As a painter, you know you need a subject, idea, or an inspiration to create your artwork, but once in a while, you lose inspiration. Perhaps you’re having a bad day or maybe the last piece of art you created was so great that anything that comes after it seems less inspiring.
Don’t get discouraged. You just need to take a step back and reassess the situation. You could even follow these next 3 ways to get inspiration for your art. Take a look.
Don’t rely on the internet:
Sure, the internet is a great tool to search for just about anything you want to know, however, when you are lacking creative motivation, you should probably shy away from it. You can always use the internet to watch tutorials on art techniques, but real creative inspiration comes from within you, not a computer screen.
Be passionate:
You probably became an artist in the first place because you had passion about your craft. In her book, Artist’s Sketchbook, Cathay Johnson writes that passion is the key to creativity. So, find one thing each day that captures your attention, pick something you are truly passionate about and do it. Pick up your canvas or sketch pad and start drawing. Make a collage. Just get inspired by the things you love and I’ll bet your creative roadblock will be over.
Copy an old idea:
People who follow or buy your artwork probably do so because of a certain aspect. For instance, Jon Rafman is an artist who is best known for his work around Google Street View. Jon Rafman approaches this work as a repository of images that bring to the fore the relationship between technology and human experience.
The point is, sometimes it’s best not to try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, go back to what worked in the past and go from there.
Get out into nature:
There is no better way to garner inspiration than by getting out into nature. Surround yourself with the beauty of the forest, the beach, the mountains, whatever you choose. A walk outside can awaken your creative cells like no other. Even if you don’t plan on drawing a landscape, sometimes just looking at one can be inspirational.
Work intuitively:
In short, this means, stop over analyzing every little paint stroke. Sometimes we get into our heads so much that we can’t find our way out and that’s what takes the inspiration away. By working intuitively you can let go of expectations and plans and just create.
