Finding my inner artist

[drivebybaptism]

Ok im sure this is a problem many of you have had when you start out as an artist and one Im facing now.

For some reason I cant find my inner artist, the thing in side that makes me draw for hours and hours. I can sit down with all the intention of the world but for the life of me i cant dont anything.

If you tell me to do something then as good is my witness I'll do it to the best i can. To do create something off my off back without it being too much like my inspiration (i.e a complete rip off)...nothing happens.

And if i do finally do it im too self critical and think its shit.

Do any of you have any advise or tips to over come this mental block i seem to have. Its really hindering me and drawing (sorry for pun) back from my artist goals.

[•Lindsay•]

You have to quit trying to find your inner artist. When you play baseball, do you waste time trying to find your inner baseball player? Of course not. You either play, or you don't.

I don't know if this is the root of your insecurity, but I've noticed that a lot of people feel guilty about imitating other artists and not having their own style. This is how all great artists started out, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

[wickeddiana]

Sometimes I feel this way too. I agree with what Linzoy said.
When I don't feel particularly creative, I just practice basic drawing skills. After a while I get inspired again.

[Alzorath]

When Inspired: Create what you're inspired to create.
When Not Inspired: Study your weakest skill -or- Refine one of your developed skills.

That should cover any moment you want to spend creating something.

And remember the difference between inspiration and copying - while both can be useful - inspiration requires no reference beyond an inspiring idea or picture.

[•Lindsay•]

I've been putting off writing an essay all day...

I wanted to write it, but every time I sat down to write it I felt so depressed. I've done other essays this semester, so I started thinking about why this particular essay was more difficult. I think because it's an important essay, it became so scary that I kept thinking about the difficulty of writing an entire essay, and not about the individual paragraphs. When I thought about the essay in small parts it became easier.

I'm posting this story here because I realized this is the same way I always aproach drawing. I don't start by making a painting, I start with little sketches. Again, I don't know if this is related to your problem at all, the way you described it was pretty vauge. But I'm just throwing it out there.

[Ilaekae]

i never had an inner artist. I had an outer artist, but he was an annoying little prick, so I ate him.

NOW i have an inner artist, but he's very very very quiet...

[Emerald_Mara85]

Just hold the darn pencil and draw, with feelings.
Don't think too much.
And music, the more you're syncronize with the music, the more drive and feelings you get.

[Rhubix]

life drawing has really helped me with the same problem. Get out your sketch book and as often as you can 3-5 hours at a time if you can just draw the crap out of everything. Draw people and dogs, fences, shoes, bags mops. What ever you can see. Draw like you are totaly insane and the quality in your work will go up and up. do lots of studies. If you can't think of something to draw start copying out of your favorite books, Life drawing books, anatomy books, Cartooning books- What ever your worst at. Do insane amounts of this. Eventually your brain will have a huge visual vocabulary to draw from.
Always spend lots of time doing the stuff your terrible at.
Never judge your work the day you did it.
Stop thinking too much.
helped me.

[Elwell]

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-David.../dp/0961454733

[•Lindsay•]

I like that book, it's one of the only motivational books that motivates me. Bird by bird is another good book. It's about writing, but it applies to anything creative.

[Vhan Juju]

Think about it like this.

You have to work yourself up to the point were you can stop looking, not that you have found anything, but your at a place were you can allow yourself to stop looking.

the artist is allready there, your going to look for him, and even tough he is right there like the monitor infront of you (or the mirror in the bathroom) you can't help but look.

Why?

Because its not about "finding" anything, its about validation, its about permission from this "self" that you don't feel that you have.

Things pop up when you start this process, you realize that your ashamed, hurt, scared, afraid, and all this is what keeps you from doing art, and in the end FUELS it.

Think about it like this, ever sit down to draw and you feel allmost guilty? doesn't that feeling compare to a feeling that you had when you were doing something without permission? Remember how much better something felt after getting that permission?

Here is the catcher, you got to figure out how to struggle that permission out of yourself. You have to discover a way to validate yourself as a artist.

Listion.

