My Top 5 Tips For Finding Inspiration
There have been so many days where I’ve wanted to create art, but just didn’t know where to start. I’ve sat with my sketchpad ready to create only to come up empty so many times. It happens. And I know I’m not the only one.
If you have found yourself in the same boat and are looking for ways to get out of it, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are my top 5 tips for finding inspiration.
1. Step away
One thing I’ve learned with certainty in my creative endeavors is that inspiration can come from anywhere and at any time. So when I have my drawing utensil in hand, but inspiration is lacking, I find the best thing to do is simply step away. Step away—mentally and physically—and do something completely different.
This was taken on a walk which has been one of my favorite ways to step away lately :)
Removing myself from the situation actually helps me think more clearly and be subconsciously open to new ideas.
Some things I like to do when I’m stepping away are watching a movie or show, cooking, listening to music or podcasts while cleaning, going for a walk, working out, playing games, etc.
Anything will work! So what would you do?
2. Be messy
Sometimes I feel like I hold myself back with expectations of what I should be doing or what something I want to make should look like. It feels limiting and less creative.
So I try to remind myself that it’s okay to be messy. To create without any expectations at all. I think that’s why a lot of my designs now tend to be more “wavy.” Straight lines just aren’t my jam.
One messy exercise I like to do is start with a blank page and draw one thing that I’m comfortable with drawing, but make it as loose and flowing as possible. I tend to do flowers, strawberries, lettering, or even just squiggly lines. Then, I add other random little things to the page until the whole thing seems to be a collage of things that don’t necessarily go together.
A peek into my messy sketchbook when I’m doing one of these exercises :)
The idea here is to simply draw (or whatever your art medium of choice is) with no intention of making something good. It’s just to have fun.
I’ve found that when you let yourself create something purely for fun and for no one else’s opinions (or even your own), it can unlock so many ideas.
3. Use Pinterest and Instagram
As an artist, it is completely okay to look at and admire other people’s art. It’s a far cry from stealing/copying, which is a big fat no. Don’t do it.
I use Pinterest and Instagram all the time for inspiration and educational purposes. They are great platforms for tutorials, advice, and many other things.
Things I look at on these platforms when I’m searching for inspiration are landscapes of places that I can’t find where I live, architecture, animals, flowers, home décor, apparel, color palettes, techniques, etc.
I use the images to both learn and to spark my own ideas. One specific way this has been useful for me is learning what certain flowers look like so that I can portray them in my own wavy way.
4. Participate in an art challenge
There are so many different art challenges on Instagram every month. I see them all the time and have participated in a few myself.
Usually, there will be a decided theme for every day of the month. For instance, one day the theme could be umbrellas and the next day could be cats. You have the freedom to interpret the theme any way you would like. You can take it very literally and draw only an umbrella or only a cat. Or you can also draw someone being carried away by their umbrella on a rainy day or a cat reading a book and sipping coffee. It’s completely up to you!
Some of my favorite ones to follow are posted by @ellolovey on Instagram.
5. Try another art medium
Another way that’s proven useful for me when trying to spark some inspiration, is to try a different medium or method for my art. This usually goes hand in hand with allowing yourself to be messy and create something purely for fun.
Some different art mediums you could try are drawing with pencil and paper, painting on canvas, sculpting little clay charms, watercolor, linocut printmaking, beading, macrame, writing, etc. There is an endless number of different things you can do to create art.
This is something I finger-painted with no rhyme or reason to spark some inspiration and have fun :)
When you try a new medium for making art, you’re opening up your mind to new ways of thinking about art and freeing yourself from limitations. Plus, you could also find another thing that you really love to do, which is never a bad thing!
So next time you find yourself struggling to think of ideas and find inspiration for your next piece, consider trying one of these tips! They’ve helped me time and again, so I’m confident they would help you too.