Getting yourself motivated to paint.
There are times when you just don’t feel inspired at all, and it can be quite demoralising. Here are some tips for creative inspiration that I use, and they work for me.
1. Stand at the easel with a large surface, close your eyes to pick a color, use the side of the pastel, and start with sweeping movements. Oh, the music is blaring, and the arm is in time! It’s amazing what happens. This is a very good exercise to do before starting a painting; it loosens you up.
2. Have a coffee painting session with a fellow artist or two – or a friend who’s never painted before.
3. Actually, if you help someone who has never worked with pastels, you’ll be surprised at how inspired you become—you’ll be a great motivator.
4. Take a camera and go for a walk – snap anything (use the camera!) – when you come home, have a look at what you’ve got – maybe even just part of a photo – or take something out of a couple of photos and join them up
5. Off you go to a gallery. Leave a sketch pad in the car, and when you’ve finished in the gallery, take the sketch pad, go for a coffee, and start jotting down ideas from what you’ve seen.
6. Go online and look at other people’s paintings (oils, acrylics, pastels, etc.)—you only need to see one painting or part of a painting that will inspire you for your next subject.
7. Go into the kitchen, lounge, or pick a room, put one, two, or three items on the table, and start sketching. You may not end up painting what you’ve sketched, but the practice will motivate and inspire you.
8. Go to a cafe with your sketch pad and try sketching something or someone there. Just know that they won’t sit still for you, so you’ll have to be quick—this is a great exercise in not worrying about the details!
9. You could, of course, go along to your local library and check out the art books. Sit down quietly (well, you have to if you’re at the library) with a small sketch pad and jot down anything that inspires you.
I hope you’ve got something out of these few tips.
If you’re wanting step by step lessons head over to the Shop and view my books.
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