In light of this milestone, today I want to rewind to 2009 and share with you what those early days of becoming a solopreneur felt like. (Spoiler: I felt terrified!)

My undergrad years studying photojournalism at UNC-Chapel Hill were fruitful in terms of learning photography technique and the art of storytelling. I took all the classes! I did all the workshops! And I even won some of the contests.

But when it came time for me to graduate in 2009, organizations across the country were laying off their photographers left and right.

22 years old and unable to rise above the 2008 financial crisis through naive optimism, I massively freaked out when handed my diploma.

Over the course of my education I had become proficient in my craft, but I didn’t learn anything about how to run a business, do my taxes, or make a living as an artist.

For awhile I brainstormed alternatives to finding a job. I came up with a few wild ideas that ranged from:

• “I should just join the Peace Corps!
• “I’ll move to a commune and stop cutting my hair and subsist off herbs and hippie love!”
• “Or maybe I should do what all the scared undergrads do and be a perpetual student! I’ll get a Master’s… but in what?”

After tossing all these ideas around and coming up short, I decided becoming a solopreneur felt like the best fit.

In those early months, I hungrily sought out a community of artists who became my cheerleaders and safety net.

One particular seasoned photographer took me under his wing as his mentee and taught me everything he knew about running a business, photographing events, and branding. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would have given up and moved to a commune on a farm in Asheville (and been so miserable!)

If I hadn’t taken this risk of becoming a solopreneur, I would have missed out on the best part of my twenties: discovering and harnessing my own power, my own creative potential. And I wouldn’t have discovered that I am capable of manifesting my wildest dreams.

Giving back through mentoring has been an integral part of not just my art business model, but my calling.

It’s been a way to honor that scared shitless girl that is, admittedly, still inside me.

It’s been my way of giving myself–and all the other scared shitless folks out there– high fives, transforming the fear of the unknown into joyful action and acknowledgment of our innate ability, of our power.

Creating in a vacuum is hard, and we all need help along the way. Not to mention the kind of inspiration that comes from playing with others, bouncing wild ideas off each other’s fabulous noggins.

I still seek out mentors and creative playmates, and I won’t ever cease doing so, because it’s essential in being the best artist I can be. And I also seek out mentees, so that I can give back.

This summer I’m excited to have Kat Timm on my creative team! Kat’s an undergrad at my alma mater, and she’s also my fab new intern.

I sat down with Kat to get to know her better and loved our conversation so much that I’m sharing it with you here! Here’s 10 questions with Kat Timm, my design & art intern extraordinaire!

Why did you decide to major in studio art? What do you love most about it?

Creating art asks you to look at something deeply, meditate on it, integrate its essence into your understanding of the world, then add your interpretation to it as you manifest it into something new and real.

It lets you take an idea and turn it into something you can share with others when words just don’t convey enough information.

Art is always accessible and it gives you back as much as you put into it; you can spend five minutes, five hours, or five weeks on a project and get something different out of each experience.

Tell me about your art!

Layered, gestural, and abstracted representations dominate my illustrative work, while attention to shape and emotion are at the forefront of my photography.

No matter the medium, capturing the personality of my subject is one of my top priorities.

I’m usually drawn to recreate things that I find either beautiful or frightening, and I like to experiment with different media, whether it’s digital painting, photography, acrylics, or pen and scrap paper.

I’m especially moved to create by the shapes I see in nature. The way that form fits function is so marvelously poetic, and the multiplicity of patterns in the natural world is enough to make my head spin with beauty!

What are 3 fun facts about you?

• I’m a Halloween freak. My fiance likes to say he met me screaming in a cage… at the haunted house where I was working as an actress!
• I love studying languages and was almost a linguistics major. I like to watch films in Spanish, French, or German when I want to brush off my (very dusty!) language skills.
• My hair has been some version of pink for the last six years… It’s basically my natural hair color at this point.

What drew you to me & my business? What excites you the most about working with me?

It’s clear that you put your heart and soul into your creative work, and I love how you’ve created a business out of two of your passions. Like I mentioned on the phone, I started out looking for photographers to work with, but when I saw that you were also an artist, you shot to the top of my wishlist for potential mentors!

I’m used to working in an all-hands-on-deck environment, and I love switching between different projects. I’m happy to help with whatever elements of your business you need help with because I want to get a comprehensive picture of what it takes to run one.

What top 3 strengths do you bring to the table for this internship? How do you see yourself using your skills to help my business?

• I’m a fast and enthusiastic learner! I’m naturally curious and I enjoy working hard to solve a problem that captures my interest.
• I have a mind and an eye for aesthetics — okay, I’m a design addict! I love visual art, performance art, written arts, interior design and architecture, wearable styles, user experience design, graphics, radical art festivals, all of it. And I will literally never get bored with design-related projects and I don’t mind iterating until I get something right.
• My word is very important to me, and I try to be very open in communication. If I can’t do something or need more direction, I will say so. If I say I will do something, I will find a way to get it done!

What intimidates you about running a business in the arts or being a full-time professional artist?

One of the big things that intimidates me is not knowing what I don’t know.

I feel like running a business has so many little technical components that it would be easy for something important to fall through the cracks, or I worry that I wouldn’t realize that I was missing a key piece of the puzzle until I’m already in trouble.

The other thing that intimidates me is a combination of the starving artist trope and imposter syndrome. I can’t help but think, “What if people don’t like what I create? What if I don’t make it?” BUT then shut those thoughts down and remind myself that that’s not a useful thought process!

I know that it’s important to figure out what your potential clients want, but when I’m feeling anxious, I try to remember one of my favorite art quotes:

Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. -Andy Warhol

Is there someone in life who you admire because you wish you had the life/career/experiences they have? What do they do and what part of that do you find attractive?

