It seems I have been neglecting this blog lately! I can honestly say I just haven't felt inspired enough to write anything interesting or worth reading (if anyone even reads this!?). Very often I find I have little motivation to draw or paint and I'll end up with wrecked pieces and slowly diminishing patience. Everyone doubts themselves from time to time and sometimes I just don't feel that creative spark in me. I start to fret about a painting that went wrong and assume I'll never be able to make art again! I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way from time to time. Often it is just a matter of taking a rest for a couple of weeks to help refresh the imagination. However sometimes it's a case of actively seeking new inspiration from somewhere different, to cure that stubborn 'artist's block'
1. Re-engerise; take a break
You can be sat staring at a blank page, waiting and contemplating what to draw and before you know it you've spent a whole hour doing a few useless scribbles. Firstly, try listening to some of your favourite tunes, personally music always helps me focus. If you're still stuck, get up from the workspace and sit in another room or different space. If your environment is quite dull, uninspiring or cluttered, your mind will feel like it too. It may help to go outside for some fresh air, or even do some stretches! But I often find the best way to refresh, is to take a short 15 min nap if possibe. Forget about everything and often you will wake up with a new perspective on things and you'll find that with less fatigue, you will be able to think more clearly and come up with your best drawing yet.
2. Look at books, galleries, etc....
Sometimes just looking at artwork that you love can motivate you to feel like drawing. I particularly love books on contemporary illustration and 'Illustrators Unlimited' is one of my favourites. Going to galleries can also be really inspiring, or even looking on tumblr, etsy and instagram, which are essentially online galleries in themselves. Look at the techniques and media your favourite artists use, and read about what inspires them.
3. Don't put too much pressure on yourself
Make art because you want to, not because you feel you need to. Sometimes the pressure of wanting to impress others makes you feel like you should constantly be doing something exciting, new and inspirational. Try and tell yourself this can't always be feasible and by trying to do that you will just disappoint yourself. Try not to create work solely to please others, just do something because YOU want to and hopefully in turn, others will appreciate it as well.
4. Don't be afraid to make mistakes
The very reason I find it hard to commit to something in the first place is because I'm scared of ruining something, but that's never going to promote creativity. If you're a perfectionist it's hard to overcome, but what helps is to experiment on rough paper with loads of different media to be sure you know what you are doing. If you end up ripping loads of pages out of sketchbooks, you're probably putting too much pressure on yourself to do something perfectly. If all else fails, make an abstract piece out of it instead of ripping it out!
5. Don't compare yourself to others
This is the worst thing you can do, but it's hard not to. Whilst looking at other artists' work is inspiring, there's no point getting down if you feel you aren't as good as them. I don't even think someone can measure just how 'good' a piece is, as art is a subjective thing and everyone has a different take on what they perceive is 'good'. Everyone likes different things after all. Regardless of whether you think your work is as good as someone you admire, it really doesn't matter. Making artwork for others to enjoy is not about emulating, everyone's work would look the same and that would be utterly boring. Remember that someone's artwork should never be copied, that your artwork is individual to you, and can never be replicated by someone else either. So whether you think someone likes your work or not, the first thing to do is to make sure you do.
Some of these are easier said than done. But hopefully you might feel a bit more prepared for the next time you feel that brick wall that comes with artists' block. I would love to hear your comments and what kinds of things you do to combat creative blocks, and other ways of finding inspiration. Thanks for reading! :)
