Art supply guilt

April 12, 2026

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Do any of you artists out there ever feel guilty about all the art supplies you have that you never use for anything? I do.

I’ve collected a lot of paints and paper over the years. The problem is, I don’t use most of them.

Occasionally I go through the art supply trunk I have in my living room to see what’s in there. Herein lies madness.

Inevitably, once I look in there I begin to feel guilty that I never use that stuff.

So, today was an exercise in trying to figure out how to use some paints and some paper that have been gathering dust for a good while.

Using not the best paper, I thought I needed to do something basic that would not require lifting and layering. (Trust me this paper couldn’t have handled that.)

I was also using paints I never use. Challenge enough.

So here it is. Something I never do (for a good reason) and one whole sheet of paper and a few swipes of paint used up. whoopee.

The hardest part of this was wanting to scream at these supplies and resisting the urge to add details. oh…who am I kidding? The entire experience sucked. This is not what I do.

Got that out of my system. Now back to landscapes.

What do you do with your extra supplies?

6 responses to “Art supply guilt”

Charles Yallowitz

Apr 12, 2026 at 6:14 pm

I write, so I just have notebooks. My son has a collection of art supplies while he sticks to using his iPad. I stay out of his process.

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1. Ionia Froment
  
  Apr 12, 2026 at 6:20 pm
  
  I do the same with my kids. I do prod them a little once in a while to do something else besides stare at a screen. I bet those old notebooks are useful.
  
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  1. Charles Yallowitz
    
    Apr 12, 2026 at 6:25 pm
    
    Some are and some are written in a language I no longer understand. I try to prod the teenager, but he gets surly. I let him figure it out.
    
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Julian Froment

Apr 12, 2026 at 6:15 pm

I think it is always difficult because we collect a huge array of supplies with any creative pursuit, but then find those that work for us and our style and have all these things that do not fit into that. I think it is a great idea to use them for something as then it provides more room for those things that you do use. Great post. I like the whale too.

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1. Ionia Froment
  
  Apr 12, 2026 at 6:21 pm
  
  Wait…do you have a bunch of instruments you never use?
  
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  1. Julian Froment
    
    Apr 12, 2026 at 6:48 pm
    
    I do. I am going to start using them soon to make videos of all the weird and wonderful instruments that live under the bed. Explore the sounds that they can produce.
    
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