Tutorials & Advice

 

ALL BLOG POSTS

Welcome to the studio...

Get comfy, pass the tea, and read on!

Let us sit for a moment and discuss something you must have stumbled upon at some point in your life. Blockage.  No, not blockage of the toilet. I'm talking about a block in your inspiration, your drive, your creativity - something under those lines, perhaps?


'Art Block' is essentially the inability to create something.




Art block, Writer's block... ANY form wherein you are lacking inspiration... It ain't easy, and there's times I find myself succumbing to it - I'll go 'off' painting for days, weeks, months - and then wonder not only where the time went, but where did my art go!?


My point is, everyone experiences it! 




So, how can we combat art block, and keep creating?



Whether art is a hobby, job, or a lifelong dream you wish to pursue - it's good to practice maintenance on the running's of your production (your 'production' being a metaphor for YOU! You're the one who produces the art, who writes the lore and the stories, and just like a car needs maintenance from time to time, so does your head!)

I can at least offer my two cents on the subject, so without further delay, here is

FIVE WAYS TO GET INSPIRED AGAIN
  1. RETHINK YOUR THINKING - Be open to change. You've came to a crossroads, where you feel you can't draw/create/produce. Relax, and take it EASY. Relax your shoulders. Open up to the possibility that this is a turning point in your artistry career. This is an opportunity for great change. The Anatomy of Art Block covers this in greater depth.
  2. RECREATE AN OLD PIECE - One of my first 'go-to's when afflicted with the blockage is to redraw an older original piece I've previously been proud of. In writing terms, it's digging out those old, OLD drafts and poems from when you were 13 and thought you knew everything, and it's recreating it with the knowledge you know now. Analyse your older art pieces, what did you love about creating them? What made you proud of it? Now RECREATE this old piece of art in your style now - in doing so, you can see a two-step process and can measure ways in which your style has adapted and evolved with what you've learned.Silver K Art Comparison
  3. RECOGNISE YOUR SHORTCOMINGS - We all have our favourites, be it painting traditionally/inking/sketching and so on. We have our areas we feel confident in, and we know we can do them. What about our shortcomings? For me, one of my biggest shortcomings was... Digital Art! And funnily enough, it's my preferred style to use now. Before I started drawing digitally 'properly', about 1 year ago, I would buy a wacom tablet, draw a little, then look at it and hate it. I was terrible at digital art. I couldn't figure out the layers, there were so many programs I thought I needed to "get up and running"! Eventually, I sat down, and made myself get AT LEAST comfortable with the workings of how the digital art is generally set up, how to export correctly, and essentially done my research. Recognise the areas you're not thriving in, and consider dabbling in it - you never know, you could be just like me! Once I knew the basics, I felt a bit more comfortable drawing digitally, and found many of its features advantageous over traditional art. Down below is one of my first digital art pieces I was finally happy with.
  4. REALISE YOUR ART POTENTIAL - Could you be doing more with your art? Do you wish to be doing more? Why don't we make a plan and do it! Throughout my life, I would follow the online art world on the outskirts, making an occasional deviantart account here, or playing around on iscribble.net there, but never really planting my feet anywhere. I started uploading online, and people liked my stuff! It felt great, but what was really helpful was how much faster I was learning and growing in my art - compared to before. Instead of just one set of eyes looking over the piece, I had many! I've gained more inspiration, through opening up commission's and advertising my art, this was always something I was really quite worried to do, over fear of rejection. Yet, at the end of it, if I didn't start adding photos to Facebook, and creating an online presence, and eventually coming to writing my own blog on my own website (yippee!), I'd never have taken the steps to get here. I'm more confident in my drawing, and in taking RISKS to learn. If you'd like any help with this, I'm more than happy to help.
  5. PATIENCE - The final tip is to not be hard on yourself, in doing that, you're only adding more pressure and strain on your creative juices! Take a walk, draw a luxurious bath, and take your mind completely off it for a moment. Do YOU for a bit. See friends, go shopping, etc - like I said previously - MAINTENANCE!

If all else fails, give it time. The cogs will turn again, and the creative machine will roar back to life.

Sometimes, you need to focus on other areas of your life, issues that may be subconsciously draining your energy, if this is the case, consider writing a mind-map, or creating a list of what is bothering you, and finding resolutions to that first. In working on yourself, you may find inspiration for paintings, poems, and other pieces amidst the journey. See it as incorporating your art with your daily life, starting small.

Have you got any tips/ideas for this? Any thoughts on the blog topic / other areas you'd like me to cover, add a comment down below! I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Still struggling to get inspired? Check out some of these sources below, which I hope prove useful in your art journey.

Much love, Silver K.

I BUILT MY SITE FOR FREE USING