10 Tips to Stop Art Block

Thursday, June 15, 2023

Do you have points in your life where you just want to scream because your brain won't allow you to be creative? I've been there.

Today, I will be sharing with you 10 helpful tips which stop art block and at the very least alleviate it. These are all tips that have worked for me at one point or another, and hopefully they work for you as well!

Click this link to watch the full video.

1. Use Your Senses

How do you feel in this very moment?

Try a little bit of mindfulness; your body will thank you for it. Take a deep breath and focus on what you hear, smell, see, what you're touching. If you focus on all of these things, you'll start to form a narrative. In the video above I describe eating a chocolate chip cookie in the moment.

Start to break down big ideas into smaller abstractions as an exercise; for example, how would I paint or visually tell someone about the cookie without painting it?

Start to think about things that you're feeling; it's more tangible and accessible than larger ideas that you've already been trying to connect which probably caused the art block in the first place.

2. Don't Ignore Your Dreams

Dreams are weird, and that's exactly what you need to kickstart your imagination!

I remember I had a dream once where I formed an entire futuristic civilization in my head. People were riding chariots in the sky pulled by pegasuses/pegasi? And I remember that everything around me was gold or had an orange hue. Those are things that I made sure to write down right when I woke up.

Even if you wake up at 3 am and you want to quickly go back to sleep; I cannot stress enough to either take out your phone and write in your notes app or take out a notepad.

Either way, get your thoughts down while they are still vivid, or you may regret it.

3. Notice the Little Things

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with tip #1 except I want you to be actively observing things.

For example, in the video above I mention going outside and taking in your surroundings. You may see a woodpile that is ordered in a way that is just very visually interesting. You may see a gum wrapper laying on the ground that is laying in such a way that describes this other idea you had.

Sometimes even the most minute, insignificant things parallel that which is much greater.

4. Create a Collage

Collages are a great thing to do when you are really stuck because images are provided for you in a magazine, book, newspaper; you could even do a digital collage!

All you need to do is put images together. You don't even need to have an idea while you're making a collage; simply put images together that you like or are appealing to you. Only when you do that may you take a step back and make sense of what you've made.

5. Try Different Techniques

Maybe you're used to working in a particular style like being super clean and realistic.

What if you let go momentarily and tried being very loose with your brushstrokes? What if you focused on parts of an image that you usually never focus on? What if you let go just a little bit? I think that this is the difficult part of being an artist but a part that is so vital.

Using a different technique will not only speak to you visually in a way that says " Oh, I like the way that looks"; it may help you connect ideas in a unique way.

6. Write a Poem/Short Story

This is a great option for those of you who like expressing yourself in other ways.

A poem is a great way to bring together ideas and yet it's still abstract to a degree. I've written a few poems that have generated ideas in my art and vice versa. If one medium isn't working for you in the moment, don't feel guilty about it.

Do what you're naturally inclined to do, and the rest will follow.

7. Write Down Your Ideas

This one is probably pretty self-explanatory, and you're probably like "well, duh!" - It goes along with tip #2.

Even during the day, if you have fleeting thoughts that you think are insignificant, Write. Them. Down. They may be insignificant in the moment, but they may not be a few hours later.

If you do this, then you may not have to deal with art block as often. You can simply look at ideas you've already had and roll with one of them.

8. Decompress in the Shower

Go to the bathroom/take a shower/relax!

This one may seem a little silly, but sometimes my best ideas come when I am under hot water or on the toilet. I think this is because my body is adjusting to doing something different rather than just sitting on my bed or on the couch trying to come up with something.

Perhaps not just a change of scenery but a change of feeling is warranted.

9. Listen to Music

Sometimes a particular music artist or genre of music can inspire you.

For me, I absolutely love Hozier, Bon Iver, Florence + the Machine. They are all slightly different genres, but one thing that they all share in common is the fact that they're great lyricists.

Off the top of my head, "Cherry Wine", "Holocene", "Dog Days Are Over" are all songs that are indescribably beautiful and powerful.

Their lyrics speak to me in a way that inspires me to create my own art. What music inspires you? Let me know in the comments down below.

6. Study Other Fine Artists

Egon Schiele is an artist that I studied in college; I was really drawn to his self-portraits, and I studied his painting Death and the Maiden deeply.

Van Gough is an artist that is a little more infamous and just as inspiring to me.

Maybe for you it's Rodin or Dali or an artist on social media currently. If you are interested in discovering more artists on social media, I wrote another article on that: 10 Artists to Follow on Instagram (lilyregalia.com)

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