11 Art Tips When You Feel Stuck
Ah, the creative rut. Possibly the most inexplicable yet frustrating feeling in the world, but worry not – here are a few personal tips which have helped me:
- Pick up a pencil – Putting pen (or pencil) to paper seems to always trigger a natural response to draw. Whether you haven’t drawn in years or you draw everyday, this is a great way to tap into new ideas; just put on a good soundtrack and think outside the box!
- Brainstorm – This is one of my favourite tools of all time. Take a piece of paper, and just brainstorm all the ideas in your head. Take notes, use arrows, bullet points. Ask yourself questions: what made me want to create art? What emotions do I want to evoke? What message am I trying to convey? Or something more direct, like: do I prefer watercolours or acrylics?
- Train your eye – Possibly the most underrated yet powerful tip. Training your eye is crucial in how it subconsciously influences your own work. Search for images, colours, styles and other visual references which resonate with you and/or your aesthetic. Look at them, study them; eat, breathe, sleep aesthetics. Pinterest and Instagram are fabulous tools for this – stalk away!
- Get your study on – Any creative course in your field, even if it’s not the specific style/skill you want to learn, will teach you something transferrable. It also helps you to loosen up those tight creative cogs, relaxes your technique (and if it’s not the style/skill you’re looking for, you’re not concentrating too hard) and enables you to really think outside the box.
- Travel – Get out there, take in beautiful scenery and some hearty local cuisine. Travel has a power over us like no other, inspiring and shaping our view of life. It doesn’t even need to be somewhere exotic either – look out for hidden gems near you.
- Get hands on – Be creative in other ways. Give yourself a creative outlet that perhaps doesn’t feel so constricted at this point, something laid back and without the pressure of expectation. Write, make music, bake, take photos – and just enjoy it.
- Pull up a seat – Take some time out. No, seriously. It’s okay to take a few days off, recharge and come back (hopefully) with fresh inspiration. Creative burnout happens to the best of artists; after all, it is an emotionally invested process. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your work is take a break.
- Push some boundaries – Or, do the opposite and really test yourself. Challenge yourself to make a piece of art three sixty-five days in a row, or something similar (I tried this and barely made it past day ten..). Change it up if you want, but make it realistic and enjoyable.
- Knowledge is power – Invest some time into studying different techniques, styles and other artists. Learn the ‘how’s and ‘why’s behind different styles individuals, and expand your own understanding. This is one of the keys to personal and creative growth; the world is much wider than fits into our field of vision.
- Experiment – You’ve done some research, brainstormed – now try out something new, see what fits your vision and what produces the best outcome. Take your time, make notes and break out of your comfort zone.
That’s a wrap! Ultimately, trust the process – even if it feels like you’re at a stagnant point, creativity always has a knack of finding its way.