My previous boyfriend’s mother was my mentor and role model. Living with her completely changed my life.

An archaeologist, naturalist, and artist, she was capable of anything. She built her own home and lived in the bush as a trapper. She gardened and beaded and designed and taught and nurtured. And, she worked hard, thought hard, and made it all look easy.

Her wisdom and guidance have shaped me into a more whole, more thoughtful person. I hope to one day be as productive and confident as she was.

What’s your dream job after your graduate? Are you working for yourself or for a company? What kind of art are you making? Are you living at the beach or in a high-rise studio apartment in NYC? Provide as much sensory detail as possible, and dream away!

Lately, my fiance and I have been dreaming pretty hard about opening a business together.

We both really want to work for ourselves, and after our experiences volunteering with community theater, we’ve both come to appreciate how important it is to have access to a space to do things. His dream is to own a nature camp, mine is to have my own creative business.

Ultimately we want a property that we can develop as a multi-purpose venue where we can host educational groups, artists, celebrations, and performances.

It’ll be surrounded by woods, green and lush and sunny, and just close enough to a university that we can both work there. It’ll be a place that lets us flex multiple creative muscles, support our community, and collaborate with other doers and makers. We’re earning enough money to keep upgrading the amenities of our property and pay the student loan bills, plus take the occasional vacation.

Sigh! I can see it so vividly in my head!

What results would you like to see at the end of your internship that would deem it a raving success?

I would love to make some money and see my portfolio grow by a few projects this summer. I’ll especially count this summer as a success if I have developed a daily practice of creating, whether it’s art, photography, or something else.

Are you a student considering a career in the visual arts?

You’re almost ready to take the plunge, but would love some hands-on experience to make sure it’s right for you.

Or maybe you’re a recent grad, and you’ve already mastered composition and form in your photography classes, but… you have no idea how the heck to start a business!

Wherever you are in your journey, I provide opportunities to help you grow, explore, and build your skills. My internship positions can be used for high school or college credit. I offer three terms to choose from: spring, summer, and fall.

Want to join my team or receive support while becoming a solopreneur? Give me a shout! I’d love to partner with you on your creative journey!

The post Becoming a Solopreneur: Why You Need A Mentor to Succeed appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

I’ve been a creative small-business owner for ten years now, but I’m still floored every time a “reach for the stars” opportunity becomes a reality. In fact, I’m surprised by my manifesting abilities–that I made my dreams a reality.

That my paintings are for sale in a fine art gallery is HUGE for me.

Even though I’ve run my photography & fine arts business for nearly a decade, impostor syndrome has skewed my view of my worth as an artist.

Rewind to 18 months ago, when I said out loud for the first time, “Maybe one day I can sell my paintings in a gallery.”

I didn’t fully believe that I could do it at first.

At the time, the fine art world felt daunting and unreachable to me. The truth is, I felt overwhelmed by the hurdles of establishing myself as a painter after years of working solely as a wedding and portrait photographer.

I told myself these lies, fueled by impostor syndrome:

• Artists who sell their work have to go to grad school first to be legit.
• I’m not good enough at painting for galleries to represent me.
• I need to pay my dues before I can aim for the goal of gallery representation.
• Painting is a distraction; I should be content to “just” be a wedding photographer and make money that way.

And then something in me shifted. I started to question my inner critic. As I began giving myself credit for all the work I had been doing, my impostor syndrome faded.

I really dug into what it was to BE an artist and all that comes with it. The rigorous training, vulnerable sharing, and courageous risking. The nitty-gritty business management duties, and the wild emotional struggles that come with stepping into this kind of life.

And I saw that I’ve been doing this work all along–not just for the last 18 months.

For the last ten years, I was doing the work of an artist, even with the presence of impostor syndrome.

In fact, I was still very much an artist when:

• I lacked a designated space in my home to paint.
• My work didn’t sell
• I wondered how many photography clients I’d book for the year.
• I didn’t believe I was an artist.

Over time, I realized I didn’t need the external validation from a graduate program or artist guild in order to be an artist. I could, in fact, simply evict impostor syndrome from my psyche.

I’ve learned that in order to be an artist I had to not only create my work, but also to sell my work. Which meant I had to figure out prices. And feel confident enough to share them next to the art.

Over these last 18 months, I’ve leveled up in so many ways, especially with how I feel about parting with work that’s been along the journey of helping me recover from trauma.

To reflect these shifts and to keep my work in alignment with the fine art gallery market, my fine art offerings will be changing over the next few weeks as I increase my prices.

I couldn’t have reached this dream of being a gallery-represented fine artist without the support of you–my collectors and clients. Thank you so much for valuing my art and believing in me! Thank you for not seeing me through the lens of impostor syndrome, but seeing me for who I really am.

I’m sharing this with you because I want to make sure that as my VIP supporters in this, that you get first dibs on my work for a little longer before the general public.

Now go feast your eyes on your favorite works in my online shop, and let’s nip impostor syndrome in the bud!

The post Overcoming Impostor Syndrome by Stepping into my Worth appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

There have been so many times since that day that I’ve doubted my ability to make it as an artist. But this week, as I celebrate my solo show at my studio space with Horse & Buggy Press & Friends, I am reminded that my dreams are worth nurturing. And that I have more manifesting abilities than I ever realized.

I am healing trauma through art, growing into the person I’ve always wanted to be.

On Friday I set up my painting display on the gallery wall at Horse & Buggy Press & Friends.

When I hung the last painting, I felt a wave of energy pulse through me.

