Okay, back at a stand still with me art. I left corporate America and told my “hub” that I need to work on my art. Of course he was not to happy. But I also went back to school to get my esthetician license so I can own a spa. (or something that is relaxing) I was going to do massage therapist, but it would be to hard on my body. But since I was a make-up artist and I love to have a brush in my hand, I decided that if I had my license I could work for myself and not work crazy retail hours. Build a client base and then be able to have income and time for art. So it is week 3 of school and only 6 more to go. Now I have a “normal” life and get home at 4pm so I can work on my art.
But now I am stuck- I start something and then get distracted. Or I come home early and then just veg out in front on the Tv or computer. I had a studio practice years ago and I just can’t find the focus.
So I have been trying to “doodle” again and trying to get in the “groove”
So my artists friends out there, HOW DO YOU GET OUT OF A RUT!!!
Look at art supply catalogs and try a new medium, tool, or support. Take reference photos and work from them. I work in such a variety of media and create so many different types of things it is easy to just clear off my work table of materials related to one type of creation and bring out the materials for another type of creation. To summarize: Diversify!
Thanks for the suggestions I started working on some pop art portraits of my family members so it is getting me back into things and started ” doodling” again
I would say paint 3 -5 works at a time, rotating them every 10 minutes with a limited palette of maybe red, yellow, blue, black and white. You have to find a way to get out of your head… stop thinking too much……..by following this type of process you don’t have time to dwell on what you are painting…just do it..like the nike commercial. It like those images of a psychiatrist showing ink blots to a patient and the patient just immediately responding without thinking about the response. Also, look on artslant.com at other artists works and see what you gravitate to…hope this helps.
Thanks for the suggestion and I will try it. I think my problem stems from being an art director for so many years that I would tell the artists what was needed for each project and define the parameters. I use to give them a freedom exercise once a week to break them out of a rut. But easier to say then do. I don’t think I allow myself to just explore and let everything evolve organically since I always worked in a time-crunched I need 40 designs by yesterday pace. But I will to it. And funny you should mention the Nike ad- I was on the wall in my office for years and I use to point to it to my staff and say “just do it”