There will come a time when we had enough, we paint for several days or weeks at a time and we are exhausted, without ideas and without motivation. And this is exactly the time when we should put our tablet aside and give a space to some other creative work. Rest is important and we will not move forward under the pressure we put on ourselves. Although I mentioned in one of my previous posts that daily painting for at least 20-30 minutes is important, there is a big difference between procrastination and artistic fatigue.
A person generally needs a rest between whatever one does, even if one loves or makes a living from art. Some prefer an evening on Netflix, others jogging a round or visit a gym. In this article, however, I will share with you other artistic directions, mostly traditional, which may force you to still create, but differently and maybe help to find lost motivation and relaxation at the same time.
I'm not saying that you should immediately embark on a deep study of new techniques, but every basic knowledge of something new moves us forward and gives us an extra insight into our future work.
Abstract painting on canvas
You are upset, nothing is going well, your digital work has frozen and you do not know what to do next. Maybe it would help you to express your emotions by abstract painting on canvas. Just take the brushes, tubes with acrylic paint or even the whole can and go wild. Dare. Splash on the canvas, pour it over, take the rhythm of the music and you will see for yourself that after an hour that you will feel much better. The result will be just for you and when you hang it somewhere where it will be in front of your eyes, it will always remind you how much fun you have experienced, how much mess you have made and yet you have felt the freedom and relief in the veins permeating your body.
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is one big topic of traditional art. I tried it myself for a while, attempt to find myself and figure out what I really wanted to do in art. It will definitely entertain you for a while, there are a lot of free tutorials on the Internet. If you embark on a simpler project, you will be rewarded not only with a new experience, but also with your own notebook, which you will be able to be proud of and dedicate your most secret letters or drawings to.
Writing a diary
He keeps a diary. Ha-Ha. Like a teenager. No, the diary is definitely not just for teenagers. Many psychologists and motivational leaders, on the other hand, emphasize, support and are happy to recommend this idea. From my own experience, I'm not exactly a social type and I don't spend weekends at bars and discos, the diary forms an irreplaceable companion. Thoughts, doodles, suggestions, drawings but also sketches, highlights, everything is allowed. It is also very good for our own window into the past, an insight into who we were, how we thought vs. who we are today. We often find that what once bothered us has more or less no priority today and that can only motivate us positively.
Sending letters in modern times
If you like to talk to people who have similar interests, writing letters is more or less extinct, but there are still those who maintain this traditional style. I honestly don't know if there is a dating site for people who want to exchange letters, but I use a modern application on the phone that works on a similar principle. It's called Slowly and it is available for both Android and iOS devices. You will create your profile where you fill in some data, especially important - you define your interests and you can either search for people from the globe and send them a letter or wait for someone to send you one. The letters really arrive in few days from different parts of the world, so you have time to be in multiple conversations at the same time and you can also practice a foreign language. Who knows, maybe you will build a long-term friendship from a distance.
Outdoor photography
As artists or being just interested in art, you definitely like things and the environment around you. And nature has wonderful relaxing and healing remedies for our souls. Turn off Facebook and other social networks, take your phone or DSLR, go for a walk in nature and take photos of trees, nature details or even entire landscapes. I'm a fan of macro photography, the amazing details that can be captured with this can later inspire you and serve as a reference in your work. Listen to the sounds of the wind between the branches, the bird songs, the buzzing of bees, and imagine how to make such a sound, what would you paint?
Make yourself happy with original clothes
Digital artist, I bet your cloud or hard drive on your computer has a large number of unfinished or unpopular paintings or designs. But you may not have to discard them and they can still be useful. There are a lot of companies that focus on printing on clothes. E.g. Printful is quite a quality site and they have warehouses in Europe as well, so you will avoid customs. They have different types of clothing, either for small picture printing or all-over printing, so-called full-print, where the images are first printed on the fabric and only then the parts are sewn together. Not only you will give yourself a gift, but you will also have a unique piece of clothing for yourself.
As you can see below in the photos, I once made a kind of abstract painting and picture of koi fish. Somehow I didn't know what to do with it, it occurred to me that it might look good on clothes. The hoodie worked out and even the shoes from Asia looked great.
Conclusion
There are many ways to constantly grow and use your creative site. Netflix couching is great, but for how long? Let's try to be motivated and if we can't do it right now, we'll find something that will hold us for a while and help us get back into our creativity.
"Creativity is a combination of discipline and a child's spirit." - Robert Green