33 pieces of artwork I’ve made in just 2 years stood before me. All for sale and ready to find their future owners.

I felt amazed at just how much beauty I had created.

Every single painting on this wall holds emotional significance for me. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing them all in one place. As painful and difficult as my trauma recovery has been, these paintings highlight all the passion, joy, and color I’ve manifested in my life since leaving my abuser and beginning to paint.

Each painting on this gallery wall tells a powerful story of my healing after trauma. The act of expressing myself through my art allowed me to release my emotions and embrace joy, in hope that you can too.

There’s the painting that started it all — my full moon ocean scene.

One week after I painted this symbol of illumination, intuition, and the Divine Feminine, I woke up to the abuse I was experiencing in my life. I summoned the strength to listen to my intuition, and I left my relationship and began rebuilding my life.

My floral paintings celebrate the promise of new life. Painting them helped me reject a scarcity mindset– that I am not enough–and claim abundance.

After leaving my relationship, I noticed that I felt joy when I painted. So instead of waiting for the feeling to happen, I brought that joy with me everywhere I went.

I painted flowers on porches, in bars, on first dates in public places, and on the sides of mountains.

A gladiolus for strength. Roses for new beginnings. Poppies for magic-making.

By painting flowers, I meditated on beauty, and made that beauty available to you to enjoy. Instead of dwelling on my painful past, I released it. I embraced joy, so that you can too.

And there’s “Emergence,” the painting I made in 2017 when I was coming to terms with the sexual trauma I had endured that kept me afraid of expressing my queer identity.

I wanted to feel pride in my authentic self instead of the shame that was engrained in me growing up in a fundamentalist evangelical community. I wanted to come out of the closet, even though I felt afraid of being judged. Even though I still judged myself.

So to manifest courage in my outer world, I slapped reds and blacks, teals and golds onto a blank canvas. I masterfully shaped my art with the same confidence, playfulness, and autonomy that I wanted to give to my sexual identity and self-expression.

Let’s not forget the sweet trio of watercolor spirit animals I painted while traveling throughout the South last summer.

I painted the lion with my childhood friend Julie in her new house in Texas, flinging paint around with her twin boys.

Ten days later I would drive down to Georgia with my partner Adam to adopt our kitten, Thorn, and swim in the ocean at night under a full moon with my love. I painted the tiger at a coffeeshop that week, next to Adam as we dreamed up kitten names together.

Then there’s all the paintings I made with my friend Jill, who died a few months ago.

I love those first watercolors I painted by her side at my kitchen table in my Bachelor Girl Pad, my new kitten Calypso at our feet batting at my markers.

There’s the orange and pink fluid painting that resembled a gemstone she loved, that I made at her suggestion. Then there’s the weeping elephant on canvas, my expression of my grief over her death, a testament of my love for her.

And then there’s those paintings I made with my middle school boys during their fluid painting unit this winter.

I now worked at my dream job teaching middle school art. A job that solidified my desire to step into this new part of my calling. It’s time for me to help others tap into their own treasure troves of creativity.

I remember how the boys’ eyes widened in anticipation as I poured blues and greens onto a canvas. Together we watched the colors swirl and drip off the sides. Later they would display their very own pour paintings in an art exhibition at school. And they would feel proud.

These are just a few of the stories the pop out at me when I gaze at these paintings on my gallery display. But there are so many more.

I’m excited about all the paintings that have yet to be created and shared with you, so paradormirmejor.org that we can heal from life’s difficulties together and meditate on beauty.

Art is my compass.

It guides me to my deepest truth. It carried me to freedom from abuse. It illuminates my way when the whole world around me feels filled with darkness.

I paint to find my own healing. To understand wounds, to release pain, to embrace joy.

And I paint for you. To remind you of your own power. Your own truth. To bring light and color and inspiration into your own dark places.  

May these paintings help you unleash your wild spirit self and connect you to your creative impulses. For your creativity will steer you back to yourself when you feel lost.

Want to exchange more stories of healing trauma and embracing joy through art?

Join me on Thursday 2/28 for my first art reception of 2019. I’ll have my paintings up in the gallery at Horse & Buggy Press & Friends for a 10 day pop-up show and am so stoked to share the goodness with you.

Entrance is free, and I’ll have snacks + wine for my guests. Come on by after work for happy hour and a happy night of art and creativity!

The Details:

• Thursday 2/28 @ 5-8pm
• Horse & Buggy Press
• 1116 Broad St. Suite 101, Durham NC 27705

RSVP to my art reception here!

The post 3 Years Later: Reflections on Healing Trauma through Art appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

In past years, I’ve often felt stuck in my sadness over failed relationships and lost love.

This year, even though I am over the moon about my relationship to my partner and the love we’ve found and partnership we’ve built, I am remembering my friend Jill who recently passed, and am missing her.

And I’m thinking about elephants.

I know, that’s a weird thing to be thinking about on a day that celebrates heteronormative romance.

Let me back up and explain.

I spent last Valentine’s Day with Jill on my couch, my cat Calypso on her lap. We had decided to eschew social norms that day by watching I, Tonya on Netflix, indulging our 90’s nostalgia and penchant for dark films. We even exchanged gifts

Neither of us felt like elevating romance over the intimacy we shared as close friends, so we made a date out of it.

It was a perfect Valentine’s Day with my friend. I didn’t know then that it would be our last holiday together.

2 weeks after Jill died, I made this elephant painting.

When Jill died, I hadn’t painted big in MONTHS and felt stuck in my sadness and overwhelm. I felt threatened by my big feelings and was running away from them instead of releasing them.

One day I woke up and knew that the only ticket out of my stuckness was returning to the easel — my safe space for honoring and expressing my feelings.

