Why I Created Painting with Inessa: Finding Calm, Creativity and a Little Chaos Along the Way

Principle colours mix

There are moments in life when you discover something that helps you through difficult times. For me, that something was painting.

During the Covid pandemic, I went through some incredibly difficult experiences. It was a period that changed many things in my life and left me searching for a way to recover, find balance and feel more like myself again.

Painting became an important part of that journey. It gave me somewhere to put my attention when life felt overwhelming. It offered moments of quiet, a chance to focus on something beautiful and the simple satisfaction of creating something with my own hands.

I wasn’t trying to solve all the problems of the world with a paintbrush. I was simply painting. But sometimes, that is precisely what we need.

Over time, I began to wonder whether painting could offer the same kind of comfort and joy to other people. Perhaps there were people around me who wanted to slow down, find their creativity again or simply have something lovely to look forward to each week.

And so, the idea of Painting with Inessa began to take shape.

A little time for yourself

I believe many of us spend our lives looking after responsibilities, solving problems and making sure everyone else is doing what they are supposed to be doing. We become remarkably efficient at being useful.

But where does that leave time for ourselves?

Not necessarily a whole weekend at a luxury spa. Sometimes, an hour is enough. An hour when nobody needs anything from you, when your phone can remain wonderfully silent and when you can sit down with a piece of paper and a few colours.

Painting offers that opportunity.

You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need an impressive studio or a collection of expensive materials. You don’t even need to know how to paint a convincing leaf.

You simply need curiosity and a willingness to try.

My courses are designed to help people discover that painting can be both creative and calming. It is a chance to observe nature more closely, learn something new and enjoy the process without feeling that every painting must become a masterpiece.

Although, naturally, we won’t complain if a masterpiece happens to appear.

Measuring a pear

Why botanical painting?

For me botanical painting has always been about more than reproducing the appearance of a flower or fruit. It is about looking. Really looking.

A pear is no longer just a pear when you begin to notice its subtle changes of colour, the way light rests on its surface and the delicate shadows that give it form. A flower reveals details that might otherwise go unnoticed. Even a simple leaf becomes an invitation to slow down.

That kind of observation changes the way we experience the world around us.

It encourages patience, curiosity and appreciation for the small things. And I think we could all use a little more of that.

Through Painting with Inessa, I want to share this way of seeing with people who may have always wanted to paint but never quite found the time, confidence or right opportunity to begin.

Most of us are drawn to nature in one way or another. We enjoy the beauty of flowers, the changing seasons and the quiet pleasure of being surrounded by something alive and growing. But how often do we really stop to look?

Botanical painting gives us a reason to pause. It invites us to notice the delicate curve of a petal, the subtle colours of a leaf or the way light falls across a piece of fruit. Through painting, we can reconnect with the natural world and discover beauty in details we might otherwise overlook.

Write and wrong measurements

Creating an online course: a completely different story

Now you might imagine that creating an art course is a straightforward process.

You prepare a painting, turn on a camera, explain what you are doing and voilà! You have a course.

Well, no.

Painting is one thing. Explaining every single step while remembering that you are being recorded is quite another.

When I paint in my studio, I can concentrate on the artwork. I can pause, think, change direction or spend ten minutes looking at one tiny detail without needing to explain myself to anyone.

When creating a course, however, suddenly every movement seems to require a commentary.

“Now I am taking my brush.” “Now I am mixing the colour.” “Now I am looking at the reference.”

Yes, Inessa. We can see that you are looking at the reference.

The technical side of course creation has been a completely different adventure. I had to learn about recording, editing and voiceovers. Things I had never imagined would occupy quite so much of my time.

I originally thought my accent might be the biggest challenge. In the end, it turned out to be one of the least of my problems.

The real challenge was learning how to turn something I do naturally into a lesson that another person can follow comfortably.

And then there was the voiceover.

There is something quite humbling about listening to your own recorded voice. Suddenly, every pronunciation, pause and slightly unusual sentence seems to deserve a full investigation.

I found myself practising pronunciation, recording again and trying to sound natural while remembering exactly what I wanted to say.

At some point, I began to wonder whether I was creating an art course or secretly enrolling myself in another course entirely.

“Creating an Online Course for Beginners: A Personal Journey in Recording, Editing and Trying Not to Lose the Plot.”

It would have been a very honest title.

Of course, the funny moments were mixed with plenty of mistakes, learning and improvement. I discovered that creating a course takes patience, persistence and a willingness to accept that the first attempt will not always be the final one.

Much like painting, really.

Sometimes you make a mark that doesn’t quite work. You pause, consider your options and decide what to do next.

The difference is that in course creation, the mark might be a sentence you have recorded six times.

Painting brushes

A gentle beginning for everyone

I created Painting with Inessa especially for beginners. I want people to feel welcome, whether they have never held a watercolour brush before or they are returning to painting after many years.

The lessons are friendly and practical. We explore observation, colour mixing, light and shade and the process of creating botanical paintings step by step.

But alongside the painting techniques, there is something equally important: the opportunity to give yourself permission to slow down.

You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to compare your work with anyone else’s. You don’t have to produce something perfect.

You can simply enjoy learning.

And if your first pear looks slightly more like a potato, that is perfectly fine. Nature has produced some very imaginative pears over the centuries.

Painting materials

Is Painting with Inessa the right place for you?

Perhaps you have been thinking about trying something creative for a long time.

Perhaps you want a hobby that brings more calm into your week. Perhaps you miss having something that belongs entirely to you. Or perhaps you are simply curious to discover what you can create with a brush and a few colours.

If any of this sounds familiar, I would love to welcome you.

My ideal student is what I like to call The Peaceful Creator — someone who seeks calm, wants to explore her creativity and is ready to make positive changes in her life, one small step at a time.

You don’t need to arrive with artistic experience. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to achieve.

You only need to begin.

Let’s paint together

Creating these courses has been a learning experience for me, both creatively and personally. I have discovered new skills, made plenty of mistakes and found that teaching something you love requires just as much curiosity as learning it.

But the most important reason I created Painting with Inessa is simple.

Painting helped me through a difficult chapter of my life. It gave me moments of peace, a sense of purpose and the pleasure of creating something beautiful.

I would love to share that experience with you.

So, if you have been waiting for the right moment to begin painting, perhaps this is your invitation.

Set aside a little time for yourself. Gather your brushes, choose your colours and join me in discovering the beauty of botanical painting.

There will be learning, creativity and hopefully a few laughs along the way.

And don’t worry. I promise not to make you record the same sentence six times.

Keep looking, keep painting, keep discovering.

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