In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp take a practical look at artist block—what it is, when it shows up, and how it operates inside a real studio practice.

They define artist block as a break in momentum rather than a lack of ideas, and talk through the specific moments it tends to appear: before work begins, in the middle of making, and after a piece is finished. The conversation examines how fear, decision pressure, and uncertainty often disguise themselves as hesitation or avoidance.

Trevor and Kelsey share the concrete methods they use to work through block at each stage—how they lower stakes to begin, regain footing when stuck mid-process, and re-engage when momentum fades. This episode reframes artist block not as something to eliminate, but as a recurring part of making that artists can learn to recognize and navigate.

Kelsey Kopp is a landscape painter whose work is rooted in observation, repetition, and sustained engagement with place. Her practice emphasizes process as a way of understanding time, light, and perception rather than arriving at a fixed image.

Find Kelsey on instagram @kelsey_kopp_art

Trevor Wade Thomas is a painter and educator working primarily from observation. His practice centers on drawing, material process, and the relationship between labor, memory, and making. He is the founder of Oil and Earth Studio YouTube Channel, where he explores craft, teaching, and long-form artistic inquiry.

You can find Trevor online at www.trevorwadethomas.com , on YouTube at www.youtube.com/oilandearthstudio , or on Instagram @twtfineart