Are you wondering why you’re not managing to practice drawing? Or, have you sat down to look for that perfect reference image but you can’t decide? This post will show you my top productivity hacks for artists PLUS steps for combatting low inspiration and low motivation when it comes to drawing AND the common misconceptions that so many artists fall for!
These are the 3 things to STOP doing when you’re stuck in a creative rut
- You only create art when you’re in a creative mood
- You wait for the perfect idea to strike before you draw
- You avoid the basics or practicing on smaller or basic drawings because you think its a waste of time
You only create art when you’re in a creative mood
Maybe in the days of the old masters, famous artists such as Da Vinci or Vermeer seemed to have endless inspiration and that’s why they became so famous. At least we all thought it worked, and to some extent it did. That’s why this approach to creating art became so popular.
However, this “waiting for inspiration to hit” isn’t as effective as it used to be.
The main reason?
We’re so busy in our day to day lives that constant motivation and inspiration to practice art just isn’t realistic anymore.
There are other reasons too. We’re distracted by Netflix or Instagram, and there’s too many other options to spend your time besides sitting down and creating art.
Which means that to progress your art skills, you can’t just wait for that bolt of inspiration to hit, because most times it won’t.
What to do instead
You need to actually treat your art practice time like an appointment, and commit to showing up. In fact, I’ve gone weeks without drawing because the creative spark just didn’t hit me. Luckily I don’t allow that to happen anymore, but it’s a common pitfall for so many artists. And if you’re an artist who takes commissions; well…you’re being paid to create that artwork, so it’s essentially the same thing as going to work.
So if you’re looking to produce more artwork and actually improve your skills, here’s the approach I recommend trying out.
Give yourself a dose of creative juice. Meaning, spend 10 minutes watching an art YouTube video or scroll some of your favorite Instagram art accounts just to give yourself that push to sit at the easel yourself. I know I always get the urge to draw when I see one of my art heroes doing it.
You wait for the perfect idea before you create a new drawing
Trying to come up with the perfect drawing idea every time is futile.
Lots of times you won’t know what you should draw. And then you spend hours browsing reference photos and not choosing anything because you couldn’t make up your mind.
And if that’s not enough, here are 3 other reasons why blaming “empty easel syndrome” won’t work:
- You get discouraged when you don’t find the right photo to draw
- You waste valuable time trying to find the perfect photo, when you could actually be practicing your skills
- You won’t be able to produce as much artwork because you’re constantly stuck on what to draw.
What to do instead
Giving yourself a 5 minute limit for browsing reference photos will help you waste time looking for the perfect one. Just pick something. Anything. Even if it’s something boring like a banana. Do a quick sketch of that banana. That’s time you actually spent PRACTICING, even if that banana is never going to be a masterpiece.
The best part is, when you’re working on that banana, lots of times you’ll start to come up with new ideas of things you might want to draw. Putting pencil to paper is the BEST way to spark your motivation and inspiration.
You avoid basic drawings that aren’t all that exciting because you think it’s a waste of time
One of the most persistent myths about art is the idea that every drawing you create has to be the most amazing thing ever and your best creation yet.
So not true! Basic drawings actually help improve your skills even MORE. Just not the way you may think
Basic drawings/sketches are effective at progressing your skills when you approach them right.
Let’s go back to that banana. Let’s say you’re struggling with your freehanding skills. A simple subject like a banana is a great way to start off small. Or maybe you’re practicing shading and blending. You’ll finish a simple subject rather quickly, and you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back for having completed a drawing.
So you should still incorporate them, but if you write them off as being worthless or a waste of time, you’ll not only hurt your chances of learning new skills quickly but you run the risk of not completing any new drawings at all.
So waiting for that creative boost is out, but you still need to give yourself a push and pick something small to work on.
What to do instead:
If you’re super stuck on motivation for creating art, I have another blog post over here that covers how to beat procrastination. And, even better, I’ve got something super fun that will help get those creative juices flowing!
Introducing The Blending Vault