When I finished the painting, I felt the way I do after a really good run in the woods– breathless, flooded with contentment, connected to something larger than myself.

There wasn’t even space for grief in that moment. I just felt pure love for my friend, and I felt grateful for the time we had to love each other when she was alive.

It was only after I created this elephant painting that I would learn about the symbolism of the animal.

In India the animal is called Ganesh, a harbinger of happiness and health. People historically associate the elephant with the root chakra–our foundation.

When Jill died, my foundation felt imploded, but the act of painting this elephant helped me heal my grief and overwhelm just a little bit more.

With each brushstroke of this beautiful creature, I felt myself strengthen through her pure “elephantness.” Those elegant ears that take in messages from the herd, her prized tusks that defend her territory, those kind, wise eyes that recognize the pain of her kin and grieves when they die.

By painting my elephant I was giving myself permission to feel what I feel. And to not stay stuck in that. Jill would have wanted me to laugh again, and I felt determined to get there. I knew I had a right to joy, happiness, and health and that these were basic rights of all creatures on earth.

So this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re coupled up or broken up, straight or queer, aromantic or the world’s biggest romantic, I hope you know that you deserve love and joy, health and happiness. Surround yourself with those who feel like kin today. Feast on beauty.

Need an extra nudge? Head on over to my online painting gallery for a burst of color today. From peony bouquets to watercolor spirit animals, I’ve got lots of artwork for you to enjoy this V-day!

Prefer to see my work in person?

My pop up show at Horse & Buggy Press is just around the corner, and I’ll have lots of paintings for you to feast your eyes on (including this elephant painting and my large spirit animals!)

I’ve got FIVE events planned for you during my 10-day show: 4 chill open studio days on the weekends, and a more formal evening reception on Thursday 2/28.

THE DETAILS

• Pop-Up Show Dates: 2/23-3/3

• Horse & Buggy Press and Friends | 1116 Broad St. Suite 101, Durham, NC 27705

• Art Reception: Thursday 2/28 from 5-8pm

• Open Studios: Saturday 2/23, Sunday 2/24, Saturday 3/2, and Sunday 3/3 from 10am-3pm

Never been to Horse & Buggy Press and not sure where to go?

This sweet little gallery and studio space rests between Deeluxe Chicken and Watts Grocery on Broad Street right next to the School of Science and Math. You can park in either lot adjacent to the Watts Grocery building, or along the street.

(Bonus: Deeluxe Chicken has a killer friend chicken sandwich, and Watts Grocery has dank drinks. Go ahead and spend a coupla hours enjoying all that this side of town has to offer!)

The post Why I’m Celebrating V-Day with an Elephant Painting appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

A 10-year-old asked me this question while we were working on a fluid painting exercise together at my workshop last fall. We were both covered in paint, silly with the floaty feeling that comes from being so openly and joyfully absorbed in creating together.

I answered quickly and reflexively. “Not painting.”

Bella was surprised at my answer. She thought I would have told her a story about messing up a masterpiece.

But my biggest art fail is all the times I decided not to make art.

I’m actually really good at coming up with excuses not to paint or draw or make music. I’m too tired. Right now’s a bad time. I’m in a bad headspace. I need more time to let my idea marinate. I’m too hung over. I don’t have enough focus, time, skills, money, art supplies, inspiration, qualifications, etc. You name it, I’ve said it.

Sure, I’ve messed up plenty of paintings. I’ve spilled the “wrong” color on my canvas. I’ve overworked florals that I should have left alone because I doubted myself and didn’t know when to walk away. Heck, my cat even ran through a wet painting not once, but twice! But I don’t consider these accidents and missteps failures.

I see all the times I decided to paint as a huge victory, regardless of the outcome.

Because I made something from nothing. Because it required bravery. Since I did something positive with my energy instead of sitting on my butt. If I painted (or picked up my guitar, or snapped a picture with my iPhone), I still created something truly original. Even if it’s just a few loose magenta brushstrokes on cheap paper. Even if everyone else thinks my art sucks. And even if I think my art sucks.

Because in the end, it’s just paint.

If I hate what I’ve created, I can just gesso the shit outta that painting and start over. And the layers underneath the white gesso will serve as an interesting, textured foundation for the do-over.

This kind of open acceptance in my art practice – of saying yes to things both within and out of my control-  has transformed the way I live my life. It’s helped me find my flow–and stay in it.

It’s helped me detach from outcomes I might otherwise have tried to control. I’ve learned to bend and flex and not take myself so seriously. It’s taught me to “woman up” and just do the damn thing.

Like having a vulnerable conversation with my partner even though I’m afraid of being rejected. Or saying “yes” to teaching a workshop even though I’ve never taught a room full of people before. Knowing I’ll awkwardly fumble my way through the unknown because that’s part of the deal when you breach the wilderness, But still knowing in my gut it will be worth it in the end because I’ll grow throughout the process. And maybe even have fun along the way.

What’s one action you can take this week to combat the negative voices in your head discouraging you from taking a risk?

Set a timer for fifteen minutes and do that one thing. Learn a new guitar chord. Call that friend you’ve lost touch with because of your busy schedule. Write a haiku. Put your unique mark on the world’s blank canvas. Life’s too short to hold back.

Looking for even more support and inspiration? On Saturday 4/13, join me for an afternoon of saying “yes” to your creative urges in my Find Your Flow: Fluid Painting Workshop. I guarantee you’ll leave glowing: smiling from head to toe (and possibly covered in paint!).  You’ll feel proud of your creations, amazed at what you are capable of, and glad you said yes to your creative urges and took a risk.

