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

Drawing When Your Brain Has a Mind of Its Own

How can we outsmart our brains so that we draw what is there instead of what we think is there?

Growing Your BrainAnne R KearneyApril 23, 20202020, Drawing When Your Brain Has a Mind of Its Own, perception Comments

Designing Spaceships So People Don't Go Crazy

Designing Spaceships So People Don't Go Crazy

I have been interested in observing people and making art as far back as I can remember. Now, I’m combining these interests in my new blog.

Caring For Your Brain, Cultivating Creativity, Getting Things Done, Growing Your BrainAnne Kearney ArtistMarch 3, 20202020, Designing Spaceships So People Don't Go Crazy Comments