No Award,
No reckignision
No other persons respect
No good Comment
No Great critisism

Nothing from anyone else is going to give you what you need.

[roosketch]

This question asks the same question I've had in my head for ages... but do you also feel like when you were a kid you could just draw and draw for hours and not even think about it? Drawing was my biggest interest as a child, then I stopped doing it during my teen years due to getting a computer. Now I want to return to it and make a career out of illustration and design so I'm trying to make every sketch I do have value and it just fails. I have an idea and then I stop before I start because I know my proportions will be off and it will look awful anyway.

I think what someone else said in the thread is the answer. Take small steps, and practice... not everything you make is going to tell a story or have meaning. If you get stuck, just google image search something of interest and draw that as well as drawing from life more then eventually working on anatomy etc... that's going to be my strategy anyway

Best of luck,

- Roo

[Green-fire]

What I do is,
I Meditate and Imagine my own "perfect world"
that will get your Ideas Pumping out.
seriously
Thats how I get awesome Ideas
Also
Listening to great music will help a lot too.
Listen to The Spirited away soundtrack
then see what you can paint/draw

[sandyo]

i am looking for ideas for a poster showing biotech in agriculture and its socio-economic effects..any input or suggestions will be much appreciated..thanks

[LordLouis]

i am looking for ideas for a poster showing biotech in agriculture and its socio-economic effects..any input or suggestions will be much appreciated..thanks

Read Hobbes on the downfall of society.
Seriously.

[neohuy]

Thank you to help my depression... Start from little sketch is principle sentence

I've been putting off writing an essay all day...

I wanted to write it, but every time I sat down to write it I felt so depressed. I've done other essays this semester, so I started thinking about why this particular essay was more difficult. I think because it's an important essay, it became so scary that I kept thinking about the difficulty of writing an entire essay, and not about the individual paragraphs. When I thought about the essay in small parts it became easier.

I'm posting this story here because I realized this is the same way I always aproach drawing. I don't start by making a painting, I start with little sketches. Again, I don't know if this is related to your problem at all, the way you described it was pretty vauge. But I'm just throwing it out there.

[samthemule]

And if i do finally do it im too self critical and think its shit.

Answered your own question right there... Stop seeing red, going psycho on your own efforts.

Don't kill your dreams or be totally over-harsh on yourself.

When we go to people for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism we know people will not just bash us for no reason, so DON'T DO IT TO YOURSELF! LOL

be kind & slow down, find a way to see more than just black and white i.e, "this is good" "this is shit".

you funny man

laugh at yourself (:

[Hoosier]

it's okay to hate your own work. but allow that to push you further, not stop you. being unsatisfied with your own work is what will push you to keep getting better and close that "gap" between you and your heroes.

practice. do. get better. just don't stop. thats the thing you must realize. you'll never get any better if you stop. but like you, many artist expect the proces of improvement to be short. you compare yourself to your heroes and say "it must be so easy for them". maybe easier now, but it wasnt always like that. they became great because they never stopped. they pushed through that mediocre valley and came out the other side. you will get there eventually. just know that it is a long journey, but each drawing/painting/sketch you do brings you closer. enjoy that process

[creeptool]

it's okay to hate your own work. but allow that to push you further, not stop you. being unsatisfied with your own work is what will push you to keep getting better and close that "gap" between you and your heroes.

practice. do. get better. just don't stop. thats the thing you must realize. you'll never get any better if you stop. but like you, many artist expect the proces of improvement to be short. you compare yourself to your heroes and say "it must be so easy for them". maybe easier now, but it wasnt always like that. they became great because they never stopped. they pushed through that mediocre valley and came out the other side. you will get there eventually. just know that it is a long journey, but each drawing/painting/sketch you do brings you closer. enjoy that process

you know this post was made in November 20th, 2007,...whoever made this probably stop drawing or is a pro by now he or she may be died if all we know lol

[ConnyNordlund]

Draw stuff.
Look at stuff.
Don't care about stuff.
Take your time with the stuff.

It will happen eventually. Don't force it.