Have you ever felt stuck in a creative rut?
When even the simplest creative act feels utterly exhausting — when procrastination becomes your arch-nemesis and doubt your constant companion.
Let me share how embracing patience (and a good dose of self-compassion) helped me find my way back to creative energy — and into an exciting new project.
The Fog Rolls In
Now and then, I go through insane periods of doubt and a lack of mojo. The ideas stop flowing, I’m fatigued, and studio time falls away as I wallow in a funk.
A few months ago, I wrote about this — it was the worst F-ing Funkyet. You can read it here. Family life has been busy in the background of my art: caring for my elderly mum, managing a complete house shuffle as our youngest flew the nest, and then offering our two daughters (who run a business together), BelBon Design, the opportunity to move their office into our house. Since they no longer needed their bedrooms, it gave us rooms to spare. Basically, we were empty nesters for two months before we implemented reverse empty nesting…now they come for the day and fly home to their own nests for the night!
There has been so much going on; it’s no wonder my usually creative brain turned to mush.
The Light Returns
I can happily cheer that, after eight long months, the low mojo has lifted! I’m back in my light-filled, garden studio, surrounded by flowers and birdsong, and the sound of my brush moving across canvas.
Ideas are flowing again — more than I can fit into a single day.
Writing Through the “F-ing Fog”
When things were at their lowest, I started something unexplored: personal writing. Not journaling in a notebook, but typing away in Google Docs. Writing through the clutter helped me face it.
Giving myself time and space to untangle my thoughts became crucial. Writing slows me down, unjumbles my head, and realigns me with my passions — and with my why for painting. Letting go of perfectionism and giving myself grace allowed this stagnant season to slowly pass.
A New Project: Letters from My Art
That personal writing eventually led to a new project that I launched this month — Letters from my Art.
These are bountiful, beautifully crafted mail pieces that combine story, painting, and a little something extra. Each letter includes:
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A story or core memory as a letter from my studio
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A painting printed as an A5 cardstock collectable print to frame or to gift
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A tried and tested family loved recipe or other small treasure that complements the narrative
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A chance to win a small original artwork each month.
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A 10% discount code to use on my website.
They’re sent via snail mail, worldwide — a tactile, thoughtful keepsake for anyone who loves art and words as much as I do.
Imagine: Story, art, and a keepsake — all designed to slow time down.
Each letter is a unique blend of narrative storytelling that pairs with my artwork, bringing the art to life and life to art.
What’s Inside Each Letter
Every letter — each Storyprint — tells a narrative about life, creativity, or the artwork itself. Alongside it, I include a page of studio notes — a little art lesson one month, or some fun facts the next. It’s a work in progress that is sure to develop over time.
These Letters From My Art are actual snippets of life at the end of a paintbrush — quiet reflections from my studio and creative life.
These letters are for anyone who enjoys thoughtful writing, for collectors who like glimpses into an artist’s mind, and for those who thrive in a community of like-minded, quietly creative souls.
You can purchase a Letter now via a one-time purchase or via a monthly subscription on my website here
A Legacy in Progress
Letters from my Art is more than a new offering — it’s part of a long-term dream.
As I create each letter, I’m slowly gathering the stories and paintings from my last twenty years as a professionally working artist. Eventually, they’ll come together in a book — a legacy project for my two daughters, woven with art, food, and storytelling.
You can now collect the letters directly from me — one at a time, as they’re released into the world.
‘Australian Afternoon,’ launched in October 2025, is now available at mialaing.au
‘Anyone Can Cake’ flew into letterboxes in November. You can find it here.
A Thought for the Future
Each Letter is available as a one-off purchase, so you can choose each print as it launches. I’ve been toying with also offering these Storyprint Letters from My Art as a subscription on my website, and have finally decided yes, it’s lovely to have options. I’m still considering whether to offer a digital subscription on Substack.
Digital Wanderer (Not available yet) — receive each new letter, studio notes, and recipe digitally via a Substack subscription as they’re released—a gentle, environmentally friendly option that involves no printing. With no physical print, it’s inspiration into your inbox. (You can, however, secure a hard copy of the print when one takes your fancy to frame or gift via a code on my website.) You would still get the benefit of a monthly discount code and the chance to win a small original artwork.
Keepsake Collector (Available now) via one-time purchase of each letter or via a monthly subscription via my website mialaing.au— for those who love the tangible, hold-it-in-your-hands experience. Each month’s printed, signed letter, studio notes, printed recipe card, discount code, and the chance to win a small artwork and the A5 art card print arrive by snail mail — savour the letter with a cup of tea and frame, gift, or tuck the print away in a journal as inspiration for your own creativity.
If one of these choice ideas makes your heart sing, please let me know in the comments or reply to this post with a Yes, digital or Yes, keepsake.
Your feedback will help me decide if I should offer a digital subscription.
From My Studio to Yours
Now my creative fog has lifted, I’ll be sharing more stories, creative insights, and art life reflections here — writing from my studio to your inbox, one brushstroke and letter at a time.
Thank you for being here, for following along, and for cheering me on from the sidelines.
It truly means the world.
Mia
