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7 Ways to Live a Creative Life
I have painted 16 portrait paintings of my two children for the September 30/30 Challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta. Apart from creating a collection of family treasure, I have learned some very...
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Why the Wandering Author Killed Herself
Painting Solves Mystery of a Two-Decade-Long Suicide Case Photo of the Wandering Author, SanMao In 1991, at the age of 48, the Wandering Author died by hanging herself with a pair of silk stockings in...
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How to Overcome Fear of Failure and Move Toward Your Dream
BE COOL, PORTRAIT OF JAY CHOU©2013, 16″x16″, oil on linen, by Lucy ChenOriginal and Prints available, click the image for info. Do you have a fear of failure? Do you worry about what people think of...
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What Can Picasso Teach Us about Paint Like A Child
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a life time to paint like a child.” Le Rêve (A Dream)c.1932, 51″x38″, oil on canvas, by Pablo Picasso A Picasso quote we are way too familiar with and...
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The Origin of Shunga, Art of the Bedchamber
Shunga: sex and pleasure in Japanese art at the British Museum has received many wonderful reviews. If you can’t fly to London to see the show, check out the reviews and pictures on Huffpost Arts, The...
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The Crazy Creative’s Guide to Handling Criticism
You were born a creative, but… You’ve spent the first twenty, thirty or forty years of your life living the way other people expect you to. Then one day, you wake up, and you realize that - You have a...
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How to Cleanse Yourself of Negative Energy in 5 Minutes (with a video)
Sometimes, you can’t help but feel tired after a full day’s work. Sometimes, you encounter negative people. Sometimes, your most beloved ones cause you a little (or a lot of) stress. So, how can you...
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The Shocking Truth about Contemporary Art
Have you ever looked at a piece of contemporary art that you have absolutely no idea what it is? Have you ever seen something in a contemporary art museum that is just plain ugly, but you’re too scared...
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On Truth, Beauty and the Secret of A Masterpiece
What attracts you to a piece of art? What do you think is important in a piece of artwork? Many people say “being true” is important. What about beauty? Is beauty important? Are beauty and truth...
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The Shortcut to Make the Best Ever Christmas Gift in Record Time
Are you buying gifts for Christmas? You may be organized enough to use a gift planner for this holiday season; or your best plan is just to wing it when you get to the mall. Seriously though, how many...
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The Busy Parent’s Three Tricks to Raise a Creative Child
Are you a busy parent with small children? Do you wonder when you will ever find time to “do your own things”? Should you let the iPad or TV babysit your kids? But then would you feel guilty and worry...
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How to Paint an Impressionist Style Still Life in 60 Minutes
Simple Still Life, Close-up12″x12″, oil on linen, ©2013 Lucy Chen Do you want to have some fun painting a simple still life? The one shown here is my first still life painting and it was completed in...
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Why is this Painting Scaring Me (with a Video)
THE MEETING©2013 16″x16″, oil on linen, by Lucy ChenOriginal SOLDPrints Available, click the image for info. Have you ever felt scared by a painting? At various stages of painting “The Meeting”, I felt...
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The Top 3 Resources for Planning Your 2014
© 2013 Lucy Chen Setting goals doesn’t guarantee that you’ll achieve success. But if you don’t even have goals and objectives, how would you know if you’re on track to achieve your dreams and...
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Annual Review 2013: a Year of Discovery and Loss
Tweet this! “Funny, when you finally face reality, it was amazing how clearly you could see things.” ~ Mary Higgins Clark © 2013 Illustration by Lucy Chen Annual Review is not a new concept to me at...
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New Years Creativity Resolutions You Can Actually Keep
©2014 Illustration by Lucy Chen The other day I had coffee with a friend who had been working in Corporate Australia for ever. With the new year looming, I asked what her goals were for next year....
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Why You Should Read “Leonardo’s Swan” Now
Leda and the Swan1510-1515, 44.1″x33.9″, oil on panelby Leonardo da Vinci Do you read novels? I absolutely love good novels! Lately, I’ve enjoyed a historical fiction called Leonardo’s Swan. And I...
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A Studio Tour Just Before I Packed Up and Left
My “temporary” studio in a Southern China apartment China was where I was born and raised (and for 10 years by my dad as a single parent) until I was almost 16, when I immigrated with my mom to...
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13 Things that will Surprise You about Hand Fans
I’m not talking about electric fans, but the hand fans from China and Japan. There’s much more to it than just as a mean to keeping cool. Understanding its symbolic meanings can lead to inspiration...
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How “America: Painting a Nation” Has Inspired Me
© Photograph by Lucy Chen I left the kids home with their dad, and went to visit the Art Gallery of NSW last Saturday by myself. What an inspiring day! Along with the Gallery’s permanent collection,...
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