No products in the cart.
Return To ShopI know I’m creatively stuck when I’ve painted over something again and again and start to get frustrated.
This is usually because I’m attached to what I think my art should look like rather than letting what I need to paint come out.
This happens a lot with eyes. I’ll have a specific expression or mood in mind that I want to create, and I just can’t get it. I paint and repaint my eyes until finally I realize, maybe what I’m painting is trying to tell me something. Maybe there’s a new story in there that I didn’t even know I needed to tell.
And I can only get to it by stopping my attachment to what things should look like and falling in love with (and maybe improving upon) what’s already there.
Whenever I need to get creatively unstuck, I try these things:
*I step away from my studio and do something I really enjoy… taking a walk, baking, sipping tea outside, watching a favorite movie. Sometimes it just takes returning to a moment of joy and getting my mind off of it to lead to new inspiration.
*I start a background. Backgrounds are the layer for me when I get all of my emotion out. Sometimes, if I stop having fun with a painting, it’s because I care so much about it. Starting a new painting, especially a new background helps me take a step back and come back to it again with fresh eyes and looser hands.
Watch a background painting video here that’s all about loosening up.
*I often get creatively stuck because I’m trying something new. To get me back into my comfort zone and confident again, I go back to my fall back techniques and colors (those supplies and colors I love most). In those moments, I need to turn back to the art I have the most fun with. Maybe that’s paging through magazines and ripping out images to find inspiration (sometimes just the act of ripping and being fast about it kicks me out of a rut), sponging painting in blues or paper collage.
The most important thing for me is to return to having fun with my artwork again. Then whatever I create gets infused with that same joy and excitement and I can share that happiness with others.
Happy painting!
xo,
Ps. Enjoy my Serendipity 1 and 2 online classes for $199 each (reg: $249) until January 15th, 2017.
These are my most popular painting classes and perfect for the new year. In each course I share all I learn and love about mixed media for an entire year to give you the courage and confidence to loosen up and develop your own style. Just enter code: SERENDIPITY at checkout.
Register for Serendipity 1 – Develop Your Style
Register for Serendipity 2 – Loosening Up
………
Pps. If you want even more inspiration and insights into my creative process, plus art + free videos that I only share in email, sign up for my newsletter here.
HELLO
I'M JULIETTE
A painter, writer, and creator of The School Of Happy Painting, online courses to help you loosen up, let go, and develop your own unique style.
Join me for a Free Workshop!
Want to know how I create my paintings? Join this free workshop to learn the fundamental principles I use to paint with style and whimsy, from covering up the white space to final artwork. Follow along to paint your own character in 30 minutes.
Related posts
A few years ago, I wrote a novel about a magical world. I was one of 14 writers accepted into a 6 week writing workshop on the east coast. And when I finished my novel, I flew out to Washington DC to meet with my ideal literary agent. But then I got super scared and burned out. Because of that burn-out, I needed to heal... Continue reading
I used to be afraid to raise my hand in class. I’d learned that my ways of thinking and seeing were different from everyone else. When I shared an idea, I was often laughed at or told it was impossible. So I learned to stay quiet and be shy. When I was in the third grade we had an art project where we were supposed... Continue reading
Lately I’ve been going back to painting owls. For awhile I had been creating these very renaissance-style portraits with soft, realistic faces and incredible hair. I enjoyed that I could make them look very human, but still full of magic and color. While I still adore creating these flower girls, I found that these paintings were missing something. After countless attempts in the studio, many... Continue reading
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.