It’s not about where you left off. It’s about where you’re ready to begin.
For years I didn’t make art.
I’m a designer by trade. I’ve worked in design for over 35 years. So I never really stopped creating in some form. But in terms of personal art, the kind that’s just for me and from me, that went quiet in my early thirties. Life got busy. Work got serious. And slowly I stopped.
I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I finally came back more than a decade later.
I didn’t decide to stop making art. It just happened. Career pressure, responsibilities, perfectionism, burnout. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar.
What started as a short break stretched into years. By the time I was in my mid-forties, I could barely remember what it felt like to create something without a deadline or strategy behind it.
Things began to shift when I started working with an art therapist.
I didn’t go to therapy to get back into art. I went to heal. But art found me again anyway. Through messy experiments and emotional layers, I slowly remembered what it felt like to make something just because I wanted to.
That changed everything.
One of the turning points in my return to art was discovering encaustic painting.
Encaustic is a medium made from melted beeswax, resin, and pigment. It is applied hot to a surface, usually wood, and then fused with heat. That might mean using a heat gun, a blowtorch, or other tools to move and blend each layer.
It is ancient, tactile, and surprisingly meditative.
What I love most is how unpredictable it is. You can plan and layer and carve, but the wax will always do what it wants to do. You have to work with it, not control it.
Encaustic painting taught me how to slow down. Every layer matters. Every mark has meaning. It is honest, imperfec, and alive. Much like the process of coming back to art itself.
These days I focus mostly on abstract work. I use technique of course, but what matters more is the process.
For me, the act of creating is the outcome.
Sometimes what I make turns out beautifully. Sometimes it does not. But it always shows me something about where I am emotionally, creatively, or energetically. That is the power of a personal art practice. It does not judge. It reflects.
This mindset, seeing art as process instead of product, is something I now bring into the coaching work I do with artists and designers.
If you have been away from your art for a while, I want you to know something important.
You have not missed your chance.
It does not matter if it has been five years, ten years, or longer. You do not need to catch up. You do not need to justify your break. You just need to be willing to begin again.
You do not need a full studio or a clear vision or fancy supplies. You need something small. A pencil. A color. A sketchbook. Or even a conversation.
If you have been feeling that quiet pull to create again, I understand. I have been there. And I can help.
I offer one-on-one coaching for artists and designers who want to reconnect with their creativity. Whether it has been years or you just feel disconnected, we can explore how to bring art back into your life in a way that feels supportive and sustainable.
You do not have to do it alone. You do not have to be ready. You just have to be open.
Coming back to art after a long break isn’t about returning to who you were. It’s about reconnecting with who you are now and who you’re becoming.
There’s space for you in the studio, no matter how long it’s been.
If you’re ready to take that first step, book a free 20-minute call.
Let’s talk about where you’ve been, where you’re going, and how to get you creating again.
© 2026 From Stuck to Studio
Len Collins | Art & Design Coaching | Calgary