The results are in and I am happy to announce the three winners of our art competition. Take a look at the end of this post for images and links for our second and third place winners. Our first place winner is Julie Beck. Julie is an artist from upstate New York who currently lives and works as an art instructor in Boston. In our conversation, we discuss the benefit of being part of an art community, why it’s important to take risks, how she signs her paintings, and much more! I can’t wait for you to hear from all three of my guests, starting with the talented Julie Beck. What is so great about titling paintings? Maybe you are like me and you really don’t enjoy the process of coming up with a title for your artwork. Then again, maybe you are more like my guest, Julie Beck. Julie loves the process of deciding on a title for her paintings. In fact, Julie talks about the process a bringing a further depth and layer to her artwork. In our conversation, Julie opens up about how she decides on a title and she even shares that she has a list of “Orphaned titles.” What is your process for deciding on a title like? What can you learn from Julie’s process and passion for this task? Why is it important to be connected to an art community? What has been your experience with getting connected to an art community? Have you had good and positive experiences or have you struggled to find your tribe? Artist Julie Beck says that finding a vibrant and robust artist community has had a profound impact on her development and growth as an artist. Julie goes on to share that one of the best ways to break out of a funk or difficult season as an artist is to get around other creative individuals, it doesn’t have to be other artists. I hope artists like you get the chance to connect with a supportive and inspiring art community like Julie has! How taking risks can grow you and help you succeed. Does taking risks come easy to you or do you find it to be difficult? What has informed your relationship with risk? Were you taught to avoid risks or were you taught to chase them? Do you see risks as beneficial or dangerous? My guest, Julie Beck has, at times struggled with taking risks. Her painting that won our contest serves as her evidence that she is fighting her impulse to avoid risks. In our conversation, Julie shared with me how she came to branch out and try something different with this painting. As she describes it, this was a departure for Julie, she usually works in a very controlled and measured process. It was fascinating to hear from Julie’s perspective and how she embraced this scary, vulnerable, and rewarding experience. Make sure to check out the image of Julie’s work that won our contest at the end of this post! The power of reminding yourself that you are a professional artist. What habits have helped you build your confidence and succeed as an artist? Are you still looking for tips and insights that will help you as you grow in your profession? Artist Julie Beck was kind enough to share a helpful practice that might encourage artists like you as try to find ways to stay motivated. For Julie, things started to click for her when she made that decision to take herself seriously as an artist. To keep the momentum going, Julie created a folder on her computer desktop titled, “I am an artist.” As she continued to create and build her portfolio, she would add to that folder, gaining more and more confidence each time. I hope you pick up on the sense of accomplishment and success that comes across from Julie’s story and I hope you find your way to a similar experience! Outline of This Episode [2:00] I introduce my guest and first place contest winner, Julie Beck. [3:30] Julie talks about her painting that won the contest. [11:00] Why Julie loves titling paintings. [15:00] Julie and I talk about signing our paintings. [18:30] Finding efficient ways to accomplish tasks. [20:00] Julie talks about her process working with oil paintings. [26:00] Wh