Painters Block

I simply don't have the time or means to paint right now. But if I were in such a fix I would grab a camera, and take a drive. Get out of the car constantly and shoot whatever caught my eye.

Study the scene, or object, until I found something that I would LIKE to paint.

Then cast aside all doubts and PAINT IT!

Tried that several times I'm afraid :(

My life has been challenging (to say the least) for the past 12 years, so my art suffers as a result. It does come back, sometimes you can try and force it by dedicating daily time to just sit down and push pigment around on paper or canvas. Or teach yourself another medium following books and tutorials (by learning a new one there is no pressure on the end result...LOL this worked quite well for me, but now I have run out of new mediums to learn, so then I moved on to different styles and subjects to what I normally do).

Other times I've just had to wait it out. I usually use those 'blocks' to sort out things with my website, more promotion of the prints side of things or study other artists and artwork. Push yourself if you can, but if that dosn't work, just try something totally new and different. Just don't give up!

Try another medium seems a cool idea. Thank you :) your work is amazing!

I never suffer from a block. I never have the time to physically get enough work out. I tend to plan ahead paintings in advance so as I'm painting one, others are in the planing stage in my mind. Taking lots of photos is good to do. I'm sure you have got lots of scenery around you. After a while you build up a library of images to be inspired by. Some times it might take years to get around to using the photo reference you've gained and using it. Ordinary mundane subjects like doors and fruit can be good subjects, not requiring any imagination.

I haven't been here for that very reason Abbie,,,, I had no desire and felt completely 'blocked' by my 'blocks',,, they do get in the way,,,, but went through my photos and decided on painting one that I really didn't feel the need nor desire to paint. I chose a pic of a couple of cats (I am definitely a dog person) because I didn't care. The one cat took on my nasty mood as I painted away,,, furiously at times,,, carefully at others. Then,,, I found myself smiling and knew I got past it,,, now I can't wait to get back in the studio. Ya just have to get busy,,, chose a subject you don't care about and challenge yourself to care,,, maybe that will take your mind back to a creative state. Just a thought. (When I get back to my computer I will post a pic of the cats haha)

Abbie, perhaps a subject that you love and is very different from what you normally paint. I have amazing animal and bird reference photos that I would be pleased to share with you to help get the creative juices flowing again. I have spotted leopard, gorilla, orangutan, elephant, fox,and birds, birds and more birds. Let me know if you would want a few...I even have a few carousel photos that I recently took.

Since I am a photographer, I am sure there are many things I would not know or understand about a " painter's block ". But then there must be some similarities to the temporary lack of inspiration, motivation, passion, ideas and simple need to create something as there are in the other art forms.

All I know is that you are very good and talented at what you do, in many areas of your life. So this " block " is only temporary for whatever reason. Use this " free " time to take a voluntary break from painting, catch up on the " regular " activities of life for awhile and just enjoy the simple things of everyday life.

Or, try this: Go somewhere you have never been, or someplace you have not been in a long time. Take your camera with you and experiment with capturing images of subjects, locations, buildings, bridges, trains, airplanes or anything that you have not painted before. Relax and let your camera take over. Let your camera teach you where to place the "frame" of a scene and let the camera gradually remove your current " painter's block ".

Review and process your new images, select your favorite ( or better yet, one that will be a favorite for a customer somewhere and then paint it ). Best wishes !!

Sign up for a workshop in another medium. Just being around other artists will help.

try a self portrait yet?

Paint a canvas black then sponge paint it with white or cream. Try different techniques, ragging, rag rolling, etc.

Try just shapes and colors, Abbie (maybe "ruin" a small canvas). Sometimes just the association with a particular shape will kick start your imagination.

creative burn out... it might be best to not think about making anything at all. go on a trip to a local scenic town. get pictures there. don't think of anything to be a painting. go to the zoo, sometimes your brain has to go on vacation. it can't always be creating things.

last week my compressor died, i spent way too much brain energy researching something new and how it will fit in a tight space. afterwards i couldn't create anything or do anything. so i did other things. it takes a while to prime the brain into doing stuff. instead of painting, try sculpting, mess around with digital art and see what you can make.

i like using photospiralysis you can do some neat things in there. it might get you going. or you can use a painter program like DA painter, and make art with that. you might find it easier, it still needs tweaking though.

