Morning Art Class: The Most Creative Way to Start Your Day

My morning Zoom painting classes have become more than just a way to practice—they’re a lifeline to creativity and calm. 

At 6am I log on, see my teacher’s face pop onto the screen, and hear his cheerful voice begin to guide us through the session. Even before I pick up a brush, something starts to shift. Sam's instructions become an anchor. “Let’s start with our palette today ….” I tune in and the noise in my head begins to quiet. 

The mental chatter that greeted me when I woke up—the to-do lists, the worries, the endless planning—all of it fades into the background. It’s uplifting having someone guide you into creativity. I don’t have to figure it all out alone. I just have to listen, follow, and trust the process.

This act of tuning in becomes its own form of meditation. His voice. His movements. Study how he holds his brush to capture the essence of a landscape, all of it draws me out of my head and into my body, into my hands, into the act of creating.

It's meditative, its calming watching oil paints merge, capturing the ever-changing light of a river.

 In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, this small act of creation offers something rare: a sense of serenity and calm.

The impressionist style we work in feels perfectly suited to my nervous system. There’s no pressure for perfection, no need to render every blade of grass or leaf on a tree. Instead, we look for the feeling of a place—the way light dances across water, the soft blur of distant hills, the suggestion of grass in a field. 

What I’ve discovered through these morning sessions is that art isn’t just about making something beautiful—though that’s a wonderful bonus. It’s therapy in the truest sense. When I’m focused on the physical act of painting a countryside or a quiet forest stream, my body shifts out of fight-or-flight mode. The sympathetic nervous system, always ready to respond to the next crisis, takes a back seat. The parasympathetic system—rest, digest, create—takes over.

These scenes of nature—rolling hills, tranquil lakes, sun-dappled forests—become windows into peace.

Doing this through Zoom adds another layer of comfort. I’m in my own space, wearing my comfortable clothes, with my coffee nearby. But I’m not alone. There are other faces in those little squares, other people seeking the same sanctuary, each painting their own version of the landscape our teacher has set before us. We’re together in our separate spaces, each of us finding our way back to calm, one brushstroke at a time.

When the class ends and I look at what I’ve created—my impressionistic interpretation of a landscape or a coastal scene—the painting itself is almost secondary to the gift the process has given me: a regulated nervous system, a quieter mind, and proof that I can create pockets of peace in my own life.

With these classes I’m reminded that therapy doesn’t always happen on a couch—sometimes it happens with a brush in hand, a teacher’s voice in your ears, and colours beautifully creating the world as feeling rather than fact.

Consider exploring different avenues that suit you, tap into your creative spark, seek out valuable support, and connect to the creative process. If you are interested in joining Samuel Earp's art classes here is a link  Sam's Art Skool 

I hope you enjoyed this blog, you can read more about me and see my work at judithrose.art