I believe that nearly all artists experience creative barriers, whether they want to admit it or not. There could be several reasons such as health issues, family issues, lack of ideas, fear of failure, resulting in long periods of limited or inactivity in which one does not create any artwork. It is tough to get motivated and get back to creativity. All artists have lean periods and this doesn’t really mean we are uninspired at all, but outside forces may be interfering with our inventiveness. So, what should an artist do in such a situation? The best approach is to have patience and self-confidence.
I want to share few inspirational ideas on how to overcome creative barriers and keep going.
Listen to Music
Listening to music always sets a mood while painting and creating art. Whether it is soft and smoothing, or fast rock tunes, the music will help to clear your mind from distractions and help to focus on your work. If you are used to one type of music, but still are feeling uninspired, listen to something that you are not used to before. One idea is to put on a favorite album from your younger years. This might get your creative ideas flowing once more.
Organize or Clean Your Work space
If you already have a work space, realize it is not just an office or studio – it is a creative domain. We are an end product of our environment. Therefore, if your environment is dark, dusty, cramped or messy, how can you create at your best? You cannot perform and create when you are uncomfortable especially with non-supportive work environment.
Boost your creativity by clearing your desk, cleaning your paintbrushes; organize loose papers and books; and arrange your existing art works and other materials. This helps in enhancing your creativity and efficiency.
Try a Different Style or Medium
Experimenting in art is much more interesting than experimenting in the kitchen, especially when attempting different art media. Medium in art is the material the artist works with, including the support. And just like with cooking recipes, mediums have different aspects, certain things work together, and need different techniques.
Spending hours at a time in the same place, doing the same thing, in the same way can get boring. Make discovering new ways of creating a priority, try a new medium. You can try acrylics, oil, glass, mixed media, watercolor, color pencils, or charcoal pencils. Open your mind, enjoy learning, and break the barrier. By trying different media, you’ll learn more about what you may want to pursue in art. You’ll get better at color and value choices, and develop different skills. You’ll learn things you didn’t know existed, and your technique will improve. You can also try a new type of brush such as filbert or round brush when you are used to flat brush painting. Reading about the mediums first will help in choosing which ones you want to try. Please check my blog post to get ideas on different mediums and different brushes. Blog post to start painting
You can also visit my blog on a different style of painting called one stroke painting to try a new and unique painting style. My blog post on a different painting technique
great... 👍
Awesome blog! The concept explained here is applicable to any industry. “Step out of the comfort zone. There is no growth in comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone”
Thank you for this blog!