You’ll pour paint, watch the colors swirl together, and get messy. Together we’ll reclaim that childlike boldness we’re all born with.  You do not need any previous art experience to participate in this workshop. Everyone is welcome!

The next Workshop Date is Saturday, April 13 from 1-3:30pm! Register now, because there are only 9 spots left!

The Details:

• Saturday April 13

• 1-3:30 at the ArtsCenter in Carrboro

• 300 E Main St, Ste g, Carrboro, NC 27510

• $35 tuition + $15 supply fee

Breathe. Let go. Find your flow. Enjoy the flow of fluid painting.

Your Instructor for the April 13 Find Your Flow Workshop

Courtney Potter is a self-taught abstract artist who believes in the universal power of creativity.

She began painting as a way to process her emotions after experiencing trauma. Opening herself up to access a deeper well of her creative power literally saved her life.

Potter has built her career around expressing herself through art and helping others cultivate and celebrate their unique voices. She believes painting is a powerful tool that anyone can access at any time to transform their pain into meaning.

Potter is a member of Artspace, Visual Art Exchange, and the Wedding Photojournalist Association and has exhibited her art along the East Coast. You can schedule a time to view her work at her studio in Durham, North Carolina.

The post Face Your Fears and Find Your Flow in my Fluid Painting Workshop Series appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

I wanted to sound out my sorrows on my grand piano and play with my new art supplies. I had just started dabbling in watercolor painting and loved the pleasure and power I felt when I was busy creating.

I wanted to take up space.

But my partner quickly shut me down when I shared my vision with him. “The piano is too big,” he said.

And just like that, I abdicated my power. I had already given up my right to park in the driveway in order to claim the upstairs office for my wedding photography business. This new dream seemed costly, and I didn’t want to pay the price.

At night, I had a recurring dream of painting that empty room but bleeding out on the floor in childbirth before it was finished. I would wake up in a sweat, a thick, gloomy frustration lingering like a black cloud on the days following the dream.

No matter how much my partner tried to control the size of my desires, I hungered for expansion. I couldn’t ignore my ever-growing longing to take up space.

I wanted more space of my own to lose myself to creating, feeling, and imagining. This longing was alive and growing, like a child within my womb that would soon need to emerge.

I finally said “yes” to myself and vowed to never again forfeit my right to take up space.

I left my partner and began my healing journey.

My healing was neither easy nor linear. Sometimes, I felt I was worse off than when I was in my relationship. On those days the expansive skies and unfenced pastures of my life felt overwhelming, and I longed for the cage I had known.

But I persisted. One step forward, two steps back, and still I expanded.

I moved to four zip codes in twelve months, taking up more physical space with each new residence. Though I always had at least one room to myself, I had no designated soulful space to create. So I painted on porches, in bars, on first dates in public places, and on the sides of mountains. 

I moved again, this time with a roommate and her dog. I painted in the sunroom, building a barricade to keep the pets from stepping in wet paint (which they sometimes breached). I longed for a creative room of my own, with doors I could close. I hired a business coach and built a new website. I applied for artist residencies and got denied. I applied for artist grants and got denied again.

But I kept creating, dreaming, expanding. I continued to take up space.

I spilled my jar of ultramarine blue ink on the carpet and nailed holes into every wall to hang my work up. I filled up Every. Damn. Inch. of that 40 square-foot sunroom with my paintings and boudoir photography. By day I edited LGBTQ weddings on my iMac, and by night I flung paint onto blank canvases.

I kept applying for grants and putting out feelers for studio space. I didn’t stop allowing myself to take up space.

Last fall I got a text from my dear friend Lis about an art studio opening in Durham with Horse & Buggy Press and Friends. “This space is perfect for you,” she told me.

My jaw dropped. I had been searching for studio space for six months. I had just missed the deadline for a studio with Artspace, and I had decided to grin and bear it; I would apply again next March.

Lis told me the studio was near East Campus in the hip part of town, located a few blocks away from where I lived with my abusive partner. But it was 5 times larger than my sunroom, and had doors I could close. And it had a gallery in the front, where I could sell my art.

And it was within my budget.

I texted Dave, the owner, immediately. “It’s exactly what I’m looking for,” I told him.

Two weeks later, he gave me the key to my new studio.

I moved in to my new studio this week, on the night of the full moon, three years after embarking on my healing journey after abuse.

As I hung up my fine art boudoir photographs on one wall, my Dreamscape Collection of abstract paintings on another, I erupted into silly, joyful fits of laughter.

I wasn’t weeping anymore. I wasn’t just surviving. I was thriving. And it felt fucking fantastic.

After unpacking the last box of art supplies, I lit incense, lay down on the cold concrete studio floor, and marveled at this enormous physical space that was fully mine, that represented the psychic and creative space I had birthed, nurtured, and tended to so persistently over these last three years.

I couldn’t help but think back three years to that empty room in my house. I hadn’t filled it up then because I didn’t know that I deserved to take up space. I had carried grief over this for three years, and I was finally ready to let it go.

I had completely, totally, finally demolished that empty room. And erected something sturdier that could fit the fullness of my dreams.

I had finally grown accustomed to taking up space instead of apologizing for the size of my desires.

What space do you need for yourself today, this week, this season, to feel comfortable?

Whether its a basement room where you nerd out over your rock collection or an off-site science lab where you conduct your academic research, you deserve all the space you need to tend to your version of creative, soulful living.

I invite you to not give up on your dreams. Your desires are not too big. You deserve safety and autonomy. You deserve a space of your own to do whatever lights you up.

You deserve to take up space.