---Mike Savad

or if there was something that you couldn't master, repaint the mud canvas and play. just paint that type of thing over and over. i think davinci would do that he would sketch things from different angles. the same object. how the light hits it, shadows etc. just to better his methods.

---Mike Savad

I believe creativity block is a form of boredom...do enough of one thing and the mind will throw up the "Enough already" roadblock

I find outside passions are a good place to look-----tap those emotions---be they anger (a good one), depression (another good one), joy, confusion etc.

I believe remove yourself from the art----touch on other things affecting your life/psyche in a profound way

You may find that then inspiration to share that message may come through with a brush and canvas...and if this is not enough...say it in a way that you normally would not

Dare I say Surrealism .......Mr. Dali

Abbie, I subscribe to the no-art-guilt philosophy. Some seasons in life are just not creative seasons, so I don't obsess over feeling like I have to create during those times. But when I am ready to create and nothing seems to be coming out, I take a page from this website's playbook - http://conceptartsessions.com - and give myself an arbitrary time limit and 2 or 3 random words or phrases to work into a piece. I find it usually helps me get over my dry spell. Maybe it will work for you, too?

BTW, here's where my random words come from: http://creativitygames.net/random-word-generator

You are all amazing! Thank you so much Mike, Mary, Steve, Diane, John, Edward, Mel (x), Phyllis, Martin, Michelle and Walter. The fact you all took time out to help is wonderful and I truly appreciate it!

Phyllis, I would LOVE to take you up on your offer!!!

WOW Mo and April, you came in as I was typing out the last post, THANK YOU

I agree with Edward. Sometimes just being around other artists, or a creative atmosphere, can re-ignite your interest.

One reason why I hang out here so much.

Isabella I know exactly what it's like, and the more you try the worse it gets. you can try everything and nothing works and the worst thing you can do is force yourself, then as you said yourself all you get is mud and more mud, just let time take it;s course and it will come back, I have not painted for months and have the block too. You should take a long walk in your beautiful English countryside, that might unblock the blockage.

Best regards.
Conor

I believe in the power of words. A block connotes a negative force that is keeping you from doing what you love, Abbie.
I don't buy the concept of a block, never did and have consequently, never had one.
Is that to say I never went long periods without painting? of course not! I just picked up a brush last week after 11 months. I had no block...I simply was not painting....and when I finally did, I painted more than just fine...I was excited to be back with a brush in my hand.
Putting negative words out to the universe is very damaging...it makes them so!
My suggestion, watch what you label things....sometimes a break from creating art is nothing more than a cigar, if you know what I mean.

JL I cant possibly spend MORE time here LOL x

Conor, we will get through it. We WILL :D


Marlene, you are very lucky.

Hi Abbie,
I think creative blocks have a lot to do with which side of your brain you are developing - I don't know if that's the right word.... more like being forced to use.... from my own experience in my academia days of textbooks and boring financial lectures I didn't create art... it was not there, my brain was to busy with technical overload of information to switch to the other side (creativity).... I know you are working hard on your magazine, here, linkedin, you are a very busy lady.... but they are all non creative activities that stress the "academia" side of your brain... does that make sense?

Anyways my point is... turn that side off for a while (hard to do) but I'll bet your creativity side will flourish... and if you need inspiration try creating art out of objects or use a different medium but more important create whatever without a care in the world about selling it, promoting it, talking about it..... you get the picture.

Cheers, Barbara

sure you can spend more time here, we will hook wires directly to your brain, and you'll be a part of the server.


---Mike Savad

Luck has nothing to do with removing negative words from your vocabulary and thought processes. :)
But it has everything to do with the outcome!

I love to watch other artists create their art, when I feel blocked I go watch u-tube or take class it helps.

Paint through creative constipation. Pick something that challenges your art skills even if it bores you. Do painting studies until your inspiration comes back. It will come back and when it does it will be with a vengeance and you wont be able to keep up with it. However you will have developed your skills when it does.

LOL, Mike - Abbie don't listen to Mike, we don't want you to turn into a digital shadow of yourself.


Kind of on the same subject - my wifi is broken at home so I have no options to check in here at night other than use Verizon data and that gets expensive. I have to have a tree removed to get it fixed. The point being, I can't really upload here or work on things (I'm at my day job now), so I took time off and started knitting. The right side of my brain thanked me and it felt good.

