So for me, getting started is always the hardest part. I have to know what I want to do, and how I want to do it before anything can get done. My need for a plan, a strategy, always preside over my "wild imagination" when I want to create art. Therefore, I
So just in case you are also a left brained person who loves to create art, I've come up with eight things that help me when I'm looking to be inspired. Or if you've just hit artist's block, have a look and try one, two or all eight.
1. Brainstorm -
Sometimes you just have to sit and think about it. When I try to keep everything in my head, it all gets jumbled, tangled, and eventually, lost. When I brainstorm ideas for art projects, marketing plans, or trips, I have to write it down. I can keep better track of a piece of paper than a random idea that popped into my head 30 minutes ago.
When you write things down, you can come back to it. Some of the best ideas I've had have come from thinking about something, writing it down, and revisiting it later. It allows you to reenter the situation in a different state of mind.
2. Talk to Someone -
It's amazing what ideas and advice other people can give you - whether it be intentional or not. I could be talking about making a gingerbread house with my friend when a great idea for a painting sparks.
Sometimes I have to have a nice venting session with my roommates, a phone call with my mom, or to clearly think through an idea I might have. Their advice and experiences can prove to be a great way for me to come up with ideas. So talk to someone. Whether they give you an idea or just help you get your mind off your lack of ideas, it can be beneficial.
3. Go for a Walk -
It's amazing what fresh air can do for ya. Back away from the canvas and get out of the house. Take a stroll alone or with a companion (you could shoot two birds with one stone doing this). Let nature clear your mind and help you gain a new perspective about what you are trying to accomplish. Check out some of these nice walking/hiking trails where you might feel some inspiration.
4. Get Lost -
This one can be interpreted differently by different people. Explore the unknown. I don't mean explore the dangerous unknown, I definitely mean a safe unknown. This option is supposed to get you paying attention to things you normally wouldn't. If you're "getting lost" in an unfamiliar part of town, don't rely on your compass, pay attention to buildings, statues, plants that you've seen before to get you back. Try noticing the smaller, older, more traditional, unfamiliar. What we know can blind us from the possibilities of the unknown. Or walk the path you usually take to your house or down the street, but instead really focus on the environment you are around. Breathe in the air and let your mind wander. It can be really relaxing and inspiring.
5. Be a Kid Again -
I know nobody will be opposed to this one. Who wouldn't love to be a kid again? Kids are honest, imaginative, explorative. Be that. Explore. Be daring. Have some fun. I don't know about you, but I get caught up in being "grown-up" and responsible that I literally forget to have fun until someone tells me to calm down and relax. Take a day away from work, chores, errands, etc. and be a kid again. Here's one of my favorite places to be a kid again.
6. Think Smaller -
I have this problem with thinking really big. Like too big. This summer I told myself that I could create a five panel painting of a moonscape with elephants before I went back to school. To put this in perspective, the next largest painting I had created before this was about 4x smaller. I did, in the end, finish this painting, but without the elephants, I'm no good at painting living creatures and I knew that. Sometimes you have to focus in on your idea. Bigger isn't always better.
Start small, create that confidence. Fun and crazy ideas seem so much more plausible when you start on a smaller scale. The outlandish ideas that came to you when doing the above steps aren't as outlandish on a smaller scale. Plus, the bigger the canvas, the bigger the frustration.
7. Do Without Thinking -
This one is especially hard for me. But try and do without thinking. Don't plan out the color scheme or the end result. Just put some paint on the canvas and go with it. You could be surprised. If you're a perfectionist like me, please don't go in with a plan - but by all means, feel free to keep making straight lines. Sometimes the best result will come from a happy accident, or from just spontaneously painting. I dare you to try it!
8. Try Something New -
This doesn't have to be in the artistic sense, but do something you've never tried before. Do an activity in your town that you've never done or don't think you would like. Try using an additional medium in your painting, paint an object you've never tried before. It might turn out crappy, but it's a learning experience. It will help you expand your mind, broaden your imagination. Paint from a different perspective. Create from the point of view of a bird, a tree, the water.
No matter what, you are creating art, and there's no right or wrong in creating. Just give it your all and don't ever be afraid to take that first jump. Because you can't wait for inspiration. You have to go out and get it.
