5 Simple Tricks to Make Art “Feel” Easier

I’m a firm believer that anyone can be a great artist if they have a passion for it AND put in the work. That’s the hard part - putting in the work. As with any skill in life, practice makes perfect. The only way to get better is to show up consistently.

The real kicker is that the work feels much harder in the beginning, when you are an amateur artist. Why can’t art be hardest once we’re experts, and we’re up for the challenge?

In my twenties, I went through a 10-year art drought where I barely made anything, aside from the occasional art class. Don’t get me wrong, art was CONSTANTLY on my mind. The loop in my brain sounded a bit like this, “Why can’t you just sit down and paint?” “What’s wrong with you?” “Where is your discipline?” I know, I wasn’t very nice to myself. I’m sure that sounds familiar to a lot of you. Now that I understand what it takes to show up, my thoughts are kinder. I know now that the ONLY hard part is showing up. That’s like saying - “Why can’t you just bungee jump off the Grand Canyon?" Because, it’s really hard and really scary!!!

Once you show up, the art is easy. If you disagree, let me explain what I mean by that. I preach again and again “quantity over quality.” If you truly live by that rule, the art flows naturally. It’s not always great, but that’s not the point. The point is to keep making stuff, without passing judgement on what you’re making. If you think about art that way, it is pretty easy and sitting down is the only hard part. If you focus on quantity, it’s easy to get in that flow state every time. Some days, you won’t be as into what you’re making, but those are the days when you learn the most.

These days I paint almost daily. I just came off a 31 day painting series where I showed up EVERY SINGLE DAY (several hours a day) for a month. How the heck did that happen to the same girl who didn’t make art for ten years?

Well, I’ve perfected the art of showing up. My art is less than perfect, but I’m here making it regardless. Some of my strategies are laughable, but they work! Below I’m going to talk about all the things I wish I knew in my twenties.

1. Trick Your Brain into Thinking You Are Doing Something Else: The activity of sitting down to make art can feel so “loaded.” Most people have a lot of baggage around making art. It can be something you enjoy but don’t always look forward to, because most of us are creatively blocked. I usually pair 1-2 positive things with making art. Typically, it’s in the form of a really good drink and listening to great music or a podcast. Sometimes it’s lighting a candle or video chatting with a friend while I paint. The trick is that in my head, I’m sitting down to drink a latte and listen to a podcast. I just happen to be making art while I do it. This mindset shift is everything.

2. Make Your Work Station Work for You: I’ve read a lot of books on habit formation, and they all say that setting up your environment for success is key. Things like leaving fruit on the counter if you’re trying to eat healthy can make all the difference. For me, the state of my desk dictates my art. I clean up after painting every day. If I have to clean the next day (before making art), I won’t paint at all. That’s how fickle art can be. I need to have my supplies fully stocked at all times. I need one clean paint palette on standby, and paper towels at the ready. I need good lighting and music nearby. I might sound like a diva, but your inner artist can be high maintenance. If you don’t have a dedicated workspace in your home, all you need is a desk in a corner. With tiny desks, get a rolling cart for your supplies. I know the investment in a desk can feel like a lot, but what is your art worth to you? To me, it’s the best way to spend money, because the habit will positively impact all other areas of your life. To make your workspace perfect for you, pay attention to the excuses you make for not showing up. A lot of them might be situational.

3. Have a Process for Easing Into It: It’s difficult to jump headfirst into a complicated painting, so I baby steps to ease into it. First, I set up my workspace. This means drinks, lighting, candles, music, and getting my tools ready. Next, I browse photos or coffee table books for inspiration (I don’t rush any of this, I just soak it in). Always be thinking about your next painting when you’re out and about. I like to keep a list of subject matters to paint, which makes this step even easier. Then, I look at color swatches (check out this blog post) to decide on a color palette. Then, I do a little sketch in pencil. I tweak my sketch as I go. Then, I block in big areas of color over my sketch. Lastly, I add detailing to the piece. The idea behind all this is that I’m working up to painting. It’s like getting in a cold pool one foot at a time.

4. Hang Up Your Art: I have a pinboard with my favorite originals hanging next to my desk. The purpose behind this is that I get a boost of confidence every time I sit down. I can look up at my pinboard and see that I made all of those. It makes me feel like a “legit” artist - a mindset a lot of “legit” artists struggle with. Confidence is everything. If you feel like a master painter, you will act like one and show up. The pinboard also serves as great inspiration for the type of pieces I want to make going forward.

5. Act Like An Artist When You’re Not at Your Desk: What we do at our desk is just as important was what we do away from it. It all comes down to deciding you are an artist. You don’t need a special degree or certificate. You can say right now, “I am an artist.” Dress like an artist, make artist friends, share your art online, and tell people about your work. Visit art museums and buy a sketchbook. Make a list of all the ways an artist would act, and start doing these things. The art community will welcome you with open arms. The reason a lot of us don’t show up is because we feel like imposters. We don’t think we have any right to make art. What’s up with that? You don’t need permission from anyone. Everyone has a creative inner child. It’s just more submersed in some people than others. Once you join the art community, you will see that we all struggle with the same insecurities, no matter how long we’ve been doing this. It starts to make your struggles feel a lot smaller. The good artists have just gotten better at tricking themselves into showing up. In conjunction with this tip - paint what you know. Start with what you’re comfortable with and not what what you find most impressive. You don’t need to paint people now (or ever) if you don’t want to. Maybe start with abstract paintings. Just do what feels easy at first. You are an artist all the same.

I meant what I said earlier - I believe this is the key to artistic greatness. Trick yourself into showing up. Focus on quantity over quality. Before you know it, you will be in a rhythm - one that propels you forward into making your best art. It will power you through imposter syndrome and creative droughts. Once you have these strategies in place, you can sit back and enjoy the ride.