In other words, so something else creative as several people have suggested. That way you won't feel like there is so much of a vacuum. You're creative self will still feel like it's being engaged.

@Marlene "But it has everything to do with the outcome!"

Yes but what is the desired outcome... is the creation created for you pure joy of creating it or is it for the business of someone else buying it?
The latter can and does have a adverse effect on the freedom of creating...imo

If one has a block then to unblock it requires a change, physical, mental, emotional..... who knows and the only way that can be figure out is to investigate the possible causes within one's self. Each person is different, no two are the same....

@Mike, I did a painting that depicts that... it's title "Plugged In" lol

Cheers, Barbara

Abbie has stated that she has painter's block...that means she cannot paint. She cannot create.
All painters, who paint regularly have good days and bad days but they are engaged in the process of creating...so there is no block.
If the final product is factored in as the basis for the supposed 'block', then that would be a great painting block.
I will say it again and again...the final product is a perk, should never be the goal of the creative process.

Barbara, going along with your comments, one very good way is to rethink it...stop calling it a block, stop saying words like nothing, bad, and yes, BLOCK.
There will be a change.

Lots of good ideas above, if none of those work then
i say if you are stuck...paint/sketch what you feel, what your current experience is. Try to get the emotion out. Explore it. Paint items that represent being stuck, empty, un inspired, sad whatever. Something to get the brush moving. Often a painting is just an exploration anyway...you explore an urge, an idea, an emotion. Often in that process new ideas and inspiration begins to creep, then flood in.

Keep in mind Pink Floyd became famous around a " Wall" ....part of which is on permanent display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...the wall symbol worked for them.

1) go to your fridgerator, take out 2 items. 2) go to cupboard take out one item, 3) go to silverwear drawer take out 1 item. Put items on counter in kitchen with desk lamp to illuminate. 4) draw (on nice paper). include all the shading of the forms.

Ok I noticed no one said. oooh, how inspiring. ok. here. this will show you you don't need lots of stuff, just whatever you find in your kitchen. Take an onion for example. Most people have an onion in their kitchen.

watercolor onions
http://greenasas.com/works/onion-family/

onion lesson
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/138/96/index.php

couple of glasses, some onions and a sheet.

Abbie, just let me know some of the animals that you may want to paint, birds ranging from flamingos to pelicans and many more... Private message me when you get a chance. You will be alright, that artist inside will not lay dormant that long.

You can also try hitting the galleries. It's easy to get inspired when you see great work by other artists.

Art is born from what you feel. If you are not feeling in the mood to create, give it a rest. Eventually the feeling will return.

How about on a smaller canvas you do a little montage of your brother and Max.

Perhaps there is still a connection to losing two you had such a connection to

and you need to paint your outlet. Or maybe not but just a thought...And on the

other hand maybe you are just not ready.


Perhaps a title for your muddy painting.... 'Grief'...Or scrap it off and add some

bright sunshiny colors to it and title it ... 'Hope'...

Thanks Marlene but people understand what I mean when I say block and what works for one does not work for another. Block is what I am having I am afraid, although I do get what you are saying, honestly. It IS a negative experience and so I will keep calling it what it is

Barbara, this is that left side, right side thing isn't it :)....not sure I am 100% into that theory but cutting back on some things here could work, thank you x

Mike....nooooooooooooooooooooooooo, that is all I have to say about that LOL

Susan, good idea :)

Melissa, Constipation ROFL! love that... may use that instead of block

Mary, hurry up and get that wi-fi fixed!! or knit me something really cool ;)

Joe, Love The Wall!

Kim, my bf keeps asking me to do the still life thing. I just have never felt the urge to paint inanimate things. I am SO jealous of painters who can as the work (as with the one you shared there) is amazing! I started on a couple of oranges the other day.... it ended up looking like a lady's bum with cellulite so I threw it :(

Andrew.. I live in one of the best areas for galleries (Manchester) I should do just that... it is finding the time :(

Raffi..... you are right of course.

Thank you everyone. I hope others are getting good vibes from the ideas

Andee, I really like your idea because I did think about it. But, I did a painting of Max and a looking at it now to my right...before he died. I haven't the heart to paint him now... just looking at him here is upsetting. As for Jules, he would be annoyed at me I think. He was an artist and was doing art until the day he died. Not sure he knew what a block was

I am going to look again at mud......

