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January 14, 2021

5 Ways To Get Through Creative Block

By Dan Tanner  |   in art products  | Tags: life lessons , wise lessons  

 

Argh guys, do you also sometimes just get totally stuck when it comes to painting and creating? I DO and it’s super frustrating and annoying! Luckily, I have a few ways to get out of my funk and I thought I’d share them with you today! :) Hope they help and if YOU have any ideas and tips about how you get through creative block DO leave your ideas below in the comment section. Let’s help each other out mkay? :-) Your presence is appreciated and loved around here lovebug! :D

Here are some thoughts on the subject and some ways to get unstuck.

 

1. If you are one to compare your work to others’ works (such a bad idea!), you might find this paralyses you at times causing major creative block. Your inner critic and inner perfectionist will have A BALL if you keep comparing your work to other people’s work. And they will be quick to tell you: “dude, give up, your work sucks, it’s nothing compared to xyz’s work’. You will feel miserable, in a rut, stuck and totally locked down by creative block. So: don’t. Don’t compare. And try not to judge your own work. Instead, remember to create for the joy of creating. You LOVE how the colours look together, how the brush strokes leave awesome marks, how gesso fixes everything, how layered collage and paint-over delight you, the whimsy and the doodles and the stripey stripes that appear from under your pencils and markers. That’s why you create, you are not in the ‘creation business’ to ‘make a better painting than hooplalala or whoever’. So stop comparing beautiful one and just make art. When you create with that freedom and joy, you will actually end up making good art, in the end, but don’t make that the point, it will stifle, paralyse and inhibit your progress and process. Make art for the joy of it and all will fall into place.

 

 

2. Maybe, for you, it’s not about feeling paralysed or stied, but perhaps you just feel really intimidated by that blank canvas or page. You stare at it and you stare some more an a bit of you is like: “I have no inspiration or imagination, what do I create? I just don’t know”. And I get it moonbeam, I do. That white page can be mighty intimidating and it can be super hard to simply start. So, here is a super easy way to simply start: STAT. Ha. ;) Take some stencils, take some inks, spray them haphazardly all over your white page: tadaaa, the white is gone! Make more mess, layer, brayer, collage, add some crayons, at some markers, make a big big mess! Play, do this freely, just get it all out without too much thinking. Use your fingers, use your heart. Avoid thoughts, thinking things, thinky thoughts, they get in the way. Just express for a while. Then stop and start looking and seeing, maybe bring in a little bit of your thinky thoughts and start finding shapes and ideas and inspiration in your mess of a background. There you go, the white blank page-itis has been cured. ;)

 

 

3. About those thinkie thoughts: sometimes too much noise is going on in your head. You’re not scared per se of the white page, you’re also not stopped by your pesky inner critic, there is simply so much going on in that head of yours, it’s stopping you from doing anything creative. Solution: take a break. Meditate, listen to a beautiful song that you love (I recommend: Dream by Priscilla Ahn), go out for a walk in nature, unwind, slow down, empty yourself o yourself, quiet your thoughts, come back to yourself, your heart, your soul and then come back to the page and begin again.

 

 

4. Ok, so for you, it’s not about comparison, blank page fear or too much noise in your head. You just feel like you can’t think of anything interesting to paint or create. You literally need inspiration or a prompt or both. No trouble mah babies, here are some ideas. Start a prompt jar. Write up a whole load of words or sentences that you like the sound of (could even be from poetry or music lyrics), fold them all up, stuff in a jar and when in need, pick a prompt!

 

 

5. Ok, if for you, you’re trying to paint but you’re just sitting there and nothing makes a difference, no starting with random background, no prompts or walks through nature (I’ve been there done that, for serious), one thing that I like doing when I get to that point; I go looking through my own work and search for paintings that I really like. I look for the ones that just made my heart sing when I created them and I simply try and replicate the same painting or the same technique, just to try and recapture that same feeling and inspiration I had when I created a painting that I really really liked and loved.

 

 

(Incidentally, this painting was creating during my Collage, Paint & Soul Class which is available as a self study here).

Other quick ideas: pinterest, music, prose, poetry and quotes can also really help me get back into my groove and feel inspired again.

