I’m happy with the way “Cusp of Summer” captures the glow of late spring. Many of my paintings, despite a promising start, don’t live up to their early potential. It’s easy to get discouraged. A spate of disappointing work makes me want to temporarily quit, if only to move away from the discomfort. But if I give in to that temptation and stop, I know it will only be that much harder to get started again.

Creative growth isn’t always fun.

If you hear a voice within you saying, “You are not a painter,” then by all means paint … and that voice will be silenced, but only by working. (Vincent van Gogh).

There is a connection between creative discomfort and our distress about the recession. Many are cutting back on everything, including clothes. Some women are practicing abstinence — staying out of stores as the only safe way not to spend. I understand and can certainly relate. But I believe that Vincent was right, that the important thing is to keep working, to stay engaged. I’ve found over the course of my career that when women put aside caring for their fashion spirit for too long, it is hard to reconnect. I hate to see you miss out on the daily pleasure that dressing for self-expression provides.

Taking an artful approach to personal style doesn’t mean buying something new. Your imagination is always at the ready; open, available and responsive. Everyone who gets enjoyment from creative activities and pastimes needs to continue to pursue them, perhaps now more than ever. I’ve got a slew of inventive and resourceful ideas to help keep you engaged. I’ve been crafting my suggestions all spring based on my visits to the stores, the women I work with and my own reactions.