Trip to a museum. Trip to some local galleries.

Take a pile of magazines and cut out things that catch your eye - colors, shapes....pin them to a cork board. Flip it around, move in close, move far away.

Walk in an area of town that you would never consider walking in before.

No doubt one the biggest stumbling blocks for a painter must be getting up the courage to commit so much time into an idea. What if you end up hating it halfway in? Myself I have a backlog of ideas I'm always thinking about but it helps knowing that I can try them out rather quickly.

Abbie,

Without reading all of the replies which I'm sure you've received many, I just wanted to share . . .

I empathize. I haven't held a brush in 2 years and I'm staring at 3 WIPs as I type. It's not that I have felt blocked, but rather no desire/interest in painting even though I want to paint and keep telling myself to paint. My surgeries beat me down and I can't quite seem to get back to painting and letting it bring me back up. It can be depressing for sure. I've been self-talking myself all morning to just go paint - so far it hasn't worked.. LOL.

I know you'll get back to painting soon and I'm sure it's just temporary but it is a major PITA for sure. :)

--Donna Proctor

I agree with Raffi. It sounds like you are trying to force yourself to do what you are simply not in the mood for. I'm not in the mood for creating, either. However, blackberries are in season now, and my bushes are full. So, I'm going to go bake a pie. All things in their own time.

Lots of good suggestions from everyone. It may be that you just need more time.

A few years back an artist suggested that I write a fictional story. "I'm not a writer," I argued. He said that often switching to a totally different field of creativity can help. I tried it. For a year I worked on a story (still not finished) and found as I learned about trying to put in words what I saw in my mind for the story helped me reignite the visual passion. Instead of trying to force a physical visual piece I forced it in words. There were no ruined or wasted art materials. It made coming back to art so much easier. And the ideas were fresh. Also my writing skills and vocabulary improved to boot.

for the heck of it, design a halloween avatar. or even paint a mini.

or mess around with another genre, you have mostly horse, boats and dogs. do something steampunk, or something dark and gruesome. i find having a sketch pad by the bed, and bathroom i jot down my ideas as they pop into my head. the shower, maybe it's the sound or the zoning out, i often get ideas in there. of course its hard to see because my pen stops working when i'm dripping onto it. but it does help.

---Mike Savad

LOL!

Alcohol helps loosen up the creative juices sometimes. And often you end up with something totally different than your 'normal' stuff.
Colors often are more vibrant, go figure.

Just make sure you don't dip your paint brush in the wine glass :-)

Have you spent quality time looking? To create great art you've got to put your time in until you get excited. I believe looking at other good art is what we should do everyday. That image is out there waiting for you Abbie, it may take thirty minutes or an hour but you will see it! Try Pinterest in addition to Google.

Mike is right make a list of things that inspire you throughout the day in addition I have a folder in my computer of images styles I really like and want to try.
Sometimes I will take a look at them for inspiration.

Try something on Gimp, take an image and put some textures on it and play around with the modes, if you don't know how I'm here to help, it's pretty simple. Once you familiarize yourself with the basics of Gimp all the editors are the same.

You are a writer go look at typography on Pinterest I have recently fallen in love with type and handwriting there is so much to explore!

This is kind of cutsy but it is exciting for me with the trend towards simplifying images and got inspired by the song. Shoot some photography and write a message or a couple of words on it to inspire others or be humorous. I would like to see what you come up with if you feel like it and add it to this thread.



This reminds me of you - a free spirit!

Melany LOL I have some Real Ale in the fridge..may have get some out.

Suzanne they are great! Loved seeing them. Great ideas

Have you tried using a different medium? Sometimes using a different medium releases the creative juices in a different way than using paint. Try something fun like a collage, ink, encaustic...... It takes time & I hope it passes soon for you! Good Luck!

Isabella I been painting and drawing daily since I enter art school at 16 even the time I was working full time but I still found time to paint after work.. I never never had painter block.. I think it has more to do with my lifestyle, eating healthy ( don't smoke or drink), good night sleep, being active and full of curiosity. .

FINALLY.. thank you Phyllis!!

Thank you everyone who helped, I took a lot of advice on board

Started yesterday and finished today, Wade the Blue Heron

I will now close this