“I have two or three days of some real dismal dragging around hoping that something will get together and strike a spark.” Richard Diebenkorn
Have you ever just stood and looked at a blank “canvas” and just did not know what to do? Yes, that happens to all of us. First, sometimes you just need a rest period, so take a break from the studio and do something else. Inspiration will come.
Roots
Tree Bark
Having an understanding of what motivates your work can be a real asset when you are blocked. You can go to the source. While gardening I can find: entwined roots that will remind me of line, the primary “Element of Design”. I can see color and shape in the bark of a tree, or the texture on a walkway.
I collect pottery: while I dust, I appreciate the shape of the piece, the subtle colors in the glaze, and think hum… Inspiration can come from many places, even house work!
Understanding where your “Creative Spirit” comes from, and knowing what motivates your work…that which you are passionate about, helps when the creative juices are blocked
Some practical suggestions:
Go to the source of your passion.
Paint your canvas a color. Don’t know what color… give a color name to your mood, mix up three values of that color, and cover your substrate.
Lay out a format and let it speak to you.
Wet your surface and just drop in paint and see what happens.
Draw a picture with your non dominant hand.
Share what you do when creative block seems to stop your work.
The Inner Nest
“I go to my studio every day. Some days the work comes easily. Other days nothing happens, yet on the good days the inspiration is only an accumulation of all the other days, the nonproductive ones.” Beverly Pepper