5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Art Process
Collage Study using Limited Palette
There are a lot of ways to make art, an infinite number of mediums and unlimited outcomes we can produce. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. It’s no wonder we can get caught up in procrastination or creative block. On the other hand, we can have so many ideas that we don’t know where to begin, so we don’t get anything done. Here are a few questions that I have found helpful when I am unsure what I want to do next. Clarifying the answers to these questions for yourself is a useful exercise and well worth the time you’ll invest in moving your art practice forward.
#1 What is important to me about the art making process? It can be as simple as it’s how you unwind from a stressful job. Perhaps it gets you away from screens, social media and constant stimuli from our fast paced (and sometimes crazy) world. Are you hoping to communicate your opinion about politics, the environment or humanity? Are you trying to stop thinking about politics, environmental fears or the challenging aspects of humanity? Does it feel like a sanctuary or an escape? If you are going to invest your time, energy and some finances on art supplies, it’s a good idea to clarify why it’s important to you.
#2 What do I admire/appreciate in other people’s work? It’s great to know what you are drawn to in order to help you clarify what you want to explore in your own art process. If you like bold color or tiny details this will have very different impact on your own explorations. If you enjoy energetic paintings versus simple, quiet paintings this is a clue to what you want to explore. Take some time and notice what captures your attention. It doesn’t necessarily mean to want to do the same thing but it can give you some direction in whatever medium you use.
#3 What medium/idea/process/technique do I want to explore? Some popular techniques can be intriguing and we want to try them - paint pouring for example. You might want to explore traditional methods of drawing, painting, sculpture and learn about the great masters of art history. Do you want to play with collage, clay, textiles or paint? Are you interested in landscapes, portraits, abstracts, or still life? I find it useful to make a list of all the things I would like to try, the mediums I have or would like to explore and techniques I want to use. For example, you may want to create landscapes using textiles and try your hand at free motion quilting. If you are drawn to portraits you might want to use pencils and good paper to begin rendering detailed drawings or big loose brushes to created abstracted portraits on canvas. The combinations are truly endless but, if you narrow down to one thing it can unblock your procrastination.
#4 When do I work best? This question is really trying to get you to find the sweet spot in your week. Are you available and eager to work in the morning? Perhaps you are a night owl. Busy with work and kids, so after their bedtime is the best time for you. Whatever the sweet spot is for you, I would like to add that as humans we tend to work best when we are fed, rested and have incorporated movement in our day. Hunger and lack of sleep can create a negative response in the studio and feed the procrastination habit. Movement in any form - exercise, walking, cleaning, etc. gets the body in motion. Sitting around doing nothing tends to lead to more sitting around doing nothing. If you are feeling uninspired, go for a walk or clean a room in your home. (Cleaning my studio almost always leads me to getting down to the creative process.)
#5 What do I need to change in order to make my artwork a reality? Do you need to find a space that isn’t the kitchen table? Having to stop and clear your art supplies every time supper time rolls around can be a deterrent to getting work done or even getting it started. It also adds set-up time each creative session. Do you need to get more rest and find a reasonable time to get to bed so you can build creative energy? Perhaps you need to find a medium that gets you excited without creating overwhelm. For example, if you want to paint and you’ve purchased canvases that are 3 feet by 5 feet in size but can’t seem to get started, scale down and use less expensive paper. Figure out where the disconnect is between you wanting to make art and you actually being engaged in the creative process. Find a way to change what needs changing so you can move forward. If you think about it a bit, it is often less difficult than you are building it up to be.
I hope you found this post helpful and if you want to get yourself moving forward or restarted, feel free to write down these questions on a piece of paper or your journal. I am a believer in journaling and writing things out long hand. Something gets lost for me when I am sorting things out on a device - any device. But, if that works better for you - have at it.
Thanks for checking out the blog and I’d love to read your comments. I appreciate you being here and hope you find my content useful. I wish you a creative week!
with gratitude,
Claude
Collage Study based on Limited Palette