And it doesn’t have to pay the bills to be legit. This physical studio does not make me an artist. I’m an artist because I compost my pain and create beauty from it. This studio is just the incubator for my dreams, my tears, my imaginings, my paintings, my varied embodiments of my pain, my Truth.

Want to take up space with me? Join me on Thursday, February 28 at my new studio for my first art reception of 2019! 

I’ll have my work up in the gallery for a 10-day pop-up show and am so stoked to share the goodness with you and show off my space. Entrance is free, and I’ll have snacks + wine for my guests. Come on by after work for happy hour and happy night of art!

The Details:

• Thursday, February 28 from 5-8pm
• Horse & Buggy Press and Friends 
• 1116 Broad Street, Suite 101, Durham, NC 27705

RSVP to my art reception here!

The post How I Said Yes to Myself and Began to Take Up Space Like I Deserved appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

If you’re anything like me and you dislike the environment where you’re working, you’re probably staring at the back of someone’s head, fervently studying the seconds hand on the wall clock.

You’re itching to be somewhere else, somewhere more comfortable, so you can be productive without feeling like you’re losing your mind.

But what if your workplace WAS that beautiful safe haven for you? What if the space felt more like your living room—with plants and vibrant wall art—and less like an impersonal space with too much overhead fluorescent lighting?

I’m passionate about making art accessible in the everyday. Beauty and inspiration shouldn’t be found only during after-hours and weekends.

So this summer I installed 56 pieces of my art in Nido, a rad Durham coworking space with an on-site Montessori preschool and a mission to support local artists.

Nido began in the living room of cofounder Tiffany Frye back in 2014, when seven families gathered with the intention of building community by working together with their children close by.

Now they’ve expanded in huge ways, but still maintain the cozy living room feel of their early days by partnering with artists to fill their walls. (Curious to learn more about Nido’s history? Here’s an in-depth New York Times article about this unconventional organization’s journey since its inception.)

For six weeks, this summer, my paintings will add color and joy for the entrepreneurs (and their kiddos!) who daily use the space.

I interviewed co-founder Tiffany Frye about how Nido supports local artists and which paintings of mine are the biggest hits among her members. Read the Q&A below for an inside look at how Nido’s members are enjoying my art this summer, and how you can too!

1. Tell me about your organization. What is your mission? Who do you serve? What gets you excited to go to work every day?

Nido is a not-for-profit coworking space with an on-site Montessori preschool. We primarily serve families who are looking for a new option for work/life integration. Our members are folks who are looking to have space to work, be close to their children, and make connections in a supportive community.

There is power in seeing someone else succeed at creating a meaningful and happy life – it inspires other folks to make the decisions necessary to create the same thing in their lives.

2. Supporting artists by giving them a space for making art accessible to a wider audience is an important part of your business model. Why is this so close to your heart? In what ways do you support local artists?

My motivation for having art here comes down to creating a beautiful and inspiring environment.

In our classrooms, our teachers create prepared environments that allow our children to engage in creative and productive work/play.

In our coworking space, we try to do the same thing. Whether that’s having fresh coffee brewing when our members arrive, or making sure our space is full of bright, beautiful, meaningful art, it all contributes to making sure they feel taken care of and ready to dive into their own creative and productive work/play.

I hope, too, that our space can be supportive for local artists.

Because we have members coming into our space day after day, they see and engage with the art in a different way than seeing it just once during a gallery visit.

They are given the opportunity to get attached to the art over the duration of the artist’s show. It is my hope that this translates into more sales for the artists, more money staying local, and more art in people’s homes.

3. For readers who haven’t stepped inside Nido, can you paint a picture of what the interior looks like? What are some of the rooms like, and how are they used by your members?

We are lucky to have a beautiful space to work in every day. Our landlord, Jon Parker, had intended to use the space as an art gallery – then he met us and decided to let us rent the space instead because he wanted to support the mission of Nido (thank you, Jon!).

The space is full of light – floor to ceiling windows throughout the coworking space means we often don’t have to use the lighting during the day.

We’ve tried to maintain a minimal aesthetic while still being cozy. Right now, I’m sitting on a couch in one of the rooms with the best light!

We also have a conference room that folks use on a regular basis. Our shelves in that room are full of plants and books – and now, your art!

4. How do my paintings enhance the overall feel of Nido?

Your art has caused me to envision some of the spaces in new ways. This is especially true in the conference room – I don’t think we’ve ever had so many blues and pinks in that room, and it looks great! We are currently planning a redesign of our interior, so it is lovely to get new inspiration from how your art interacts with the space.

Overall, the color and sensuality of your work has the effect of making the space feel warmer and cozier. I’ve heard so many comments from our members  about how much they love having your paintings here.

5. What have some of your members said about my paintings since my installation? Is there a favorite? Which painting is your favorite, Tiff?

Oooo I have heard lots of favorites – I don’t know if there’s consensus on this one! Our Children’s House teacher’s favorite is “Dreamscape No. 4”, currently hanging in the break room.

My husband’s favorites is “You Are Enough” – and I love the placement right above one of our standing desks, which happens to be my favorite place to work. I’ve heard lots of fans of the use of mica in the paintings! (Who doesn’t love glitter, right?!)

My favorite? I’d have to go with the Bloom series, hanging in the conference room. I really have a thing for flowers.

6. Anything else you’d like to add about Nido, my artwork, or your role in the Durham community?

Thank you for being you and for bringing so much beauty into our space. The thing I love most about your art is how the movement, emotion, and intention is imparted through your medium.  Your work has energy in it, and it’s palpable. As someone who experiences the world in a very kinetic way, I appreciate that.

I also want to affirm how important it is to be creating art and bringing beauty into the world.

