What is your work about?

I’m Expressionist Artist Caroline Karp painting the stories of life. I live quite close to the water in Safety Harbor, Florida USA. I paint uplifting artwork for the wildly adventurous soul, focusing on Sunflowers, Sails, and Sparkles. I work in many media including acrylics, oils, and mixed media. My work is steeped in mindfulness and true expression.

Do you have a studio routine, strategy or ritual that helps you get in the creative zone?

I have a daily yoga and meditation practice which is part of my routine to put me into a creative painting mood. During this time I visualize what I’m going to paint… But here’s the thing. Often times when I approach the canvas I have no idea what I’m going to paint.

What is one thing you MUST have in your studio?

When I’m in the creative zone, I let go and allow my artistic intuition to take over and guide me through the artistic process.

How has the pandemic affected your art...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez, Mindset/Emotional Wellness Coach

Lately, it seems to me that “being busy” is an act that’s glorified and accepted as the norm. Everyone is so busy.

“There aren’t enough hours in a day!” Some may say.
We want to be productive contributors to society, stay involved, and make a difference. But, boy oh boy, our schedules are so filled up with… STUFF that not much time is left to refuel yourself. And frankly, if we’re honest with ourselves, half of the stuff filling up our schedules aren’t even things we want to do.

We all get invitations to social events, family get-togethers, corporate events, donations, volunteer work, you name it. Sometimes, there aren’t enough hours or days to keep up with all the commitments we get ourselves into. We complain that we are extremely busy and have no time to do what we really want to do which leads me to wonder…

Why do...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez

In my previous post titled The Introvert in Me & My Art [Part 1], I shared with you a few suggestions to effectively navigate through social situations (networking, openings, etc.). If you haven’t read it yet, make sure you check it out before you read this post. In this second post, I’m sharing 4 tips to help you prepare yourself for Artist Talks. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

You’re probably excited about your solo or group show. Yet, you’re not that excited about facilitating an Artist Talk. Let’s go over a few suggestions that you can consider to help you ease the stress associated with speaking in public.

1. Prepare your talk before hand.
If you want to present yourself as a professional artist, try not to “wing it.” Instead, prepare for your talk! Some artists may have the ability to improvise, but preparation often leads to...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez

“Yes, I know that networking and making connections are important in the art world! Guess what? I’m an introvert person and social situations can easily overwhelm me. I prefer quietness and minimally stimulating environments.”

Does this resonate with you?

Are you more reflective, observant, cautious and highly in tune with your internal dynamics? Do you prefer quietness, minimally stimulating environments and perhaps social events are really not your preference?

Drive comes in various ways and one way isn’t better than the other. To some, drive emerges during solitude and self-reflection whereas others prefer a go-getter approach. You might prefer to work alone because you can focus better whereas others perform better when they share ideas and collaborate with others.

If you consider yourself a driven introvert artist, let me share with you a few suggestions to effectively navigate through social situations (networking, openings,...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez, Mindset/Emotional Wellness Expert

We all want to feel loved, appreciated and respected. Some people fill this need through effort, investing time in healthy relationships, caring for others and giving back. Others, think that they have to pretend to be someone else to earn it.

They think that, if they’re themselves and show their true colors, they will not be able to fulfill these basic needs. In their effort to be loved, accepted and respected, they find themselves constantly trying to impress others or simply surround themselves with the wrong people.

Sometimes, in our effort to be accepted by certain people, we begin to wear masks.

The…

I’m independent mask

I know it all mask

I’m crushing you mask

I’m better than you mask

I’m fun to hang out with mask

I’m very successful mask

My reputation precedes me mask, and the list goes on.

As a result, we find ourselves pretending to be someone we are not.
Pretending...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

“I want to dedicate more time to my art career, but, it’s complicated! Between keeping up with the needs of those around me, trying to figure out how to run my art career and making art, I just don’t have enough hours in a day to do this.”
Does this sound familiar?

We hear over and over about balancing our life and career. But, what on earth does that mean? Are we talking about dedicating 50% of our time to live our life and 50% to make art? Is that possible… Is that realistic?
 
Perhaps some artists can wing it, but, for the rest of us, the 50/50 approach is unreal! Let’s start by clarifying what I don’t mean when I refer to a healthy balance. This is not about adding your life’s circumstances on one weighing pan of a scale of justice and your art career on the other so they’re equally distributed in both sides. The truth is both areas actually...

By Dr. Yanina Gomez

Is this you…?

“There’s so much to do. I’m trying to keep up with my art and Art NXT Level, but I feel like I’m falling behind or missing out!”

Are you feeling that there’s too much stuff in the membership site, you don’t know where to start or you simply don’t want to miss on something important? Are you feeling as if you have to post everywhere, make sure you go over each forum, training video, accountability exercises in order to get the best of your membership? Are you feeling overwhelmed?

Next leveler, if this is you, I have one sentence for you…

“Take a deep breath, relax and keep reading this post!”

When Sergio and I developed Art NXT Level, our main goal was to put together in one place valuable information to help artists grow their art career at their own pace. So if you’re feeling as if you’re experiencing information overload, let me share...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

Could you imagine Madam Lisa del Giocondo (Gherardini) suing Leonardo da Vinci for not painting a perfect smile on her portrait? We all know that Lisa’s smile on the painting is not necessarily “perfect.” Even da Vinci couldn’t paint a perfect smile! Yet, his painting, Mona Lisa,is one of the most famous portraits in the world!

The more I work with driven people, the more I notice how they tend to put A LOT of pressure on themselves. They believe that things have to be perfect! My art must be perfect before it comes out or my presentation must be beyond perfect before I share it with others.

“There no time to fix mistakes! Everything must be PERFECT!”

But, why do we put so much pressure on ourselves wanting to be PERFECT? What happens when we fall short on our quest for perfection? Sometimes, I hear artists say that they will find happiness only...

By A. Yanina Gomez, PhD

You’re constantly hearing me talk about mindset blocks and the importance of actively addressing and clearing them. The truth is mindset blocks can be very dangerous if we choose to ignore them or allow them to linger in our heads. Yet, they can also be a sign of affirmation that we are pushing ourselves toward growth.

What are Mindset Blocks?

Mindset blocks are limiting beliefs that hold us back from achieving what we set for ourselves. When we are not as confident, when fears and insecurities invade our heads, when we’re constantly questioning ourselves and our abilities, we’re experiencing mindset blocks. So mindset blocks will prevent you from taking the necessary, often challenging, steps to move your art career to the next level. As a result, mindset blocks can potentially lead you to frustration and giving up.

Where do Mindset Blocks come from?

They usually pop up when you’re challenging...

By Dr. A. Yanina Gomez

For the 80’s lovers… I bet you’re already singing “I’ve been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life…” by the rock band Foreigner. Don’t deny it, it’s OK! So, I’ll give you a moment of privacy and once you’re done singing or humming, I’ll be right here waiting for you.

“I am sorry to burst your bubble BUT I am NOT talking about that kind of wait.”
I am talking about the waiting period that you put on yourself when it comes to living the art career you really want. It’s when you have a burning desire to advance your career by pushing yourself harder, yet you keep on waiting for the PERFECT moment to do it.

If Sergio and I would had waited for the perfect moment to launch the Art NXT Level, we would still be waiting. Between taking care of our family, running an art gallery, curatorial projects, teaching and other commitments, there was NO...