Art is a form of self-expression of the human soul. Whether expressing feelings, motivations, or ideas, people convey these chaotic but intriguing thoughts through various forms such as music, sculpting, writing and drawing. Like any human, artists can also get unmotivated, tired, lost and depressed, which also hugely affects their works as they lose their inspiration to create and share their art with the world. Mental and physical exhaustion are two of the most common triggers of art block, which is when artists lose their pushing force for creativity. It can be due to job-related stress or experiencing extensive academic overwhelm, resulting in coming home feeling exhausted and uninspired. In other instances, people's perfectionism can be a significant factor, too, as they are putting too much pressure on themselves to create a perfect work, a masterpiece and comparing themselves and their works to artists with more experience. But art block is not a life sentence for artists and can be “cured.” Human beings can overcome any problem, and art block is one of the minor challenges an artist can meet during their journey. What you really need is patience and constant work on your artwork and skills while not being too harsh and pushy on yourself. Using these tips can ease the process and after a while, you can see the beautiful results of your hard work, which is the most rewarding thing for an artist.
How to find inspiration for your art?
Take a Break!
As mentioned earlier, both mental and physical health significantly impact creativity. Forcing yourself to create constantly and engage in activities that are not bringing joy or even worsening the situation won't lead to positive change. Stepping away and taking a break will help your mind and body recharge. While taking a break, consider new hobbies or continue regular ones like listening to music, reading books, jogging and even sleeping. Engaging in activities that help you rest and shift your focus on other things can bring you enjoyment and happiness. Remember not to take a very long break and turn it into a vacation! Instead, try to schedule your activities and have 5-10 minutes per day for your art and creativity. It will be challenging, but planning it from beginning to end will ease your situation.
Romanticize everything you feel!
Sometimes, romanticizing negative feelings can help you appreciate and understand them better. Explore playlists and books, or imagine scenarios showcasing the beauty of your feelings. It will help you to continue to create art without worrying that your feelings will ruin the atmosphere of your artwork since you will mainly make scenes related to your emotions. However, this technique should be used only to stop art blocks without breaking the limits. Romanticizing can be very helpful, but it's easy to lose control and normalize some mental problems, which will harm your mental health. Therefore, consider moving on and finding other inspirations as you feel better.
Use Art prompts!
Another way to get inspiration is to get your friends or family's prompts. Ask them to give you ideas on what to draw, write/describe about. Make a list of prompts from easy ideas to complex ones, so every time you decide to draw or write, you will have a list to look up and choose from. Having this list already created makes you less likely to experience decision fatigue and waste your time deciding. If you struggle to draw or write the prompt, commit to a creative activity for at least 10 minutes daily. By the end of the week, you'll have worked approximately two hours on your artwork, which is a great start and an excellent way to develop your skills.
Find healthy hyperfixation and “obsession!”
Some people can be motivated and inspired by hobbies like reading comics and manga or watching shows and movies. Hence, finding a healthy field of hyperfixation can significantly boost your creativity and flow of thoughts, as you will get tons of new ideas. You can have hyperfixation over nature and the universe, where you can find interesting information for your ideas. Try to deeply analyze the work and field you choose and get inspiration from it. Write down ideas that you like and dislike and do research. The same concept can be performed in different vivid and bright ways. So, do not stick to whatever you’ve read or seen in the work you examine; try to modify it and make it pleasant for you. Fill it with your ideas and details you find attractive and suitable for that particular idea. Making a list or having a copybook for notes and ideas can help you draw inspiration from works and easily navigate them.
These tips can actually work, especially if you constantly follow your list and organized schedule. Remember that human beings can overcome any kind of challenge. What you really need is patience and constant work on your artwork and skills while not being too harsh and pushy on yourself.