Tips for Combatting Art Block

Sharing is caring!

Get easy tips for dealing with art block. It sucks when you want to make art, but you don’t feel motivated. These are some of my favorite ways to deal with it.

This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is there anything worse than art block? Art is vital to my mental health, so art block is extra tricky for me.

The name of this blog, Ebb and Flow, references art block. Sometimes, I have so many artistic ideas that I feel like I will explode. And other times, I just want to curl up in bed and sleep for a week.

Dealing with Art Block

This can be hard for a person who makes a living from creativity. Here’s some ways that I deal with it.

Reframe It

Sometimes, reframing a negative thing into a positive thing can be helpful. Instead of worrying about your lack of ideas or motivation, try to see it as a necessary part of the process.

Look at it as a time to rest and restore yourself. Allow yourself to sit on the couch and binge-watch trash TV. Sleep. Read books. Listen to music. Give yourself the grace to rest. Your creativity will return.

Our society values productivity over rest. So let’s do our small part to fix that. Rest is not only okay, it’s necessary.

Impose an Art Ban

I recently had to take about a month off from creating while I moved my studio. During that time, the ideas came, but I couldn’t implement them.

When my art supplies were unpacked, I hit the ground running. That break fueled new ideas.

You may need to impose an art ban for yourself. Set a time limit, and don’t make art during that time. Instead, gather ideas and thoughts. Take photos, listen to music, or just veg and watch TV. But don’t make any art.

Then, when you’re “allowed” to make art again, you’ll be ready.

Ideas to Do Instead of Making Art

If you’re anything like me, painting is my favorite thing to do when I’m not working. So, the thought of not making art may leave you panicking. Don’t worry. There are plenty of other ideas to do during your art ban.

Here are some of my favorites.

• Go for a walk.
• Take photos of local plants and landscapes.
• Listen to music.
• Read books.
• Watch trash TV.
• Cook something yummy.
• Paint a room.
• Go to a museum.
• Look for interesting textures around your home.
• Listen to podcasts.
• Go to the zoo or an animal sanctuary.
• Watch the sunset.
• Spend time with friends.
• Do yoga.
• Move your body.
• Take bubble baths.
• Do a puzzle.
• Play a game.

Journal

Not too long ago, the idea of journaling filled me with dread. It seemed stupid and embarrassing. What if someone read it?

Then, one day, I listened to a podcast, and they talked about how life-changing An Artist’s Way was for them.

So I bought it and read it. And I agree. It is life-changing.

The main ideas are to write three pages every morning and to schedule art time once a week. There’s much more to it, but those are the main things.

Writing three pages was so hard at first. But then I really started to enjoy it. I haven’t always found the time for it lately, but if I’m feeling really bad, I write.

The magic of writing is that it’s out of your head once it’s on paper. And that leaves room for creativity. So, instead of dwelling on that stupid thing your spouse said, you write it down, and it’s gone.

That being said, it doesn’t work for more significant problems. But having a journal to record feelings is so helpful for those tougher crises.

Trust me. Just give it a try.

But I Really Need to Make Art. What Can I Do?

Some of us have to be creative regularly because we make money from it. This prevents us from being able to take breaks. Here are some ideas for working through it.

Pinpoint the Problem

Try to figure out why you have an art block. Is it fear of imperfection? Are you stressing about being able to sell the art? Do you not know what to draw?

If you can figure this out, you may be able to find a good solution. (By the way, journalling is beneficial here.)

Start Small

When I want to paint, and I don’t know where to start, I usually start by putting paint on the paper. This can be as simple as mixing colors or painting a background.

Usually, this is enough to get my creative juices flowing.

Go With Your Favorite Subject and Medium

We all have our comfort subjects and mediums. I love painting fruit in watercolor. It’s easy and comes to me naturally.

Your comfort art may be sketching bunnies or drawing OCs in Procreate—or fan art. Draw Pikachu riding a skateboard. Why not?

And when you’re ready, create something new.

Work with Limited Supplies

Sometimes, limited supplies can inspire you. Do you remember the joy you felt as a kid when all you had was a ballpoint pen and some highlighters? Was that just me?

Sometimes, using limited supplies can fuel your creativity. It’s like when you pack a small art bag for a trip and create with just pens and colored pencils.

Try a Different Art Supply

Similarly, you can try a different art supply. If you love watercolor, try painting with ink. The effects are similar but so different.

Personally, I love reaching for my Tombow or Posca markers when I’m struggling. If you usually paint, try using only pens or pencils. It’s so much fun to try new things.

Try a Limited Color Palette

Sometimes, having too many colors feels overwhelming.

Choose a few colors and make art with them. The colors may dictate what you create, but pushing the boundaries with colors and using them unexpectedly is also fun.

Digital Vs. Traditional Media

If you’re a digital artist, try traditional media.

I find that swapping between the two keeps me excited about making art. I go through phases where all I want to do is paint. And other times, I only want to draw on my iPad.

Give Yourself Permission to Make Bad Art

I give you permission to make bad art.

Bad art is part of the process.

Instead of feeling like a bad artist, learn from it. Or put it away and come back to it another day. Or never look at it again. It’s up to you.

Bad art happens to every artist.

Don’t Start with Blank Paper (or a Canvas)

If blank paper (or canvases) intimidate you, cover it with paint first. I like using diluted acrylic inks for watercolors because they won’t reactivate.

For acrylics, I always paint the canvas a color first. It removes the perfection and adds interesting textures and color to the finished piece. And it’s fun.

Try Something New

Watercolor is my go-to medium, but I recently found myself wanting to do paper mache.

It’s about as different as you can get. The 3-D aspect was really fun to figure out. I feel like I worked out a different part of my brain.

Adding the paper strips and flour mixture was so messy. And it was so fun.

Take a Class in a New Subject

I’m currently taking a collage class, and it’s breathing life into me. I love acrylic painting, but I was so frustrated with how my paintings were turning out.

This class taught me so much about composition and texture. I feel inspired, and my art is finally going in the direction I want. I feel like I’m fully expressing my feelings in my art, which feels so good.

The best part of the class was learning how to paint paper for collages. This allows me to create without worrying about making actual art. Painting paper is so much fun.

There are so many places to learn new skills. YouTube is fun, but you normally don’t get full classes. SkillShare has a lot of fun classes, and I’ve loved it for years.

Work from Art Prompts

Sometimes, you want to make art but aren’t sure what to create.

This is where art prompts can be helpful. I send a monthly newsletter every month with a list and a mini color palette to use. Sign up here.

You can also look for art challenges on Instagram or Pinterest.

Make Yourself Cheat Sheets

I’m currently working on making cheat sheets for myself. The idea is to make reference sheets for anything helpful.

For me, this means ready-to-use color palettes and easy flowers to paint. This will also include ready-made bouquet layouts.

For you, it might mean a phone photo album of landscapes or a Pinterest board of portraits, outfits, or poses. Save references for whatever will help you create faster.

Spend Time Doing the Boring Stuff

You know all of those tasks that you procrastinate? Do those. I guarantee making art will feel better than those tiresome tasks.

If you sell your art, spend time updating your art portfolio or setting up an email list.

If you don’t, spend time cleaning your workspace, organizing your supplies, filing away old art, cutting paper to size if that’s something you normally need, and sharpening your colored pencils.

You will be glad you did this work in your off time.

Know that It Will Pass

If you’ve read all of this and you still don’t feel motivated to make art, just know that it will pass. It might take a while, but you’ll be creating again in no time.

In the meantime, be kind to yourself and give yourself grace.

Pin for Later!