Reignite your inspiration, passion, and creative vision!
On today’s episode we discuss investments that you can make yourself that will help reignite your creative practice. Whether you have extra money, time, or simply mental space, there are always ways in which you can level up your life and fuel your creative practice!
Investing In Yourself (and your art)
As creatives we’ve all had moments where we felt stuck and uninspired. But rather than simple creative warm ups in your studio, what things can you do outside of your usual practice that can help? There are several that can be broken up into two categories: those that involve an investment with money and those that are less money and simply time.
So although we are no longer in school, your education must continue in order to evolve!
This conversation is a helpful brainstorm if you are looking to break out of the creative block, conceptually start a new series of work, or you are taking a break from your routine and wanting to spend time playing and experimenting!
If you have some money to invest…
You can take a class or workshop in a new style, or even a new medium! By doing this you may learn some tips or techniques you can bring back with you to your practice! It can be a very beneficial experience to become immersed in someone else’s creative practice and get into a new creative space. It can also be nice to feel the creative energy of your classmates! However the goal of a class is not to repeat everything in class and have it “override” what you normally do. Ideally you will think of what you learn as tools that you can add to your existing set of skills.
You can also invest in quality art materials. Incredible art can be made with inexpensive materials, but as a general rule, buy the best you can within your budget and not so expensive that it will hold you back in your processIf it’s paint, as long as it’s decent quality, what goes in the background layers isn’t as important as what goes onto the top. In some cases the quality of your materials can make a difference in the end piece so, ask your artist friends what their experiences have ben! In other instances, money doesn’t ALWAYS reflect quality (based on your skill level) because using expensive paint doesn’t make up for lack of skill. The key is finding the best, quality to price ratio for materials!
Finally, you can invest in elevated display systems to see your artwork in a new way. This can include float frames, magnet pins for unframed works on paper, d-rings and hanging wire, a new cable system for your display wall or a new addition to your market display.
Other less expensive or free investments…
You can reignite your creative energy by taking time to play and experiment. This can include playing with new mediums, exploring new creative prompts, and exchanging materials with another artist or even collaborating on a project together!
If you are looking to create a spark conceptually, prioritize time to research a new topic and then respond to it! This can include reading books (from autobiographies to technique-based to coffee books), watching skillshare and Youtube videos, or doing a deep dive into historic art movements. Other forms of art can also inspire your visual work including poetry or immersing yourself in nature, disconnected from technology!
Physical movement and prioritizing healthy habits for your mental health are also great ways to fuel your creative practice. Afterall, as artists we are a huge factor in the creative process. So if we ourselves are not healthy, our creative energy changes. This can include exploring healthy nutritious meals to fuel you, moving your body to create endorphins, and prioritizing valuable rest.
Podcast Music By Corey Claxton:
Website: https://www.coreyclaxton.com/
Instagram: @thecoreyclaxton
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3gMzkkK
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