Five ways to get re-inspired to create…
… Without scrolling endlessly on instagram.
Clean your space.
Perhaps this is not the first thing you hoped to read as a suggestion for getting inspired but you must admit that there is something magical about cleaning. Organising the space you are using to create in can be a sure-fire way of generating a fresh rush of inspiration. If you are feeling stuck, chances are there is something stuck in your space energetically (or so the Feng-shui experts would suggest). A way to breathe new life into our practice is to get out the cleaning products and wipe away the dust that has been gathering. This could be within a physical space or it could be as simple as decluttering your folder systems on your computer.
No doubt in this practice you are going to start seeing things that trigger your interest again. By the end of this cleaning, you will have a fresh new space to come back to and create in.
If you are not in a position to have your own dedicated studio or room to work in, challenge yourself to see if there’s something you can bring into (or take out of) the space you are using to create. Maybe it's just a decluttering or a shuffle of the furniture? Bring in some indoor plants and burn some candles? Organise the little space you have to make the most of where you are right now.
2. Take yourself on an “artist date”
In her infamous book “The Artist’s Way” Julia Cameron repeatedly emphasises the benefits of taking oneself on a regular artist date. This practice basically entails taking yourself somewhere for a little creative adventure or excursion. Take a moment to consider where you have visited recently that has given you a burst of inspiration. It might have something directly or indirectly related to your art/creative practice. Perhaps the op-shop down the road is a place of treasures and potential for you or maybe you can’t resist the call of the local florist.
Here is an example of a recent artist date I took myself on. During one particularly flat afternoon in my studio I got the spark of inspiration to take myself down the road to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. I packed my bag with an art journal and a limited amount of materials and headed out for my solo artist date. I spent the afternoon wandering around the gardens, I stumbled across an exhibition in one of the pavilions and purchased flower seeds from the garden shop on-site. I did a very questionable scribble sketch in my art journal- but the point was not to make a painting to justify this excursion. As artists and creatives we are visual creatures. Our art cannot blossom in a vacuum. We need to be seeing and experiencing new things to fuel our practice.
A couple of snaps from my “artist date” to the Adelaide Botancial Gardens
3. Make “bad” art
A feeling of “stuck-ness” can also couple nicely with feelings of perfectionism. We’re looking for the perfect next step to take on our path to justify creating anything at all. But oftentimes this can leave us standing awkwardly with one foot hovering above the ground, unsure of where to place it next.
Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to make “bad art” in order to place our foot onto the next step on our path. To move forward as perfectly imperfect and flawed human beings. Got no time to create? Scribble for 5 minutes. Haven’t been to the art store recently and don’t have the ideal materials? Use what you have available (have you seen what people can do with a biro pen??)
Channel that stuck energy into the movement and messiness of a canvas, blank page or whatever surface is available to you. Throw it in the bin or put it somewhere visible as a reminder that you pushed through. This “bad” art doesn’t need to be shown to anyone else if you do not want to share it and is purely an exercise in getting past this feeling of perfectionism. You might even surprise yourself and create something interesting without the pressure of it being shown. In the examples below I was purely painting and drawing as a warm up (these are not headed for the frame). Whether I deem them to be “good” or “bad” is beside the point.. I showed up to the page and made some marks and that lead to the momentum of other work during the day.
On the left: a warm up sketch with random materials and on the right, a very quick “bad” sketch in the art journal.
4. Catch up with a fellow creative or learn about a creative hero’s story.
Sometimes we can get inspiration by looking to those who have gone before us. If you are lucky to have some creative pals within your circle, perhaps scheduling in a catch up will bring a fresh take and wave of inspiration. We’ve all felt lost on our path at some point and a chat with another creative person who is out there doing their craft can help make you feel less alone in this pursuit.
Another way of getting inspired by what is being created around you is to look into the stories of artists or creatives that have gone before us (or are just a couple of steps ahead of us). Think for a moment about who your creative artist heroes are. Perhaps they are a current artist with a blog or podcast interviews available to read or listen to? If it’s an historical artist, maybe you can read about their practice in a biography? Simply looking at another artist’s work might bring a quick dose of inspiration (ahem, instagram) but it is shallow compared to understanding that there are deeper reasons and motivations for the artist in question to make the work that they do. Identify that and you will go a long way in uncovering your own reasons for making.
5. Learn something new
After feeling a little stuck and uninspired in my practice recently, I decided to enrol in an 8-week ceramics course as a way to shake things up. Participating in this class gave me the opportunity to be a beginner again. I had dabbled in ceramics and clay previously but there was something magical about creating in a different way to my usual practice. I believe that stepping slightly outside our comfort zone can offer a new perspective on the work we are already creating.
Sometimes our flat-line in inspiration is because we have achieved something (or a number of things) that we had set out for ourselves and we are now at the point of considering what is next. Learning a new skill can be that challenge we need to keep moving forward and growing- both as individuals and creatives.
In reflection…
After writing this list of five things, I could have written five more ideas (perhaps an idea for a part two). Maybe one idea resonated with you or a couple but hopefully this post has inspired you to think further about how to manufacture your own inspiration and motivation within your creative practice.