For many creatives, we can feel overwhelmed when faced with artistic resistance, even in work that otherwise excites us. Avoiding the things that make us feel creative resistance can lead to burnout or stagnation, but it’s so easy to find ways to keep ourselves busy with simple, but urgent tasks instead of finding ways to overcome this resistance. 

Today, Michelle McKay reminds us that to break through that next ceiling and to make that next creative leap, we need to lean into the artistic resistance we feel, because it’s leading us to the important and fulfilling work that will actually move us forward. Her advice on how she structures her day to make sure that she prioritizes this important work was completely life-changing, for her and for me!

In this episode, Michelle shares why she loves documenting honest, raw stories, how she gets intentional for both her creative endeavors and her business tasks, and how this helps her work to stay fresh by not comparing herself to others. She gives us her best tips for avoiding creative burnout and encourages us to keep pushing into work that feels creatively challenging. This conversation with Michelle is such a game-changer if you’re looking to expand creatively and find your own unique creative voice!

What’s in this episode:

• [05:51] Why it’s a challenging time to be an artist and how Michelle overcomes the comparison trap by getting clear on her intention, which is telling truthful, honest stories  
• [12:07] How to keep your photography feeling fresh and unique by embracing each shoot as a creative collaboration with your client 
• [19:54] Michelle’s tips for keeping your creative spark bright instead of falling into artistic burnout
• [26:29] Why Michelle loves leaning in to artistic resistance and how she structures her day to make sure that she gets her most important – not urgent – artistic work done every day
• [31:10] How Michelle gets clarity on which work is most important to her
• [36:37] How Michelle is continuing to explore her passion for storytelling through her new membership program (coming soon!) 

If you need that kick in the pants to break through artistic resistance and focus in on the work that will move you forward creatively, tune in to this inspiring episode with Michelle McKay.

SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher

---

Resources Mentioned

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Meet Michelle McKay

Michelle is a photographic artist located in Geelong, Australia. 

Her in-home photography business specializes in all things newborn, and her personal work and lifelong obsession is documenting what she coins ‘the beautiful ordinary’, catching memories and making an honest and artful record of real life, all while teaching other photographers how to do the same. 

She’s the host of the We Are Memory Catchers community, teacher of Telling Stories, which is a 15 week course that explores the specifics of how to make more intentional and artful storytelling imagery, the creator of the popular Memory Catcher editing presets, and two time instructor of The Milky Way {online} Newborn Retreat.

Connect with Michelle

Michelle’s We Are Memory Catchers website

Michelle’s photography website

Follow We Are Memory Catchers on Instagram

Follow Michelle’s photography page on Instagram

Join Michelle’s Facebook group

Did this episode inspire you to delve into your creative well and start crafting honest, realistic visual stories? Check out our first episode with Michelle McKay