In this episode of Process Over Product, artists Trevor Wade Thomas and Kelsey Kopp take a direct look at the fear of failure and how it operates inside a real studio practice.

They define what failure actually means for artists, where fear tends to show up in the making process, and how it often disguises itself as hesitation, perfectionism, or avoidance. The conversation moves through the different moments fear appears—before starting, in the middle of a piece, and after work is finished—and how it quietly shapes decision-making if left unexamined.

Trevor and Kelsey share practical ways they work alongside fear rather than trying to eliminate it, reframing failure as part of building judgment, momentum, and continuity over time. This episode is about staying engaged with the work even when certainty is unavailable.

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