By Stephanie Bobak
Ah, art block: the bane of every artists’ existence. These are those terrible moments where your pencil gets shy and your brain decides to take a nap. If you’re an artist, I am sure you can relate to these art block struggles.
It seems that all artists have undergone these incapacitating periods; after all, generating ideas for the next great masterpiece has always been hard for creatives. Even the ancient Greek owed their random moments of inspiration to muses.
Nowadays, it seems like these muses make artists work even harder for their eureka moments! Luckily, there are lots of “modern-day muses” that can spark inspiration. Here are five resources you can use to fuel your next big idea:
1.) Other artworks
Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.'' Indeed, artists oftentimes utilize the works of others to inspire their next great masterpiece. By looking at artworks done in different mediums, styles, or centuries, you can take away key elements you enjoy and use it in your work. These elements may vary from themes to colors, and they can even be combined from different compositions. Although no one should directly copy another’s artwork, recycling ideas and applying your personal twist to them is encouraged. Creativity inspires creativity!
2.) Music, film, and literature
Have you ever listened to a piece of music and painted a mental picture of how the music “looks”? Or have you ever read a book so intense that you could visualize the scene clearly? Has a film ever left you questioning yourself or society? Other artistic mediums like music, film, and literature invoke a flurry of emotions to all those who listen, watch, or read. Visual artists can get great inspiration from powerful songs, films, or stories. Whether an art project is trying to capture the overall feelings of a song, an emotional scene in a movie, or the story told from a poem, there is no denying that these creative mediums are a modern day muse for visual artists.
3.) Your life experiences
Great artists are known for pouring out little bits of their soul into every piece they work on. No one feels life the way you do, so that may be why your personal experiences can create such powerful artworks. Perspective is unique to everyone, so your versions of heartbreak, joy, or anger are going to be totally different from the rest of the world. Whether you like to display these experiences in an abstract, realistic, or surreal style, show the world your stories in your own way. After all, you are literally the only person who can tell them.
4.) The world around you
Oftentimes, inspiration can be found right in front of you. Take in your surroundings, observe all the details, and see what inspires you! Maybe it’s the color of the wildflowers sprouting in a nearby field. Or maybe it’s the carved detailing on a wooden chair. There’s always emotion-provoking elements around you, so you might as well incorporate them into your next artisan piece. How about creating a painting that only uses the colors of those wildflowers you saw? Or what about a composition that incorporates those wooden chair carvings? There is majesty in all things-big or small! Observe the world around you and let its beauty flow through you.
5.) Your old ideas
If you’re an artist, you likely have a fairly large “idea graveyard”. Yup- this is the place where ideas that never materialized lay to rest. Luckily, there is absolutely no harm in looking through these once-dead ideas and bringing them back to life. Old ideas can still be useful for new projects even if you don’t incorporate the idea in its entirety. Maybe you liked the story you were trying to portray but never liked the way it looked once you sketched out the piece. That’s okay! Try something new with that idea and see how far it takes you. Many famous masterpieces underwent lots of rough drafts, so don’t be scared to keep building upon your old ideas. If you thought it would be a good idea then, it’s possible it could lead to an even better idea now.
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
BONUS IDEA! Take a break or make a little every day
While it may sound contradictory, artists work cyclically and it’s important to respect where you are at today, guilt-free. Sometimes you’ll have to give yourself a break. Especially when your mind is clogged up. According to research, taking a break from mental tasks improve creativity (Oppong, 2017). If this break is skipped, it can lead to stress, exhaustion, or a lack of perspective about your own process and intent. You might feel inspired and ideas coming up while taking a break. At that point, your brain is working like it is supposed to, detecting and responding to changes in a working habit. Be sure to take some time off when needed.
Conversely, having a practice that puts in a little time every day- even if its something as simple as mixing paint or sketching a cup will cumulatively help you develop your skills and discipline towards a lifetime practice. Have fun- go to a drink and draw, make a painty game of Twister with your significant other, try whatever you think looks like the absolutely dumbest TikTok art challenge, try a craft from your childhood like making snowflakes or a popsicle ornament in July, put on a song in a room where you are alone and move your body in a flow that opens your heart, or make a cardboard sign that says “free social distanced hi-fives” and go have a 15 minutes “performance” on the street corner. One time I had artist block and was stuck in Paris so I hired a model and painted a croissant on her. Why not?!? There are no rules, just get in the flow and have fun.
Conclusion:
Art blocks can be hard to overcome, but remember that you are full of wonderful ideas. Sometimes, you just need that one special something to help bring your imagination out to play. Don’t forget to give your mind some time, and remember to take inspiration from the things you love. If this list happened to get some of your creative juice flowing again, let us know!