You Don’t Have to Paint Perfectly – Just Honestly

Do you ever catch yourself thinking,
"This isn't good enough..."
"I wish I could paint like her..."
"Maybe I'm not really an artist..."

If so, you're in good company.

I hear this from women all the time — creative, thoughtful women like you — who are brave enough to pick up a brush but still feel like they’re falling short.

And I want to say something very clearly:
You do not have to paint perfectly.
Not now. Not ever.

Perfection is not the point

We’ve been trained to think that art is about skill. That there’s a right way and a wrong way. That a "real" painting has to be impressive, beautiful, gallery-worthy. But the truth?

Art is not about impressing anyone.
Art is about expressing something real.

Your joy. Your curiosity. Your restlessness. Your love of turquoise.
That little flutter in your chest when you see the first spring light hit your windowsill.

That’s what I want to see on your canvas.
Not perfection. Just honesty.

A little story from my own studio

There was a time I tried so hard to be “good.” I painted tight, careful pieces that ticked the boxes of what I thought art was supposed to look like. But something felt off — flat, lifeless. I wasn’t enjoying it.

One day, I put on loud music, turned the canvas upside down, and painted without caring if anyone would like it. I used my hands, scratched into the paint, made weird marks.

And for the first time in a long while…
I felt free.
That painting wasn’t perfect, but it was me.

The gift of imperfection

When you paint from a true place — your own experiences, emotions, or just pure curiosity — people can feel it. Even if the lines are wobbly. Even if the colors clash.
It’s yours, and that’s what makes it powerful.

So instead of asking,
“Is this good?”
try asking,
“Is this honest?”

Let’s rewrite the rules together:

• You don’t have to paint like anyone else.
• You don’t have to share your work online (unless you want to).
• You don’t need approval to call yourself an artist.

You just need to show up, with your brush and your heart open. That’s where the magic lives.

So today, give yourself permission to create something imperfect.
Messy. Raw. Real.

That kind of painting? That’s the kind that stays with you.

Until next Thursday,

🎨 Hege