Art fills us up in a vital way – a way that’s absolutely necessary if we are all to continue pushing forward and fighting for a better future. We can’t do that if our souls are empty, so thank you, Courtney, for filling our souls!

Come kick back with me at my opening reception at Nido on July 20 for Third Friday Durham! I’ll have my paintings up until the end of August, including 22 new mini-paintings that are cute as a button! RSVP here!

Entrance is FREE, and I’ll have treats + wine for my guests.

I’ve got some fun activities in the works for this reception, including a fluid painting inspired cake by local baker extraordinaire Sonia Oakley!

THE DETAILS:

• Friday, July 20
• 6pm @ Nido Durham
• 902 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705

The post Making Art Accessible | Nido Art Show in Durham appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

A few weeks ago, a 10-year-old asked me this question while we were working on a fluid painting exercise together at my workshop. We were both covered in paint, silly with the floaty feeling that comes from being so openly and joyfully absorbed in creating together.

I answered quickly and reflexively. “Not painting.”

Bella was surprised at my answer. She thought I would have told her a story about messing up a masterpiece.

But my biggest art fail is all the times I decided not to make art.

I’m actually really good at coming up with excuses not to paint or draw or make music. I’m too tired. Right now’s a bad time. I’m in a bad headspace. I need more time to let my idea marinate. I’m too hung over. I don’t have enough focus, time, skills, money, art supplies, inspiration, qualifications, etc. You name it, I’ve said it.

Sure, I’ve messed up plenty of paintings. I’ve spilled the “wrong” color on my canvas. I’ve overworked florals that I should have left alone because I doubted myself and didn’t know when to walk away. Heck, my cat even ran through a wet painting not once, but twice! But I don’t consider these accidents and missteps failures.

I see all the times I decided to paint as a huge victory, regardless of the outcome.

Because I made something from nothing. Because it required bravery. Since I did something positive with my energy instead of sitting on my butt. If I painted (or picked up my guitar, or snapped a picture with my iPhone), I still created something truly original. Even if it’s just a few loose magenta brushstrokes on cheap paper. Even if everyone else thinks my art sucks. And even if I think my art sucks.

Because in the end, it’s just paint.

If I hate what I’ve created, I can just gesso the shit outta that painting and start over. And the layers underneath the white gesso will serve as an interesting, textured foundation for the do-over.

This kind of open acceptance in my art practice – of saying yes to things both within and out of my control-  has transformed the way I live my life.

It’s helped me detach from outcomes I might otherwise have tried to control. I’ve learned to bend and flex and not take myself so seriously. It’s taught me to “woman up” and just do the damn thing.

Like having a vulnerable conversation with my partner even though I’m afraid of being rejected. Or saying “yes” to teaching a workshop even though I’ve never taught a room full of people before. Knowing I’ll awkwardly fumble my way through the unknown because that’s part of the deal when you breach the wilderness, But still knowing in my gut it will be worth it in the end because I’ll grow throughout the process. And maybe even have fun along the way.

What’s one action you can take this week to combat the negative voices in your head discouraging you from taking a risk?

Set a timer for fifteen minutes and do that one thing. Learn a new guitar chord. Call that friend you’ve lost touch with because of your busy schedule. Write a haiku. Put your unique mark on the world’s blank canvas. Life’s too short to hold back.

Looking for even more support and inspiration? Every last Tuesday of the month, join me for a night of saying “yes” to your creative urges in my Art + Yoga Embodied Fluidity workshop. I guarantee you’ll leave glowing: smiling from head to toe (and possibly covered in paint!).  You’ll feel proud of your creations, amazed at what you are capable of, and glad you said yes to your creative urges and took a risk.

You’ll pour paint, meditate over water bowls filled with turquoise ink, and jump and dance. Together we’ll reclaim that childlike boldness we’re all born with.  You do not need any art or yoga experience to participate in this workshop. Everyone is welcome!

The next Workshop Date is Tuesday, July 31 from 6-8pm! Register now, because there are only 6 spots left!

The Details:

• Every last Tuesday of the month.

• 6-8pm at The Studio—Old East Durham

• 2112 Angier Ave, Durham, NC 27703

• $50 per person

*The workshop fee covers all painting materials and refreshments. Yoga mats provided.

Breathe. Let go. Enjoy the flow of art + yoga.

Your Instructors for the July 31 Workshop

Courtney Potter is a self-taught abstract artist who believes in the universal power of creativity.

She began painting as a way to process her emotions after experiencing trauma. Opening herself up to access a deeper well of her creative power literally saved her life.

Potter has built her career around expressing herself through art and helping others cultivate and celebrate their unique voices. She believes painting is a powerful tool that anyone can access at any time to transform their pain into meaning.

Potter is a member of Artspace, Visual Art Exchange, and the Wedding Photojournalist Association and has exhibited her art along the East Coast. You can view her work at her solo exhibition at Hagersmith in Raleigh until the end of June.

Laura Nickerson  has taught yoga full-time since 2012.

In that time, she has created programs for military veterans, athletes, and teenagers. Laura has experience and expertise in anatomy, yoga for athletes, and yoga for trauma survivors. Her initial certification is through Sonic Yoga in New York City, and she has trained with David Emerson and Sage Rountree, as well as other teachers. In addition to public classes, Laura offers private yoga lessons, Thai Yoga Therapy, and Reiki.

Laura started yoga for the workout. At that time, she was unable to touch her toes and was much more interested in yoga party tricks than meditation or spirituality. Although she is now passionate about yoga philosophy and a dedicated anatomy geek, her most marked attribute as a teacher is the heart of a healer. Laura considers the yoga practice an act of love for self and world, and she brings that to her teaching.  All humans are welcome in class with Laura; this emphatically includes all races and genders.

