​Prefer to listen? I recorded a podcast version for you here. (3:26 min)​

There's a moment in the studio that almost none of us record probably because it seems like there's nothing happening that's worth recording.

You're just looking.

Maybe you've stepped back from the piece you're working on. Maybe you're wiping your hands on a rag that's already stained with pigment. Maybe you're sitting on your stool, cup of tea in hand, staring over a work-in-progress.

Nothing is happening, and yet *everything is.*

I'm wondering if you can relate to this: when I first think about pulling out my phone to record something, my brain scans for the "interesting" part.

But the in-between, the pause, the looking? That doesn't usually feel like something to record.

It took me the first several years making Beyond the Gallery to learn that this is backwards when we decide to document what'd already be happening anyway.

I believe these in-between moments are some that really let us witness our own art practice. Anyone can record a brushstroke. Almost nobody records the minutes of being still that came before it, the peaceful (or bold!) decision to wait another day before making another mark.

I believe this art footage is rare because it feels ordinary to the person living it. But to that someone watching, it's what can lead to them thinking: This artist is thoughtful and dedicated to her art.

Attention. Doubt. Decision making. Care. Those are the some of the things collectors and followers actually connect to because they make you human.

→ How might you apply this to recording your art?

I want to encourage you to try noticing (not recording yet, just noticing) any moments in your studio that don't feel they're "worth recording."

Jot down what you notice.

A short list to help you see this for yourself:

• Stepping back from the work
• Waiting for something to dry
• Wiping your hands, cleaning a brush, rinsing water
• Sitting and just looking
• Tidying a surface, making room to work on something
• Just walking about your studio

Once you start noticing them, they'll be easier to record (if you want to).

Come back later to reply and let me know: What's the in-between moment in your studio that you noticed first? I'd love to hear which one you wrote down first. ☀️

...

Have a great week ahead, and thanks for being here.

Keep creating,

-Zach

P.S. In case you missed it, I'm hosting Record Your Art to Immerse workshop next week, the second in a series of four workshops to reach for when you want to attract new people to your artwork. Full details here: https://readytorecord.com/immerse​