The main thing you have to remember is to keep your mind open & empty (create with your intuition and heart more), don’t cloud your mind and heart with comparison & not good enough thoughts, they are killers of creative juices! Your unique creative voice needs to be heard sweetness. Your creativity is a gift to the world: don’t give up on it. :)

Let me know how you get through creative block in the comments below if you feel so inclined! Thank you for being here. I rather heart you. <3 Mwah!

 

You may also like:

  • 5 Ways To Get Through Creative Block

  • The Questions I Get Asked The Most

  • Tam’s Life Lessons – updated!

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Mixed media artist, teacher and author. I don’t see all IG msgs. For enq pls email hello@willowing.org - Join Creating Cuties:

In and amongst all the admin work and all the prep there is little to no time for art but managed to grab a small hour to create a quick sweet thing. 😊 🐱 🐈‍⬛ 😍😍😍

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In and amongst all the admin work and all the prep there is little to no time for art but managed to grab a small hour to create a quick sweet thing. 😊 🐱 🐈‍⬛ 😍😍😍

Frensies! I’m SO MEGA excited because it’s nearly time! On 1st September, A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales will open for enrolment, and for the first 1,000 magical souls, you can join at the lowest price available (these always go fast, so keep an eye out!).

If you’ve been longing for a year of creativity, comfort, and everyday enchantment, this is your gentle nudge. We’ll wander through glowing forests, meet enchanted creatures, and rediscover the magic hidden in the ordinary, with a sparkling taster event to start our adventure! 🧚✨🦄

We are deep in the trenches of prepping this magical event, I can’t wait to share it with you! 😍😍😍

If your heart needs a warm, creative hug and a sprinkle of fairy dust, this is for you. Full details, teacher line-up, and taster info are coming very soon; watch your inbox!

If you`re not on the newsletter, now is the time to join! Join the newsletter here: https://bit.ly/WillowingNews to be the first to get all the deets!! 😍😍😍 (or link in my bio/ linktree/ stories)

Open
Frensies! I’m SO MEGA excited because it’s nearly time! On 1st September, A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales will open for enrolment, and for the first 1,000 magical souls, you can join at the lowest price available (these always go fast, so keep an eye out!).

If you’ve been longing for a year of creativity, comfort, and everyday enchantment, this is your gentle nudge. We’ll wander through glowing forests, meet enchanted creatures, and rediscover the magic hidden in the ordinary, with a sparkling taster event to start our adventure! 🧚✨🦄

We are deep in the trenches of prepping this magical event, I can’t wait to share it with you! 😍😍😍 

If your heart needs a warm, creative hug and a sprinkle of fairy dust, this is for you. Full details, teacher line-up, and taster info are coming very soon; watch your inbox!

If you're not on the newsletter, now is the time to join! Join the newsletter here: https://bit.ly/WillowingNews to be the first to get all the deets!! 😍😍😍 (or link in my bio/ linktree/ stories)

Celebrate Joy. In 2014, I went on a retreat in Bali with the wonderful Flora Bowley, and for some time afterwards, I found myself playing with the techniques and ideas I learned from her in my own art. I loved discovering all the luminous colours and acrylic brands Flora used; Quinacridone Magenta, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (sadly discontinued, I think), and Turquoise Phthalo have all become favourites over the years!

This painting is one of those where I experimented with methods and ideas from Flora, but you can definitely still see the ‘Tamness’ shining through. The whimsy and quirkiness are classic Tam! I love learning from other artists and weaving little pieces of their style into my own. Over time, this process gradually transforms into something that’s uniquely yours.

That’s why I always reassure my students not to worry about ‘copying’ a teacher’s style too much. In the beginning, you might follow closely; eventually, you’ll drop the bits that don’t resonate, and keep the things that do, putting your own spin on them until, voilà, a whole new style emerges! It’s such a beautiful thing, because we’re all interconnected as humans; we learn from each other in so many ways, and it’s lovely to have a legacy of teachers leaving gentle traces within the art you create.

For me, it speaks to a kind of spiritual oneness. It reminds me how connected we all are to the whole. ✨🙌✨

Have you ever noticed little hints of your favourite artists peeking through in your own work, or a moment when something you learned from someone else transformed into something uniquely yours? I’d love to hear your stories!

