ART BY SIMANTEL Home | Drawings | Computer Art | Paintings | Cartoons | Art Links | Portfolio | Harlan Simantel
How to get out of a creative funk -- and get going
Have you ever painted a picture in frustration, wiping it off after a couple hours of tedious work? Maybe you've had some paintings flow effortlessly from your hand and mind. But now it feels like you're stuck and perhaps discouraged.How do you get back on track?
Here's what has worked for me:
Set goals. Write out what you want to accomplish in the next six months, year, or ten years. Be specific: "Ten paintings outside this summer...twenty pencil caricatures of celebrities...life drawing class." The more goals you have, the more choices you have. If one goal leaves you bored and disinterested, go to another one. (My latest goal for 2008 is to do a painting a day 5 days a week.)
Start a painting, then start another and another. Rather than getting bogged down in one painting, work on several simultaneously.
Make your work area inviting and comfortable. I have an ordinary spare bedroom I use for painting. It has north-facing windows with good daylight. I added some good electrical lighting; light can affect your mood. I also display my paintings on a wall so I can view my best work. A radio is usually playing music in the background when I work. I take a break ever hour or two, go for a brief walk, eat a snack, and talk to my wife (both of us now retired).
A dedicated work area helps defeat procrastination. I simply walk into my bedroom studio and can start or resume painting anytime. Everything is ready to go -- easel, panel, palette, brushes and paint.
Do something playful. "To keep one's art young, one must imitate young animals. What do they do? They play. A love of play -- serious, creative play -- is fundamental to the art of Brancusi, Miro and Calder." (Calder's Universe)
Windows Paint is a simple computer program that is installed with Microsoft Windows. I enjoy playing with simple paintings using this program. I start with an idea and often end up with something entirely different.
Cartooning is another area that gives me a break from serious oil landscapes. It's fun to think of humorous ideas and situations, and then make a cartoon that illustrates the idea.
Take a break and do something different. If you've been painting for several weeks, do some sketching for a change. Or get away from art altogether. Read for a while. Write in a journal. Go for a walk or a swim. Work on some mundane household chores. Stretch canvases or gesso some panels.
Shake up your approach. As George Costanza of "Seinfeld" fame once said, "Do the opposite!" I had been painting from photos of my neighborhood -- and I was bored. So I tried painting scenes out of my head, purely imaginary images. I felt revitalized.
Try painting big instead of small. Use a different medium. Paint a different subject. Or paint loosely if you normally paint with slavish detail. After painting about fifty 5"x7" acrylic landscapes I switched to larger panels (24"x30", 18"x24") and worked in oils with bigger brushes. It was a needed change of pace.
If you're feeling lousy about your recent work, review your best work to give yourself some needed confidence. I occasionally review my art web site, which gives me a shot in the arm. I know I can again produce good work.
Be persistent. Winston Churchill (an accomplished painter besides an inspiring statesman) said to never, never, never give up. If you've been painting or cartooning or sculpting some lousy art, go on to the next project and try again. Eventually you will create a "keeper." Successful creativity is simply a matter of playing the odds. Look at your past work and try categorizing it into three areas: best, average, and worst. It's unlikely you'll always produce excellent work. Realizing that fact should make you more forgiving of your average and worst creations. If you're currently in a creative slump, eventually the odds are that you'll hit a "bull market" period of exceptional productivity.
The key is keeping at it. Persist!
Get motivated. I read Robert Henri's The Art Spirit for inspiration. I also have several art books and magazines filled with reproductions of paintings I like. I also surf the internet for art sites. I pore over these resources, studying how artists created their art. I'm inspired to go back to my studio to try again. I also visit galleries and museums to see original art. Recently I saw Grandma Moses' paintings in an exhibition. Stylistically, she paints far different from me, but her choice of subject matter might influence my future paintings.
Socialize. Artists tend to be solitary creatures, but many of us are revitalized by contact with fellow artists. In high school I was an honorary member of "The Brush and Palette", an art studio of a dozen or so serious painters. I painted alongside them and learned from watching paintings develop, and listening to discussions of ongoing work. Watching advanced artists work from life inspired me to reach for a higher level in my own work.
A few years ago a small nearby gallery sponsored life drawing sessions every week for a small fee. Drawing from life was invigorating, and there was an invisible quiet energy in the room. It was also good to compare notes with other artists. Drawing from life was a nice change of pace from solitary studio painting.
On my web site I invite visitors to write to me. It's encouraging to get feedback from such faraway places as Alabama, Israel, and the former Soviet Union.
Write in a journal or write a letter to yourself. I occasionally analyze via writing what's going right and wrong in my painting. I also write down specific goals. Writing and analyzing what I'm doing well or poorly helps me objectively stand back and see my progress (or not) more clearly. If I hit a rough patch in my painting I sometimes stop and review what I wrote for a mental pick-me-up. Some people write a letter to themselves. Write to your future self (five years from now) and open the letter then. See if you achieved your goals.
Read inspiring quotes. I have 3 or 4 books of quotes which help motivate me and re-think my attitude if it's in a rut. I read a few of them for a few minutes every morning. Here's a good one by Louis Pasteur, the scientist: "Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity."
I pinned several quotes and self-talk tips on the walls of my studio: "Don't just copy, be creative...Remember your dream -- painting...You're a good artist, you just need to put in the time and show what you can do..."
Get physical. Making art is a demanding mental activity. Eyes and hands work in concert for hours at a time. So I take walks, bike our neighborhood, and play basketball in mild weather, and swim twice week.
Pray. I've sometimes been pleasantly surprised to see my paintings turn out better than expected when I simply pray briefly before each painting: "God, I want to capture the essence of this scene, paint boldly. Help me do my best." Say or think your own prayer and see what happens.
I haven't completely solved the problem of creating sub-par art, but the ideas I've listed above sometimes help me get back on a creative, enjoyable track. I hope they'll help you too.
All art work Copyright © Harlan Simantel
Your e-mail feedback is welcome.