Have you ever stared at a blank page, waiting for the ideas to come to you and not feeling much at all? No spark of creativity or motivation? You’re not alone. As a self-taught artist, I’ve encountered art block many times, struggling to find a way to replace the emptiness of the page. Because of this, I’ve figured out a few ways to break out of it without feeling forced or demotivated.
1. I Stopped Forcing “Good Art”
One thing that causes my art block is thinking my art needs to be perfect. Leaving that pressure behind me allows me to put things on paper more expressively and feel more freedom to let myself flow without feeling stuck.
Drawing random scribbles, shapes, or even just adding blobs of colour helps me visualize what I’m feeling and merely creates movement. This, weirdly enough, helps me get started and gets my brain going.
2. Switching to Something Easier or Less Serious
If I can’t bring myself to draw anything serious, it always helps to draw something funny, random, or just easier in general:
- Planets, stars, and galaxies
- An eye (my go to since middle school)
- Some fruit… which could potentially turn into a fruit basket
Making art with less pressure helps get ideas flowing and gets me into a flow state, which I can build up as I continue.
3. Getting Inspiration
Finding inspiration, especially from social media and YouTube, helps me a lot when it comes to fostering creativity, especially when dealing with art block. Seeing how someone else interprets and expresses themself through their art is enough to give me a spark of inventiveness.
4. Taking Breaks
Taking breaks are great beaters of art block, helping me feel refreshed, rather than burnt out.
Going on a walk, reading, watching a show, or even just getting up to clean my room are all ways that help me momentarily forget about art and feel less drained.
Art block shouldn’t dictate how any artist feels about themselves or their art and should instead serve as a reminder to remotivate yourself and reset your brain.
If you’re feeling stuck right now, try these methods out; I can guarantee that at least one will work for you to the same extent that it did for me!