Studio Notes: On Saying No, Slowing Down, and Moving Forward

Hi friends,

It’s one week before the end of June, and I’m sitting on the flight to work finally writing this newsletter. I work a FIFO schedule — one week on site, one week off — and when I’m on, my shifts are around 13 hours. Between those long days and trying to fit in some movement or exercise, there’s very little time left to pour into my art business. If I’m lucky, I might squeeze in 30 minutes during my lunch break, and maybe 15–20 minutes in the evening if I get home on time.

The thing is, if I miss a week of business work, it often ends up being three weeks of very little progress. And the past three breaks have been full — with appointments, check-ups, family visits interstate, camping trips with my partner and other family gatherings. Altogether, I’ve been away from my business for about 7 weeks... and in that time, I’ve probably painted for 45 minutes total.

Lately, I’ve been finding it really hard to balance my time — between loved ones and business, rest and ambition. And honestly, sometimes one gets neglected for the other. These past few weeks have taught me the power of saying no and learning to gently downsize my goals, so I can actually move forward with clarity instead of constantly feeling like I’m falling behind. Have you felt that way too?

Because of all this, things like my monthly blog and newsletter took a back seat. I didn’t update my shops or do much marketing. I’ve still been finishing commissions (even now at the end of June!). But I did manage to push forward with designing my stationery line — and that felt aligned with where I’m heading, even though I miss creating just for myself.

Right now, I don’t have big responsibilities like raising kids, but I imagine when that day comes, being able to say no and truly prioritise what matters will be more important than ever. I’m still learning what that looks like — how to juggle ambition, rest, creativity, and connection without burning out.

Do you ever struggle with that too?