Finding Inspiration

I am so much better at managing my time now than I was in the past. In my last blog post, I spoke on different ways to be able to schedule yourself and your art time accordingly while also working a job or having other responsibilities that take up a chunk of your day. Following these tips is all well and good, but when you sit at your desk, put your pencil down on paper and find that nothing is coming out the other end – that’s a different problem. Having creative blocks or artist blocks are really the worst. It’s a frustrating experience having all this time we put aside to create and nothing is actually coming to creation. There have been days I have no inspiration to create anything at all and other days it’s like I can’t put down the paint brush and it’s already 3 AM. All in all, I have found different routes to take through my years of creative blocks and dry spells that have helped me chip away at the wall blocking my path, if not blow the whole thing away.

Don’t Think About It Too Much

If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that over thinking is not the way to get things accomplished. Odds are you will think so hard of what to create to the point that you think yourself out of creating anything! When in the process of an idea, let your mind and body take you to wherever it goes on its own! Not in the direction you try to force it. Unless what you’re doing involves extensive planning (like architecture - I think it be best to think that through) don’t let rules or regulations alter what your creativeness wants you to do. Let your mind be free and allow the thoughts to flow to you naturally instead of by force or with pressure.

Observe

One of my favourite pass times is to look around. That’s it. Simply take things in and analyze them. A fault of mine (or maybe a blessing?) is being overly observant. Although, doing this really helps me see things in different perspectives that I would not usually come to if I didn’t take the time to observe. There are times I see a woman wearing a beautiful scarf on the street and I use that patter in a character design, or I see the way the leaves blow across the park and I paint that motion in a painting. Take in your surroundings wherever you go and really observe what is going on around you, it may spark some inspiration!

Keep Notes

If you just simply feel overwhelmed with too many ideas in your head, write them all down! It doesn’t even have to be a complete thought-out paragraph for it to be considered a good idea. If you have something on your mind that you want to create either now or later, keeping a notebook or even just your notes app close and jotting things down really helps remind you of what you’re envisioning in those moments. This also allows you to start the creative process! Write down your idea keep writing things around that idea, using descriptive words and build off that. Don’t let your thoughts run from you, keep them close! Make sure you record them in some way that if you get a sudden creative break, you can go back to the thought and complete it, if you haven’t already done so.

Live Your Life

A friend of mine told me this. “If you’re feeling blocked, live your life then come back to it [the idea].” Last but not least, this point is really just all previous points combined. Finding inspiration is not only about thinking, observing and recording. Try some new things. Go to new places. Expand your horizons and experience things that you would not normally experience. You are not limited to your city, your taste of music or food, or your mindset! There are so many other places and minds to experience! Get out there and live your life. New encounters may enlighten you with new ideas, some that may be completely different from your art style!

Keeping yourself inspired these days can be a difficult task, but using these tips in your day to day can be the best way to easily get your groove back. Other ways to find great inspiration is looking to other artist’s styles, making a Pintrest board with ideas you’d like to try and other social platforms. There are many ways you can find ways to be influenced online but I believe true inspiration comes from real life and real experiences. I hope these tips help you find your way through any creative blocks that may come! Thank you for reading + stay ORANGEinal !