04 Jun From Perfectionism to Soul Art

Posted at 18:18h in General Art by

Finding My Creative Voice

When your personal perception evolves, your art inevitably evolves with it. For the longest time, I felt a deep pull toward greater creativity, but I didn’t know how to bridge the gap. Over the last few years, however, something fundamental shifted.

My creative journey began online in 2008 with claudiasartwork.com. Back then, my work was entirely bound to precision—capturing intricate details and fulfilling traditional commissions. Looking back, I can see I was constrained by perfectionism and an intense focus on the outer world.

Since then, my path has been shaped by many ups and downs. I’ve moved between three different countries, living in vibrant cities from Cologne to Geneva, and now Salzburg. Every single move brought its own challenges and fresh starts, unlocking new potential for personal growth. Through all of this movement, a major internal shift occurred.

The artist with a realistic pencil drawing of an old and a young woman.
Throwback to 2012 - a hyper-realistic pencil portrait of an old and young woman
A photograph of an artist holding a large, photorealistic pencil drawing. The drawing is a highly detailed, black-and-white portrait of the elderly Native American actor Silkirtis Nichols (Buffalo Child) riding a horse, capturing his expressive face and traditional attire with precise shading.
2013 - photorealistic pencil drawing of "Buffalo Child" on horseback
2016 photo showing the artist standing proudly next to a realistic colored pencil drawing. The artwork features a double-exposure style portrait, seamlessly blending two vibrant images together.
2016 - first realistic coloured pencil drawing in double exposure style
A highly detailed and realistic colored pencil drawing of a cat named Jack, created by artist Claudia Sottner in 2022. The artwork captures the fine textures of the cat's fur and expressive eyes.
2022 realistic coloured pencil portrait of Jack, the cat.

The Birth of Soul Life Art

This evolution brought me to Soul Life Art, where the focus completely shifts to intuitive art, energy, and emotion. This is truly art from the soul, for the soul.

Now, the faces I create are drawn mostly from my own imagination. The ideas flow easily and entirely unforced. My ultimate goal is to fulfill my true purpose—so I never have to look back later in life and think, “I should have done that.” A major turning point happened when I was still struggling to find my way.

Someone advised me to focus on the images that came to me in those quiet moments—just before falling asleep, or in a meditative, daydream-like state. For a long time, I didn’t know how to translate those visions onto paper. But one day, I just started sketching. Though the journey was slow and incredibly intense, three years later… here we are.

A side-by-side view showing the initial concept sketches and the final, highly detailed colored pencil drawing for the "Purple Rain" artwork.
The complete creative journey from first sketch to finished coloured pencil piece.
A photo showing the female artist standing next to her completed "Purple Rain" artwork, which is a highly detailed and vibrant colored pencil drawing.
The final destination of a long creative journey - completed in 2026

Embracing the Creative Spirit

For me, spirituality is an essential part of the process. I reached a point where simply doing a “good job” or achieving technical perfection deeply bored me. Unconsciously, I set out on a journey to combine my technical skills with free expression and pure creativity.

Importantly, this newfound freedom doesn’t mean abandoning my roots. I still use coloured pencils as my main professional medium. However, I am now giving myself the total freedom to explore. I am using the precise skills I have mastered along the way – and continue to learn – to fully unleash my potential. I am creating art that simply comes to me, straight from my soul to the page.

My last three large pieces are a testament to this: they depict people drawn in a realistic style, yet they are people I have never actually seen with my physical eyes. They simply appeared to me in my imagination, during meditation, or in quiet, unexpected moments.

With more works waiting in the wings, including spirit portraits, I am incredibly excited to see where this journey takes me. I would love for you to come along with me for the journey.

Ein Kunstwerk, das die Kollektion der Soul Life Art Galerie präsentiert.