Outside of her teaching and bodywork practices, Laura is a Boston Qualifying marathon runner, two-time Spartan Race World Championship–qualifier—and a recovering survivor of domestic violence.

The post My Biggest Art Fail | Get Off Your Butt and Create! appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

They helped me heal in an unexpected way when I was sick and weak, wandering through a Southwest desert.

Here’s the story:

I had just left my ex and devoted the last four months to therapy, support group, and recovery. I was tired of thinking about abuse. I wanted to gorge on inspiration, love, and light.

So I packed my bags and booked a plane ticket out West. I planned on hiking in the saguaro desert by day and drinking in the starlit sky by night.

“This trip helped me heal!” I imagined my future self dreamily declaring.

But I wasn’t prepared for my grief to follow me. I cried constantly at my friend’s house where I was staying; I couldn’t sleep.

Neither of us felt prepared for my fragility. So three days into my trip, she delivered the bitter blow: I needed to find another place to stay.

Ashamed, I booked an Airbnb and immediately moved into a fiber artist’s cottage. Tama’s bookshelves overflowed with volumes on tinctures, weaving, and hiking trails of the Southwest. Her pet rabbit, Lola, scampered around the red and teal house during the day, unfazed by my incessant crying.

Tama is a fiber artist, Nia instructor, and yogi who approached creativity from a holistic perspective. Her home studio overflowed with colorful felt patterns, yoga mats, and all sorts of wearable art. It was my first up-close-and-personal look into an artist’s life, and the healthy mind-body connection her space encouraged struck me. Even my guest room had yoga mats, and she invited me to put them to use as much as I wanted.

My body finally caught up with my grief, and I got sick. Tama brewed teas to reduce my fever and invited me to sit with her on her couch. I told her how I had come to the desert to find joy, and it wasn’t. fucking. working.

Tama encouraged me to engage in gentle, mindful exercise as I healed. Despite having taken dance classes after college, I was a beginner when it came to yoga. When I shared this with Tama, she invited me to dance for her.

Normally, I feel super self-conscious dancing for anyone (Unless I’m in a bustling dance class where I can hide in the back, I prefer the solitude of an empty dance studio). But I had just learned a beautiful dance in my contemporary dance class back in Durham, and I felt the strong urge to share it with Tama. (My dance instructor, Shaleigh Comerford, set the choreo to the heartbreakingly beautiful song, “Song for Zula” by Phosphoresence.)

I credit Tama with making me feel comfortable enough to expose this side of myself. With her prompting, I cast my self-consciousness aside, turned the song on, and felt my creative soul come back to life.

My time with Tama was an initiation: from victimhood to survivorship, from feeling chained to my grief to learning how to gently coexist with it. Tama was an angel, mother, and muse all at once. She taught me how to hold space for my pain.

On my last day, Tama gave me her dog-eared copy of Women Who Run with The Wolves, a book I had snagged off her shelf and started reading in between coughing fits. It would later become my spiritual roadmap—the ticket out of my “stuckness” into soulful living. I’ve read it cover to cover twice now and sent copies to friends during their own life crises.

Tama’s warmth and graciousness towards me, a stranger in her house, helped me heal.

Who is a stranger you’ve encountered that forever altered your path? How did they hold space for your pain or fear?

The post How a Stranger and a Rabbit Helped Me Heal | Woman Crush Wednesday appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

I was 12, and I had just lived through the worst year of my life, watching my childhood friends obsess over boys and boobs when all I wanted to do was crochet and write short stories about my Barbies.

I felt like something in me was deeply broken for not finding pleasure in what my peers pursued. So I learned to change myself. I traded in my passions for perfection. I replaced thriving with striving.

But obsessions don’t feed our souls the way deep creative play does.

My middle school counselor, Tracey, was the first woman I met who delighted in the real me. She taught me all about the concept of embracing your authentic self.

She was young and energetic with a rebellious streak, and I felt cooler from the fact that she LIKED spending time with me. I would escape the gaggle of girlish cliques and burping boys to eat lunch on the floor of her office, just the two of us.

Her small, windowless room somehow exuded so much warmth, and I learned to ground myself there. I made Tracey listen to my favorite Radiohead songs- which I found utterly profound in the way that artsy middle school students do— and often cried with her about my longing for the deep soul fulfillment I felt I lacked. 

On my saddest days, Tracey let me stay past the lunch bell. I would sob in my self-flagellating way about how messed up I am. She’d  look at me with her firm, kind eyes and tell me that my sensitivity was a gift—that I was deep, sharp as a tack, and able to see through the bullshit of middle school. She’d end our time together saying, “Miss Courtney, you’re pretty cool,” and write me a pass to my next class.

Tracey taught me to embrace the pot of gold in my toughest personality traits. To this day, whenever I feel like I’m “too sensitive” or “too much,” I hear her wise and gracious voice, encouraging me to be my wild, wrestling, unleashed self.

Who is one of the first voices that you remember from childhood that still pops into your head? What did you learn from them about embracing your authentic self?

Each Wednesday on my Instagram and blog, I’ll share a post about the women in my life who have most deeply influenced my path as a creative. I plan on doing this until I run out of names….which means I’ll be doing this indefinitely. Because there are that many queens who have changed me.

Wanna learn more?

Follow me on Instagram, or sign up for mailing list to receive my weekly newsletter which will feature this new series.

How do you feel about this idea? Who are your women role models? How did they help you with embracing yourself authentic self? Who do you hope to see featured in my new series? Sound off in the comments below!

The post Embracing Your Authentic Self | What My First Mentor Taught Me | Woman Crush Wednesday appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.