Make Art Again: 3 Steps to Pushing Through your Creative Block
In the last few years, it’s become abundantly clear to me that every person is an artist. Is every person a professional career artist? No. However, every person has a creative soul and needs to express that creativity in some way.
If they cannot, because of a creative block or “Creative Fear”, they may become unhappy, fatigued or unsatisfied for what seems like no reason. This certainly happened to me, and still does, if I don’t make art regularly, if not everyday.
Making small paintings or drawings is the perfect way to jump back into making art when you are pressed for time. This painting of Venice is postcard size, so 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
I’ve heard more times than I can count, “Oh, I used to draw, but I don’t anymore,” or “I’d love to be doing what you’re doing, you’re living the dream, “ or “I used to love painting but now I don’t have time.” Most importantly and most sadly though, I commonly hear “I’m not good at art, I could never do that.”
You are doing a big disservice to yourself when you think that to make art you must be “good at art”. It’s the same with dancing, singing, and any kind of creative outlet. You do not have to be “good” at it to enjoy it, and for your soul to recognize its expressive outlet.
Not every piece of art I make is one I absolutely love, but the process and the feeling of completing something that looks beautiful to me is what matters.
In America especially, I have struggled immensely with our over-productivity mindset. This is a different mindset to wanting to be successful and working hard for what you want. I’m talking about the mindset that creates Creative Fear. In our culture, it has become ingrained in some of us, for whatever reason, that every activity we do needs a productive, clean-cut, measurable outcome.
I believe this way of thinking is especially strong in my generation, and in people who grow up with a lot of internal and external pressure to make the best grades, and be the best students at school, in every subject.
Sometimes, but not every time, making art of places I think will sell well falls into the category of “over-productive mind”. It’s a little different as I’m selling art for a living, but I’m still aware of the feeling to be constantly producing work that sells and how that could potentially negatively affect my outcome.
With this mindset, the “Creative Fear” can take a firm hold and block you from making art that just feels good. When you let go of the idea that it has to be good, you open up a whole new path for creating art again, just like you did when you were a child.
Think about being a kid again for a second. My best examples are my brother and my dad. I remember my brother used to draw excellent drawings of ships because he was obsessed with old cruise liners, war ships, tankers and the likes. I never saw any of my dad’s drawings, but I remember my Grama telling me that he used to be a pretty talented draftsmen as a young kid and teenager.
If you asked either of them today when was the last time they took a pencil to paper I’m sure the answer would be, “not since I was a kid”. Do they have other creative outlets? Maybe. My point is that all kids are “good” at art, because they are free. They haven’t absorbed Over-Productivity Mind yet and they just create art because it feels good to make something that they like.
Making abstract art can help break out of that limiting creative box we put ourselves.
How can we get you back to a place of creating art freely? How can we push through that creative block that’s keeping you from expressing joyously through painting, drawing and all other sorts of creative outlets? I’m going to outline three steps to start. By making a little change in your mindset and a little change in your daily life, that overly critical voice that’s keeping you from your creative freedom will start to melt away.
Creating art from your mind can help melt away the creative block. (Moon Lady, Acrylic on Paper, 9 x 12 inches, 2020)
STEP 1:
Decide which kind of art you want to do most. Which form of art has been itching at the back of your mind for months, maybe years? Did you used to take painting class and really loved it? Are you a fascinated by sculptures when you go to a museum and think how amazing it would be to create physically spacious art? I’ll be focusing on the visual arts of drawing, painting, sculpture, etc. here, but feel free to explore your mind for dance, singing, theatre, welding, wood working, ceramics, etc.
Once you’ve decided which type of art you want to get back into and express, get a pen and paper and write down exactly what it is you want to do. Some examples might be:
I want to go to my park and draw outside like a plein air artist in the movies.
I want to take a scrap booking class because I saw my aunt’s beautiful scrapbooks and I know I can do that!
I want to create ceramics that I can actually use in my kitchen, and who knows, maybe I’ll even start selling them one day at shops or on Etsy.
I want to paint really dark, moody, abstract art on big giant canvas and really fling the paint around and play intense loud music and go wild.
It can be anything. Just write it down. Once you’ve written it down, tape it to your planner, your computer, or your mirror at home so that you’ll be reminded about what exactly it is creatively you want, no need, to do so that you can bust through this creative block.
Last year, my creative decision was to make all erotic and nude art (this one features Adahlia Cole.) Although it probably didn’t hit every audience, I really loved making it and the feedback I got from some of my friends and clients was very satisfying.
STEP 2:
Write down all your fears about this idea, process or art thing in general. Every single one. Even write down small things like I don’t even own a pencil sharpener, how am I supposed to draw things? Or, my hand is kind of hurting today… etc. Some will be excuses, some will be valid fears, but they’re all important to get down on paper. Write them in bullet points, on one side of a paper that you separate into two columns.
No for every single fear, right across from it on the paper, write down the exact opposite. Write down the exact opposite of the fear mentality. For example:
I can’t do art, I haven’t done it in years! —> I can do art, I’m doing it right now! It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, my creative spirit is strong even if it’s been dormant.
I don’t have enough money to buy supplies, I can’t do art! —> I don’t need a lot of money to buy supplies, I can make the supplies I have work/I can afford new supplies and move something around in my budget that’s less important this month/I can ask to borrow someone else’s supplies for now.
I’ll be terrible at art, I’m not good at creative things. —> I will be good at art because it will make me feel joyful! I am good at creative things.
If it seems daunting trying to come up with the opposite action/mindset, take a break, grab some air and come back to it the next day. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself to do all these steps at once! It can be tiring and overwhelming to do this kind of work, so be gentle to yourself. Ask for some help if you have a trusted friend or partner to whom you’d feel comfortable showing your ideas written down.
Once you write down all your fears and all your opposite actions, take that page and cut the first side away, leaving only the second part of the affirming, positive ideas that countered your negative ones.
Now hang that list up next to your first one, where you can see it often.
If you get overwhelmed making your list, take a brake, grab a drink of something calming (yes, for us New Orleaneans that’s a Daquiri) and come back later. It’s okay to take your time, just make sure you do come back to it. (Daquiri Cafe, Uptown, New Orleans, 2020)
STEP 3:
Decide on a week, not a day, a week, where you will dip your toes into this endeavor. Write it down in your calendar and make it very clear to the people around you that you’ll be doing ART and CREATIVE ENDEAVORS this week.
If what you decided on in your art style feels too big, start on a very small part of that project. You don’t need to have a masterpiece by the end of this week; the idea is to start. Just start! Start doing something, and everything will roll out from there.
Buy a big canvas, set up in living room where you can see it. Get your notepad and put it next to your computer so you can look at it everyday while you do your other salaried or crucial to paying rent type work.
Try to avoid spending too much time online looking at other artists in the time coming up to and during your creative start. It can be daunting enough jumping back in without the bombardment of other perfect looking professional artists showing their skills on Instagram. This is about feeling back into your creativity, not theirs. Can they inspire you? Absolutely. But make this about you.
If you miss your week, try for the next one. It’s normal! Just roll that goal right on over. Keep on holding in your heart that you are creative, you have the ability to express and free your creative soul, and it just might lift some unhappiness, stuck-ness or fatigue from your life. Why not give a try and see what happens?
Making big loose work on paper has always helped me free my creative blocks. I hope you find what works for you!
I wish you all the best! Get in touch for questions, comments or stories about your creative work by emailing me at averyches@gmail.com.
A la prochaine,
Avery