What Soft Pastel Week Taught Me About Learning Art
Kerri Dixon 
Reflecting on the biggest lessons from Soft Pastel Week and how confidence, community and consistency help us grow as artists.
What Soft Pastel Week Taught Me About Learning Art
Every time I run a free art event, I come away learning just as much as the people taking part.
Soft Pastel Week was no exception.
Over the course of the week, hundreds of artists from around the world joined me to draw horses. Together we tackled a horse eye, experimented with creating realistic sand, learnt how to draw a balloon, and finally brought it all together in a beautiful horse portrait.
But when I asked everyone a simple question at the end of the week…
"What was your biggest win?"
…I expected to hear things like:
"I finally learnt how to draw a horse."
"I understand pastel sticks now."
"The sand technique was my favourite."
Instead, the answers surprised me.
One artist wrote,
"It has inspired me to restart my art journey. I always used to carry a sketchbook and I'll put it back in my bag."
Another said,
"My biggest win from the week is to carry on through the ugly stage and work on the finer details instead of giving up."
Someone else shared,
"I just took my first ever painting to be framed."
Others talked about making time for themselves, finding confidence, enjoying creating every day, or simply discovering a wonderful community of like-minded artists.
As I read through all of these comments, I realised something.
The biggest wins had very little to do with drawing horses.
They were about becoming artists again.
Progress Doesn't Come From One Big Leap
One of the reasons I think Soft Pastel Week worked so well was because nobody had to wonder what to do next.
Each lesson built naturally on the previous one.
We didn't try to create a finished masterpiece in a single afternoon. We simply took one step at a time.
A horse eye.
Then the background.
Then the balloon.
Then the horse.
Each small success built confidence for the next.
That's exactly how learning should feel.
Community Changes Everything
Art can be a surprisingly lonely hobby.
Many of us spend hours at our easels with no one else around. We can easily start believing we're the only one struggling.
During Soft Pastel Week, I watched complete strangers encourage one another.
People who almost didn't post their artwork suddenly found themselves receiving kind comments and cheering each other on.
One participant summed it up perfectly:
"It's a great community, and I'm happy to be part of it."
Confidence grows much faster when you're surrounded by people who understand the journey you're on.
The Power of Small Wins
One theme kept appearing over and over again.
People weren't talking about perfection.
They were talking about perseverance.
They talked about getting through the ugly stage instead of giving up.
They talked about finally making time for themselves.
They talked about trusting the process.
These are the things that truly help us grow as artists.
Every finished drawing becomes proof that you're capable of more than you thought.
Consistency Beats Motivation
One of the challenges after any free event is keeping that momentum going.
We've all done it.
We feel inspired.
We promise ourselves we'll keep drawing.
Then life gets busy.
The easel gets packed away.
Weeks turn into months before we know it.
The artists who continue improving aren't necessarily the most talented.
They're simply the ones who keep showing up.
Not every day.
Not perfectly.
Just consistently.
Why I Created The Creative Barn
People often ask me what makes The Creative Barn different.
Yes, there are more than 200 tutorials.
Yes, there are monthly Draw Alongs, Art Chats and Creative Play sessions.
But those aren't really the reason I created it.
I created it because I wanted to help artists keep going.
Every part of the membership has been designed to solve one common problem:
How do we keep creating after the excitement of an event has faded?
That's why we have stage game boards to give you a clear learning path.
It's why we have monthly bingo challenges to encourage little wins.
It's why we meet for Draw Alongs and Art Chats.
It's why Creative Play exists.
None of these things are there simply to fill a calendar.
They're there to give you another reason to get your pencils back out.
Because becoming an artist isn't about watching more tutorials.
It's about building a creative life that you genuinely enjoy.
One Final Thought
If there's one thing I hope everyone took away from Soft Pastel Week, it isn't just a finished horse drawing.
I hope you discovered that you're capable of more than you realised.
I hope you found the confidence to keep going when things don't look perfect.
I hope you made a little time for yourself.
And I hope this week reminded you that it's never too late to restart your creative journey.
Whether that's inside The Creative Barn with us or simply by putting your sketchbook back in your bag again, my wish is the same.
Keep creating.
Because you never know where one small drawing might lead.
Kerri xx