Has Your Artwork Gone Stale?
Lately, I’ve felt like mine has. All artists go through phases where they don’t feel connected to their work. I know this to be true by now. Knowing doesn’t make it any easier when a creative drought strikes.
I just got back from Miami last week. I was there for 10 days with my husband Ryan. He first had a business conference to attend, and then we vacationed in Coral Gables. You’d think the trip would have inspired me. I did take a lot of pictures. However, we came home in the middle of an ice storm to a power outage that lasted 48 hours. Right now, I feel exhausted and not at all in the mood to make things. Not to mention, I sprained my shoulder at some point along the trip, which makes painting difficult even if I wanted to. So, for now, I’m taking a little break to find inspiration.
I felt this drought coming on before our trip too. For a while, I’ve felt like I’ve been making the same work over and over again. While this can be great for consistency and style, I see that I’m becoming too comfortable. I’ve stopped taking risks and I don’t feel the rapid growth as an artist that I used to. I’ve realized I need to push myself outside my comfort zone to infuse new life into my work.
Below are some ideas I’ve brainstormed on how I can do this. If you’re feeling disconnected from your work as well right now, maybe these ideas will spark something in you too.
Get Out and Explore
This didn’t work for me this time around, but I thought it was worth mentioning because it usually does. I ventured outside my comfort zone by going to Miami. Often a creative drought for me is caused by lack of inspiration. A trip tends to fix that. While I did get inspired in Miami, I’m still not feeling that urge to make things. If you aren’t able to go on a trip, exploring new areas locally can give you a fresh perspective.
Ryan and I at the Fairchild Botanic Gardens in Coral Gables
Try a New Color Palette
This one has worked well for me in the past and I’ve been mulling over how I can use it in my work. I had the idea of challenging myself to use a minimalist palette with less colors than I normally would. Maybe black and white with one other color. Or I’d like to paint something a different color than it is in real life. Even just buying some new colors to use in my work could be fun.
I love these yellow illustrations:
Art by Ludwig Bemelmans, from Madeline books
Art by Ludwig Bemelmans, from Madeline books
Infuse New Textures
Texture can be a great way to spice up your work. Whether it’s adding some dry brushing to your paintings or layering mediums. I’ve thought about even adding textures to my work digitally. No matter how you choose to apply this idea, it’s a simple way to make your work feel unique and new without going too far outside your comfort zone.
I love the textures in these paintings:
Art by Edouard Vuillard, Intimité
Art by Alice and Martin Provensen
Work in Conjunction with Text
Have you ever challenged yourself to invent a handwritten font? I have a certain style of writing I use in all my work. I love playing around with new styles when I’m feeling uninspired. If you’re someone who loves to write, it can also be fun to write poems or short stories and create illustrations to go with them.
I love how illustrated text brings this book cover to life:
Art by Roger Duvoisin
Repurpose Objects
Have you ever painted on something other than paper? If not, this can be a great way to view your work in a new way. I love the idea of painting on vintage objects like ceramics, wood panels, or photographs. To me, it just sounds fun.
I love this example:
Art by Alexandra Dillon
Make Abstract Art
I’ve been mulling this one over a lot lately. Five years ago, I went through a phase when I was making abstract art. The work didn’t look at all like my style, but it was fun. That’s kind of what I feel like doing now. I’ve been thinking about how I want to tackle this in a way that still feels like me, so stay tuned. My favorite source of inspiration for this idea are the Matisse Cutouts. He went through a phase where he was making abstract work from cutout paper. Although it’s not what he’s known for, I can imagine he grew a lot as an artist from this exercise.
Here are some examples:
Art by Henri Matisse
Art by Henri Matisse
Make 3D Art
A great way to get out of your head could be to create something 3D. As a 2D artist, this sounds refreshing. I just need to brainstorm some ways I could do this.
I love these illustrated ornaments:
Try a New (or Old) Medium
I love layering different mediums into my work. Trying a new medium can make work feel fresh and new, even when it’s not really that different from things you’d been making in the past. I also like returning to old mediums I used years ago, like pastels and colored pencils. I’ve also recently been inspired by collages.
I love these collages:
Play Around with Minimalism and Maximalism
As artists, we all have a unique level of complexity we’re drawn to. By complexity, I mean details per square inch. It’s built into our DNA. I’ve always considered myself to be somewhere in the middle, leaning slightly towards the maximalism end of the spectrum. However, what happens if you try to tip the scale a bit? I’ve been thinking I could create some minimalist paintings to see how it feels to work outside my comfort zone. I feel like this could help me see my art in a new way.
I love these examples of minimalism and maximalism:
Painting by Milton Avery, Race Horse
Art by Raoul Dufy
Paint Something You’ve never Painted before
As some of you may know, I used to be terrified of painting people. I eventually realized this fear was holding me back. I wanted to paint certain things, but then I’d change my mind because they had people in them. So, I took it upon myself to learn how to paint people. I did a 30 day series to get comfortable with the idea. That series ignited something in me. Now, I really enjoy painting faces. I’ve considered the idea of working on landscape paintings, because it’s something I’ve grown uncomfortable with, even though I used to make this type of work all the time.
I love these landscapes:
Art by Ilonka Karasz
Art by Ilonka Karasz
Paint something for your home
Our best work is the type of work we’d display in our own homes. Have you ever painted something just for yourself? I’ve done this many times. I most recently painted an ocean liner for our bathroom. There’s something fun about creating art for your own space. You don’t care how it turns out, because it’s not for anyone else. Really, that’s how we should approach all art. I’ve recently been thinking of painting some larger pieces for our home.
Art by Nicole Cicak (painted for our upstairs bathroom)
Make a gift
This goes hand-in-hand with making something for yourself. It can be therapeutic to make art for a loved one without the added pressure that it needs to sell. I sell most of my art online, so I often loose the sense that my work is making a difference. I can’t see the joy on people’s faces when they hang one of my prints up. But I can when I give gifts. It’s a great reminder that our work does matter and that it improves lives every day. Art spreads joy, and that’s what it’s all about.
I love these DIY family heirloom ornaments:
Ornaments courtesy of The House that Lars Built
Thanks for stopping by! I’m an illustrator & writer. I’ve been running my own creative business since 2015. My mission is to help artists find their unique creative voice, build positive habits, and do what they love for a living.