This is a post I wrote a few years ago about how I overcome creative blocks. I have no idea how it ended up in unpublished draft purgatory, but that's probably a testament to how busy and frazzled I felt about getting work done and out there at the time. That's a major theme in this post, enough time, yet one I apparently wasn't able to overcome by finding the time to press "publish". Anyhow, while some of the info is outdated concerning craft fairs and originals, the heart of the material is stil relevant. I hope it helps.....
I started making these little original paintings as a way to get out of a big slump...then decided that it would be better to make and sell some originals. Not only would I be making originals available for the first time after lots of requests, but it would really challenge me. I need to learn to let go. I need to stop hoarding. I need to recognize that it's alright to work small, simple, and in short spurts of time.
It's hard to think about making things on a regular basis when you have bigger responsibilities. It's easy to get caught up with the thought that you need more time to do things...and so you just do nothing at all. It is for me, anyway. This was my way of showing myself that I could make something lovely in very short spurts. Make an outline here, do the dishes. add some ink. start dinner. The kids are in bed? Watch some 30 rock and bring out the paints.
I am addicted to working this way now.
AND I'm getting SO. MUCH. MORE. DONE. I'm also letting go. Something magical happens when you do something a lot. You get better. When I sit down to draw or paint, I no longer have this horrible feeling when I'm done that I'll never make anything better than what I just did, That I have reached my pinnacle of abilities; and even if I hadn't, I wouldn't ever have time to outdo myself anyway--so why bother. Now I know the next thing I make will be better. It always is...or just as good anyway. If it's not, well then I'm extra fine letting it go, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it because I know eventually it will be better. It has to be with this much work getting done!
That's not to say that I don't foresee more slumps and blocks. There will always be creative blocks, but I've found a way to work around them that I enjoy, forces me to practice my line; which forces me to get better...and so far...really works. Here it is: I draw the same small thing over an over again.
That's how these little ladies came to be. The same drawing over and over. And naturally, they are SO not the same. It opens your eyes, it makes you see things slightly differently, which is what you need to get the creativity flowing. This method sprouted at least five completely new drawings(not completely different, mind you, but completely new)...and when I painted those and felt another slump, I started drawing the last thing over and over again. The cycle continues, and I'm just going with it. When you draw the same thing, you end up drawing slightly different things, which leads to even more slightly different things, which leads to completely different things. It works, I swear. The important thing here is, like everyone says, to just keep working. This is just a no-brainer stress free way to do it, and I'm glad I finally figured it out.
Anyway, this is a sampling of small originals in the shop until the weekend of Art vs Craft. I'll be taking them down at that time(Nov. 26th) and bringing them with me to the show!! I'm going to be updating the shop with lots of new originals between now and then, so keep checking back! I'm also going to be selling the originals to all the prints that have been in my shop for a while like The Twins, Forest and Fields, etc....IF I can ever find them! They're lost for the time being-AHHHHHHHH!!! But they have to be around here somewhere, and when I come across them, I'll let you know.
