Is It Just Me,

8 weeks seems a bit long, it might take that long for your brain to think of things like that. it might be better to just tinker and experiment in the dry spells. like instead of doing seascapes, try a city or a rural scene. do something outside your normal parameters.

when i'm done with a creative piece i have to slow down for a few days to let my brain cool off. but if i have any idea - usually in bed or the shower, i have a pad and pen (and a towel), near by to jot down what i'm thinking.


---Mike Savad

Might have something to do with the change of season. I know I'm fried from this long winter. Looking forward to vacation in Florida next week. Probably will recharge the old brain.

Conor, I just went through a few weeks of not even wanting to paint. NOT LIKE ME AT ALL!!!! When I wake up, I have coffee, then think about painting , always! What I just did was reach out of my usual subject, which is wildlife, mostly birds. I painted a fun painting, a mermaid. You normally paint landscapes, perhaps try something different, challenge yourself. (If you want to paint a bird, I have gazillions of photos that I would gladly turn over a few for you to paint) Step out and paint that subject that you always wanted to paint but just never have.
A long walk on the beach or in the woods really helps clear me up when I need a boost.

I haven't been feeling like doing art lately either. I think the long winter had some lingering effects on me. Now my allergies are driving me nuts.

Happens to me all the time. I just take a break for how ever long and it has always come back

I don't get creative blocks, but I do change up my medium often.
Watercolors are my 1st love. But there is always landscaping, house painting, sewing ( I love textiles ) ........
So , just shake it up. Go out with your camera when you take a painting break. But for the most part, don't feel guilty about it - I bet you usually come back with a vengeance.

P.S. Go visit Pinterest for some creative ideas. Perhaps you would enjoy restoring a piece of furniture.

It's not easy to be creative on demand.

I do see several very talented FAA artists who are quite amazing at doing just that though.

I've been successful several times but more often than not it's not predictable,...for me anyway.

I think it is going to do what it is going to do. I don't think you can force it (with quality anyway).

Creativity is like the next bus, it will come when it gets here.

Thank you everyone for your help and advice, thank you Phyllis for the offer, I might take you up on that sometime. MM, you should have a spoon of honey everyday for a week and see what happens, It really works. Edward I think you are right with the seasons.

Thanks again everybody.
Conor

When I can't figure out what I want to photograph, or when the weather is bad several days in a row (like this entire winter), I pull out my sketch pad diary and draw something. It helps to just forget your main medium for a while, but it makes me feel less frustrated because I'm doing SOMETHING visual.

Conor, if you have a camera, go out with that and it might trigger an idea for a painting.

Thanks Mary, I am doing that tomorrow.

the honey trick only works if you are allergic to the things that the bees ate. otherwise your getting high for nothing. like we only have cheap clover honey, so it doesn't do much.


---Mike Savad

I buy the best honey Mike, it really works if you are willing to try it for one week, Honey is one thing that will never go off and is a cure for many things, The secret is to buy expensive honey and is will still be cheaper that the cheapest medicine that sometimes do not work.
Best regards Mike.

Conor

I am going through a dryspell as well..but being overworked has something to do with that. I am so tired all the time I can't really be creative as I want. Soon I will just have to sit down and make myself create something. Maybe that will trigger my creative bug.

the most expensive honey that i know of is Manuka honey, it's used to treat wounds, made from the tea tree flower, that stuff can go for like $50 for a tennis ball size amount of it. but i take shots and it sort of works. is there a brand you go for? i can get hive honey at the fruit store - pricey, and while there is a chunk of comb in it, i can't tell if it's real honey or just something they stuck comb into.


---Mike Savad

Time is too valuable to have creative blocks!

What I do is I just start drawing or painting things I see around me. For example, I'll paint a still life of some fruit or flowers that are on my table. Or I'll go outside and paint what I see. Then eventually the urge to create something from your imagination will come while you're staying busy. That way, you're staying productive while your creative block is happening. 8 weeks is too long to not paint or draw anything.

--Roz Abellera

It's been proven we need to take mini vacations every two months and get out of our environment even if it is just going away for the weekend or visiting a relative. No man is an island, when I need inspiration I go on the internet or use the FAA search box, Pinterest is also good for inspiration. Within an hour of searching I usually find some visuals I get excited about and want to try incorporating into my art.

Mike the honey i use all the time is, Swans, Maine Beekeepers. Raw & unfiltered Wildflower Honey. It really is not expensive, I can buy it for between $6 -$8 for a pound of it. Please try and get your hands on some of this, you should be able to get it at your local Supermarket. My son came back from Nepal last year with a pound of honey for me, it is called, Pure Chiuri Honey, and comes from Western Nepal.Best I ever had.
Some facts about what honey is good for, Burns, wounds, spots, Acne, skin disorders, eye and ear infections, good for coughs and colds, heart disease, and gastric disorders. Instead of sugar add it to tea or coffee.

All this talk of honey has given some creative juices Mike.

,,,,,,,,,,Best regards to all

Conor

http://www.amazon.com/Swans-Raw-Unfiltered-Wildflower-Honey/dp/B00EHHJ8R8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397142641&sr=8-1&keywords=Swans%2C+Maine+Beekeepers wow that stuff is quite opaque.

the egyptians used to use honey on wounds as well. not sure what they did about the flies...


---Mike Savad

http://www.amazon.com/Y-S-Eco-Bee-Farms-Honey/dp/B000Z93FQC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397142877&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=Pure+Chiuri+Honey

i wonder if this stuff is just as good, one guy claims his blood sugar went down with it.

---Mike Savad

I too have been going through a dry spell. Too many other things draining my energy at the moment. I have learned to go with the flow but not for too long or the creative juices just dry up. Like anything else, use it or lose it. off subject in regards to the honey, it doesn't matter how cheap or expensive the honey is, what matters is if it is Local. If you eat Local honey you will build up an immunity to the local pollens which are causing your allergies. It doesn't work overnight however, it takes time.

Mike, Amazon is very expensive, you will get it for half that at your local S/market.
Carolyn, that is very true with regards to local honey, the closer you can get it the better.

Hi Conor, life just seems too busy and stressful to create right now, Yet I am sooo aware that the best way to defuse is in front of a canvas.. where I haven't been in weeks. also the allergy thing.. I am going to get some honey...I have never suffered with allergies until now.. Here in Florida my car even turns yellow from the pollen... busy little bees...
lots of wonderful tips...thanks everyone.

Definitely going to try the local honey tip. We live in apple orchard country - so we all get knocked for a loop.
Luckily the owners sell honey too.