ArtsVisual Arts

The Imperfect Palette

Johnny Thomas

The Imperfect Palette Podcast is a laid-back, funny, and honest podcast for artists and creators who’ve ever stared at a blank page and questioned their entire existence. Each week we talk about the real side of making art like creative slumps, ego, comparison, burnout, self-doubt, and the occasional sketchbook induced crisis. No fake guru advice, no pretending we’ve got it figured out. Just real conversations, laughs, questionable spending habits, and the reminder you’re not alone. If your creative process is messy, welcome.

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8 episodes
weekly
Avg 7 min
English

Episodes 8

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S1 · E8
Friday · 5 min
Ep 8: Painting By Numbers
Likes, views, followers, reach, engagement… artists now have an entire scoreboard attached to their creative lives. In this episode of The Imperfect Palette, we dig into the strange relationship between artists, social media, algorithms, and metrics. How much do those numbers actually influence what we create? And when does paying attention to performance start changing the way we see our own work? A conversation about social media, creativity, artistic identity, validation, and the pressure to make work that performs. If you’ve ever checked the numbers after posting your art and wondered why you cared so much, this one’s for you. Follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share this episode with an artist who spends way too much time checking their analytics. 🎨 Follow Johnny: @johnnythomasart 🤝 Join the Patreon community and support the work: Patreon.com/johnnythomasart The Imperfect Palette is also available on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. #TheImperfectPalette #ArtistLife #ArtAndSocialMedia #ArtBusiness #CreativeProcess
S1 · E7
September 18 · 7 min
Ep 7: Flow
Episode: Flow State Have you ever started painting and suddenly realized three hours disappeared? That’s the magic of getting into a flow state. In this episode, we’re talking about that sweet spot where the noise fades, the overthinking stops, and you’re completely absorbed in the work. Just you, the process, and whatever happens next. 🎨 Follow along: @johnnythomasart 🤝 Want to hang out, paint together, and support the show? Join the community on Patreon. #TheImperfectPalette #FlowState #Watercolor #ArtistLife #CreativeProcess
S1 · E6
September 11 · 8 min
Ep 6: Burnout
Burnout can make you question something you once loved. In this episode, we talk creative burnout, knowing when to scale back, disconnecting from the noise, and that uncomfortable feeling of wanting to quit. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from creating, you’re definitely not alone. Have you experienced creative burnout? Drop a comment and let me know. If you enjoyed the episode, leave a rating and follow the podcast. Follow along on social: @johnnythomasart Want more? Join me on Patreon for bonus content, community, and more behind-the-scenes creative stuff.
S1 · E5
September 4 · 9 min
Ep 5: Impostor Syndrome
Have you ever looked at your own artwork and wondered, “Who the hell let me call myself an artist?” In Episode 5 of The Imperfect Palette, we’re talking about imposter syndrome and that strange battle between insecurity and ego. The feeling that you don’t belong, questioning whether you’re actually good enough, second-guessing compliments, and somehow convincing yourself that one bad painting means you’ve forgotten how to paint. I get personal about my own experience with imposter syndrome, what it feels like when your identity becomes tied to your artwork, and why even years of experience don’t necessarily make that voice disappear. If you’re an artist, creative, or anyone who’s ever questioned whether you really belong where you are, this one’s for you. Follow @johnnythomasart on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for more art, painting, and behind-the-scenes content. Listen, follow, subscribe, and share the episode with an artist friend who needs to hear it. The Imperfect Palette is a podcast about art, creativity, the artist life, and all the imperfect stuff that comes with making something of your own.
#4
August 29 · 8 min
Ep 4: The Artist vs. The Ego
Ego gets a bad reputation, but it isn’t always the loud voice telling you that you’re better than everyone else. Sometimes it’s much quieter. It’s the voice that takes criticism personally, compares your journey to another artist’s, makes you afraid to be a beginner, or convinces you that you have to stay the artist you’ve already become. In this episode of The Imperfect Palette, we’re talking about the ways ego can sneak into our creative lives and how learning to recognize it can help us grow without taking ourselves quite so seriously. If something in this episode resonates with you, share it with another artist who might need to hear it. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, take a second to rate and review it wherever you listen. It helps more artists find the show. And come hang out with me on social media @johnnythomasart 🎨 Listen. Follow. Rate. Share.
August 23 · 6 min
Ep 3: What Is Success?
In Episode 3 of The Imperfect Palette, we’re talking about success. Not the version measured by followers, money, awards, or how many people know your name. The quieter version. What if success is having a creative life you actually want to live? What if the goal isn’t to become more successful, but to figure out what success actually means to you? We’ll talk about comparison, changing definitions of success, the pressure to “make it,” and the messy reality of trying to build a creative life without letting the creative world decide what that life should look like. Because maybe success isn’t a finish line. Maybe it’s knowing you’re headed somewhere worth going. 🎙️ Episode 3 — What Is Success? The Imperfect Palette Available wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoy the show, follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode. And send this one to an artist friend who might need to hear it too.
S1 · E2
August 13 · 7 min
Ep 2: Why Do We Create?
Why do we create? In this episode of The Imperfect Palette, we talk about the three different directions artists can take: creating for yourself, creating for fame and notoriety, and creating for money. We get into what happens when social media becomes part of being an artist, the strange balance between time, creativity, and recognition, and how easy it is to let everything surrounding the art become more important than actually making the art. No big answers. No “10 steps to become a successful artist.” Just an honest conversation about why we picked up the brush in the first place and whether we’d still create if nobody was watching. Follow and subscribe to The Imperfect Palette wherever you listen, and find Johnny everywhere as @johnnythomasart. Join us over at Patreon where we have built an amazing community of awesome artists and art friends.
S1 · E1
August 12 · 2 min
Ep 1: Welcome to the Mess
Welcome to the first episode of The Imperfect Palette. In this first episode, I’m introducing myself and explaining why I decided to start this podcast in the first place. Expect conversations about creativity, the artist life, social media, ego, comparison, motivation, and all the messy stuff in between. Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so you don’t miss the next one. You can also find me everywhere as @johnnythomasart. Thanks for being here. Now let’s make a mess. Follow. Subscribe. Share it with another artist who needs to hear it.

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