How does one get rid of their creative block and get back into drawing and painting wonderful pieces of art?

Question

It has been 25 years since I've done anything worth showing and that was when I was in highschool.
I've tried many times but I just can't seem to finish anything I start.
I'd love to know how to open up my creativeness again and let it flow onto a blank sheet or canvas.

I want to Thank everyone for answering my question. I really appreciate the ideas and inspiration being shared.
Thank you! :)

Answer 1

I like to go to the bookstore and buy a new art book. Either an art history book or a book on drawing. Some drawing books will have little exercises that you can try. Take a picture of yourself and start a new portrait. I like to take my sketchbook with me everywhere and draw for a few minutes whenever I get any down time. But your sketchbook doesn't have to just be drawings. I get in the habit of writing in it too, my grocery list, a recipe, a to do list, jokes that you hear, interesting quotes... then later you can read the list and do little illustrations for the things you wrote down. You will go through a lot of sketchbooks this way, but mine get so interesting that I just leave them on my coffeetable for friends to browse through. Dont be afraid to clip out things from books and magazines and paperclip or paste them into your book.
Start drawing for your own amusement and after a while you will have so many ideas that you wont even have time to follow through on all of them.
I also am inspired by my magazines. Subscribe to ARTNEWS or something like that. It will keep you current with the art world and keep you sharp.

Answer 2

I'm in the same place currently. I want to draw but just can't. I find that my creativity is sparked by life and what's going on in life. At the moment life is a bit hard and not much fun so I'm sure that's where my block is eminating from. I do have ideas and things in my head but I just can't seem to get to come out of my pencil! What I'm going to try is to go to an art and hobby store and see what kind of structured project I can do. Something like getting plain wood or plaster pieces and painting them. This will hopefully get me using my imagination with colors and yet also get me to complete something and maybe that will spark something. Another thing that I found helpful in the past is to get some crayons and a coloring book, there's nothing better than a new box of crayons in my opinion! :) In the past I would do lots of craft stuff things and I do believe that helped in keeping my creativity up between drawings. I also know the more I think about the fact that I have artists block the longer it seems to stick around so not thinking about it as much might be a good idea as well.

Answer 3

Think back to the circumstances under which you were at your most creative. Try to reproduce those circumstances as best you can.

I'm at my most productive when I'm under a novel form of stress. Ze ars she is a pitiless mistress, no?

The comment about over critiquing is probably right on the money as well, the piece you are working on should be the only piece you're thinking of, treat it as your first ever work.

Maybe you should take a closer look at some of your old stuff from high school, just to be sure you haven't inflated it's quality in your mind.

Careful though, you should be mindful of the fact that your opinion of your work has been and probably always will be affected by how much you enjoy doing it.

If you really like doing the stuff back then, what you need is to rediscover the joy of doing, not trying to regain a creative peak that might just be a hurtful distortion of memory.

Answer 4

Check out the museums and get inspired. Start small with an 8 X 10 canvas or draw something small. If it's small it won't be overwhelming and you can start it and finish it. Maybe that satisfaction will get you going but especially if you like what you've done. Try doing something different with your creativity. Take a class in flameworking or learn to edit digital video. Try to remember how good it felt when you were creating!

Answer 5

Different people get inspired by very different thing.. But myself I get inspired first by music, second by looking at the work of others especially artists that I admire and also by looking at everyday objects ... It isn't so much about drawing something that has never been drawn before.. You put your own unique perspective on what you draw make it mean something to you.. and try to make it look nice in your own particular style.. When I am blocked often I try Herbaly enhanced "meditation" Making collage out of photos to try and come up with a interesting composition to draw or paint.. My friends and I used to play a game that would help a little.. where one would draw random lines and the other had to make something out of it.. but yeah thats all I can think of at the moment..

Answer 6

Inspiration comes from different sources with everyone. Though I get my sources of inspirations from the stress of living, I get it from books, music, looking at other peoples' art. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to tap into yours and know what you like and just try it. It may not come to you soon, but you can always go back to the pieces you didn't finish and then try and modify them. That's how I try and get rid of a creativity block.

Answer 7

Get all your supplies out, even if you don't feel like painting. Set a timer for 10 minutes, or whatever time you decide on. Tell yourself you only have to paint for those amount of minutes. It takes the pressure off. This always works for me. It's also good for getting detested chores done. Once you are on a roll you ususally don't want to stop. Block released. Ta da.

Answer 8

What I do is I stop doing what I have been trying to do. If I have been trying to draw, then I will try something else. Like making jewelry. (stringing beads) Then when I couldn't think of something to do with that I'd try sewing. Then I'd come back to the drawing. Usually something along the way would inspire me. But usually it was when I wasn't trying so hard. Try something new, and it should come. Good Luck!

Answer 9

you are over critiquing yourself and you will not finish something that does not play up to your standards of high school set a date of completion or lock yourself in a room till finish don't eat do not let anything distract you until completion but before you start you have to have a plan on what you want pick something any thing study it draw it compose it think of what color will be most effective and find a community of artist that might give you ideas and keep on you about your project and compete or submit to galleries yes you will lose or get rejected but you must be willing to sacrifice something.

Answer 10

Use something other than your eyes for inspiration. Your eyes need a break. :)

Just as the sense of smell is strongly linked to taste, so is our hearing very strongly linked to sight. I can usually get inspired to start a new composition when listening to music. I'd give it a shot.

Try integrating visuals to the music you're listening to. I wouldn't close my eyes, I just stare blindly at nothing... :p