This is day 17 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Open
Celebrate Joy. In 2014, I went on a retreat in Bali with the wonderful Flora Bowley, and for some time afterwards, I found myself playing with the techniques and ideas I learned from her in my own art. I loved discovering all the luminous colours and acrylic brands Flora used; Quinacridone Magenta, Cobalt Teal, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (sadly discontinued, I think), and Turquoise Phthalo have all become favourites over the years!

This painting is one of those where I experimented with methods and ideas from Flora, but you can definitely still see the ‘Tamness’ shining through. The whimsy and quirkiness are classic Tam! I love learning from other artists and weaving little pieces of their style into my own. Over time, this process gradually transforms into something that’s uniquely yours.

That’s why I always reassure my students not to worry about ‘copying’ a teacher’s style too much. In the beginning, you might follow closely; eventually, you’ll drop the bits that don’t resonate, and keep the things that do, putting your own spin on them until, voilà, a whole new style emerges! It’s such a beautiful thing, because we’re all interconnected as humans; we learn from each other in so many ways, and it’s lovely to have a legacy of teachers leaving gentle traces within the art you create.

For me, it speaks to a kind of spiritual oneness. It reminds me how connected we all are to the whole. ✨🙌✨ 

Have you ever noticed little hints of your favourite artists peeking through in your own work, or a moment when something you learned from someone else transformed into something uniquely yours? I’d love to hear your stories!

This is day 17 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

When I was a teenager, I collected elephant statues; by the time I was 18, I must’ve had hundreds. I’ve always adored elephants. There`s something about their grounded presence and quiet wisdom that feels profoundly comforting. I love that they’re matriarchal, that they mourn their dead, that they move through the world with a seeming intelligence and heart.

When Andy and I lived in Sri Lanka for three years, we visited an elephant sanctuary and it was honestly one of the most magical experiences of my life. Watching the gentle connection between carers and elephants moved me deeply. They had a beautiful closeness I silently envied!

So it’s no surprise that elephants have wandered their way into my art again and again. I love painting them both whimsically and realistically. Their shapes are so satisfying to work with: cute chonky feet, soulful eyes, those expressive trunks and giant ears; it’s like they’re built for art! 🎨🖌️

This piece, painted back in 2014, is a special one. I was exploring how to bring more “grunge” and texture into my work; layering deeply, playing with contrasts. The rough, earthy background felt like the perfect contrast to the milky-white skin of the elephant, who gazes out with such a soft, knowing expression. Even here, she seems to whisper: be gentle. be wise. be still.

I hope she brings some of that same quiet comfort to your day, too. 🤍 🐘

This is day 16 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

Open
When I was a teenager, I collected elephant statues; by the time I was 18, I must’ve had hundreds. I’ve always adored elephants. There's something about their grounded presence and quiet wisdom that feels profoundly comforting. I love that they’re matriarchal, that they mourn their dead, that they move through the world with a seeming intelligence and heart.

When Andy and I lived in Sri Lanka for three years, we visited an elephant sanctuary and it was honestly one of the most magical experiences of my life. Watching the gentle connection between carers and elephants moved me deeply. They had a beautiful closeness I silently envied! 

So it’s no surprise that elephants have wandered their way into my art again and again. I love painting them both whimsically and realistically. Their shapes are so satisfying to work with: cute chonky feet, soulful eyes, those expressive trunks and giant ears; it’s like they’re built for art! 🎨🖌️ 

This piece, painted back in 2014, is a special one. I was exploring how to bring more “grunge” and texture into my work; layering deeply, playing with contrasts. The rough, earthy background felt like the perfect contrast to the milky-white skin of the elephant, who gazes out with such a soft, knowing expression. Even here, she seems to whisper: be gentle. be wise. be still.

I hope she brings some of that same quiet comfort to your day, too. 🤍 🐘

This is day 16 of a ‘gentle return to social media’ read more about this practice here: http://bit.ly/3IHFxir 🌱

You are the light. ✨⭐️🌟💫

Open
You are the light. ✨⭐️🌟💫
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