Sometimes you become friends with people that connect with you on such a sweet and deep level and you just feel grateful for their friendship.

I have the most amazing creative talks with my friend Danielle Donaldson.

 We are on the same page about art, creativity and inspiration and I always leave our conversations inspired.

When I was thinking who I wanted to be a part of Studying Under The Masters I knew Danielle had to be one of the teachers.

Her art is incredible but I wanted her to be a part of the course because she is also real about where her inspiration comes from.

She also lives a creative life…even on the days it is hard to find the time.

Seriously, this girl creates every night on the couch while she is watching something with her husband and calls it “couch creative”:-)

She just is what she says she is.

While we were talking about the course and brainstorming ideas Danielle came up with the most brilliant idea.

She came up with the idea of “creative practicing“.

{Danielle would love to have you take this image and share it on your own blogs}

It is a practice that I hope to see proudly displayed on the sidebar of all of your blogs.

It is a belief that I hope will show in your business practices and how you talk about other creatives.

Danielle  has started a series on her blog that you HAVE to check out.

Here it is in her own words…

This post is the first in my new series, “I support creative practicing”. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the creative souls that help me to grow as an artist.  Each of them openly acknowledges who pushes them to grow their art. Each of them supports the process of creative practicing. Soaking it all in, learning from all sorts of creatives and then turning it all into something that they can call their own. As it should be. Seriously.

I have been asked to be a part of an upcoming class, Studying Under the Masters hosted by Jeanne Oliver and includes 7 other amazing artists. The premise of the class is that each of us will study under a master artist as an apprentice. I will be focusing on Georgia O’Keeffe and copying her work and studying her as an apprentice would. I will (hopefully) take bits and pieces of what I learned from her and turn them into something that is all mine.

While this class will hold different meanings and have different a-ha moments for each teacher but for me, I think it is really important that we find a way to acknowledge that we all (every single one of us) practices by emulating other artists, old and new, to learn and grow our own style of creating. We need to start openly sharing that we pull inspiration from everything and tuck it away in our noggin to use another time. And that the beauty in all of this is that there is a magic moment when it all comes together and becomes something that is ours alone. I want fingers to point at others in a positive rather than negative way.

(So basically, I hate the copying foshizz that is going on. The accusations, the fear of sharing my process, and the folks who actually copy things without taking the time to make it their own. And most certainly the negative drama that ensues within ourselves, our friends and peeps we don’t even know.) *I am not saying it is ok to blatantly copy and sell it as your own – that’s copyright infringement and just bad juju. So don’t hate on me in the Comments section.

I am hoping that in my week during the course – I can spill my creative guts out and share who I love and how they helped me.

Here are the interviews she has shared to date.

{Kelly Barton}

{Danielle Daniels}

{Nancie Rowe-Janitz}

{Roben-Marie Roberts Smith}

Join Danielle and 8 other artist in Studying Under The Masters {becoming an apprentice}.

You will love your week with Danielle and how she will talk more about “creative practicing” and how you can be a part of it!

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To see who we will all be studying under click HERE.

To read more about the course click HERE.

The Instructors

Katie Kendrick, Stephanie Lee, Kate Thompson, Christy Tomlinson, Junelle Jacobsen, Danielle Donaldson, Teresa Sheeley, Jenny Wentworth and Jeanne Oliver

Are you getting as excited as I am?

We can’t wait to create with you!

To register click HERE or pay below.

The course will begin on January 14th!

$62 for this nine week online course.

The content will be available for TWO YEARS!

{To register directly on jeanneoliver.ning.com (if you pay on the site you will be instantly in the course) click HERE.}