First of the many blogs here and it had to be something special So here goes my take on finding inspiration and working around art blocks- something most of us struggle with.
STEP 1 : Start Somewhere But before that , I get this query a lot – I want to start with art but not sure how? I still stand by what I have said before- you don’t need the world’s best supplies to get started- you just need the willpower to get going! I have realized time and again that it is important to be passionate about something…something you look forward to. For me its always been art and books. I know so many people who love and are good at music/photography/art but then…life happens. And somewhere you lose touch with your inner talents. So take a small step today towards something you love… start somewhere.
STEP 2: Now coming to inspiration – being from a culturally vivid nation like India, I see inspiration all around me – right from the Rangolis(patterns drawn using colored sand/flowers) we draw at our gates to the beautiful patterns we find in our ancient artforms like Kalamkari, Madhubani etc.
But then its super easy to find inspiration through various mediums like fellow artists, social media etc – what's harder is to bring that onto the paper. How many times does it happen that you see something and go ‘May be I can draw this’ and 2 hours later forget about it and stare at a blank paper? With me – it happens almost always and hence I keep a note of any inspiration I come across during the day.
Here are some simple tips for you to help you cruise through art blocks-
JOT IT DOWN! You can simply keep a memo on your phone that we carry everywhere or if you are old-school like me, keep a mini journal to quickly jot down or doodle. This helps in building a pool of ideas for you to work with later.
INSPIRATION BOARDS Create an inspiration board on your phone with screenshots of pictures that inspire you. I reiterate that this should be your inspiration board and not copy board – make sure you add your own touch to it and be doubly sure that the image is copyright free or you have the owner’s consent to replicate
SWITCH THE MEDIUM If you constantly work in a single medium, that might be the reason you feel stagnant at times. Try switching to a different medium , you will be unlearning and re-learning a lot of things including techniques and approaches and this will be a welcome change. Maybe you will stick to this new medium or maybe you will go back to the old one with a renewed perspective. Either way its a win win situation!
$h!t HAPPENS There are days when you won’t like anything that you draw and feel like you have lost your mojo. Don’t feel disheartened and don’t be afraid to share your failures either – chances are people will end up appreciating it more than you do! Sometimes you need a different view of things and that’s what this community is for – to help each other out!♥️
DON’T FORCE IT If you are still not inspired, don’t force it- give your creative cells some rest. Art is meant to be enjoyed not forced. Don’t do it in a hurry and definitely don’t do it just so that you can post it for others to like. Take it at your own pace and savor every tiny speck of improvement that you made over the last! And treat yourself for these small victories- trust me, they matter more than the likes you get. .
Hope this helps you in some way! Do let me know your thoughts – would love to know how you overcome art-blocks!
Sending loads of creative energy your way!