As an artist, finding inspiration for that next painting can be a real challenge. At times, it feels like there are no good ideas out there and you just don’t know where to start. We’ve all been there! In this blog post, I share some of my favourite ways to spark that creativity when I feel like this. From exploring the city streets, to reflecting on past work, this list has helped me break through creative blocks and get back to the easel!
Strolling through the city
Exploring nature
Looking back over past work
Attending cultural events
Staying curious
Strolling through the city
Looking at my current works, you’ll easily recognise the inspirations I’ve drawn from cities I’ve lived, worked and visited.
With a curious mind, I like to walk through the city’s streets, observing the buildings, natural surroundings, people. I love to take notes of the colours, textures, patterns that catch my eye. I’ll write about how I’m feeling, the smells, the noises, the light as I create quick sketches and take photographs. Take the time to really look around me and notice the details. Be open to inspiration from unexpected places – a simple walk down the street you live on might spark an idea to create that new piece of art!
Exploring nature
The natural world has been a source of inspiration for artists since the beginning of art. There’s something nourishing and refreshing about being surrounded by nature (for us city folk at the very least!) that can trigger a new idea. I’ll regularly go for walks in local parks and on hikes to do just this. Take time to explore and notice everything about the environment you’re in, from the vast to the tiny. Again, making notes, sketching, and snapping photographs will help capture the details for future you. From a wildflower meadow in the sunshine, to the cooler redwood forests where patches of light hit the ground, there’s inspiration to be found in all different environments.
Looking back over past work
On my recent trip to London, I found myself reading through old sketchbooks and reviewing my paintings from the noughties. I realised there were threads from previous works that I was already pulling on, and found other ideas and techniques that I’d love to pick up again. Looking back over past work can be a great way to rediscover your previous ideas and elements that you’d like to explore further. Take some time to reflect and journal on past work, and take your learnings forward through experimentation – I plan to do just this!
As I child (and still today as an adult), I absolutely loved visiting art galleries and museums. There’s so much to be gained from visiting these places, whether you’re interested in art or not. These days when I see works from other artists, I’m study the collection at large, and the individual pieces. On top of analysing the artwork and considering my own reactions and feelings, I love to learn about the stories and context behind the pieces. Learning about other artists and seeing other works can trigger inspirations for my own works; this may be a theme I want to explore, or technique that I want to integrate into my own art practice.
Attending cultural events
There’s a lot to gained to opening yourself to creative inspiration from all different types of cultural events, from concerts, to plays, to dinner experiences. Immersive experiences that transport you out of your studio can spark new ideas. From the feelings you experience, to the movement and rhythm that you observe. After such experiences, I find myself energised as I step back into the studio!
Staying curious
Inspirations can come from the most unexpected places. I’m constantly on a learning journey – it’s something that drives and excites me. By actively seeking out new experiences and knowledge, I find myself constantly expanding my perspective and opening myself up to new ideas. These ideas often start a new train of thinking about my own works… Here are a few ways to stay curious:
Books: Not just books on art or artist! Reading a wide range of topics can expose you to new ideas and perspectives. You may be surprised by the inspiration that comes from learning something new. I recently read a book set in a different part of the world that I hadn’t visited in a long time, but it sparked some ideas about new paintings from that region!
Podcasts: From staying up to date on current events to exploring new ideas, there are podcasts on just about every topic imaginable, so find one that interests you and give it a listen. Podcasts often keep me company in the studio.
Classes: Taking a class in a new subject can be a great way to learn something new and gain inspiration for your art. Whether it’s a cooking class, a language class, or a photography class, you never know where your next great idea will come from.
Summary
Finding inspiration for your art is all about staying curious and keeping your eyes and ears open to the world around you. Whether you’re taking a stroll through the city or listening to a podcast, there are countless ways to spark your creativity and find inspiration for your work. Any time I’m in a rut, I take this list out and do a bit of exploring and experimenting until I have an idea for my next piece!
Do these thoughts resonate with you or do you have other tips and tricks that I should have on my radar? I’d love for you to share them with me in the comments.
Maybe you get inspired by music or even certain people. Sometimes, though, especially when you're in a creative rut, the best thing you can do is look at the world around you and let it inspire you in new and unique ways. Using the world around you as inspiration for your art can get your creative juices flowing.
Maybe you get inspired by music or even certain people. Sometimes, though, especially when you're in a creative rut, the best thing you can do is look at the world around you and let it inspire you in new and unique ways. Using the world around you as inspiration for your art can get your creative juices flowing.
Art has the power to change the way we see the world, awakening us to new perspectives, ideas, and values. It can take us back in time to reflect on our past or push us further into our future. Art can bring awareness to social issues and foster a sense of acceptance — bringing people together regardless of background.
Inspiration (from the Latin inspirare, meaning "to breathe into") is an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or visual art and other artistic endeavours. The concept has origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism.
Surround yourself with sources of inspiration. Explore different art forms, visit galleries or museums, read books or articles about artists you admire, or engage with other artists in your community. Expose yourself to new ideas because other peoples' creative work can spark motivation and ignite your own creativity.
There are countless reasons that motivate the creation of art; some of them are making our surroundings more beautiful; creating records of a specific time, place, person or object; and expressing and communicating ideas. Art is inspiring and stimulating for the human mind.
A good way to answer this is to consider what art means to you and what you want to accomplish as a professional artist. Example: "My motivation for making and selling art is to illustrate my experience as a child growing up close to nature.
It's about creating something that speaks to people and moves them in some way. It's about creating something that captures the essence of the world and allows us to see it in a new light. A good artist has the power to inspire, challenge, and move us, which is truly special.
Whether it's nature, architecture, music or other artists, art inspiration can come from nearly anywhere. It's an essential element for artistic mediums from pottery, poetry, sculpture and glass painting to welding, woodworking and even textiles and paper art.
Go for a breath of fresh air, go to museums, concerts, watch people walking around, get inspired by nature, and spend time with your friends. All of these activities give you new things to write about in your drawings. There's nothing worse than sitting at home and thinking.
A muse is a great source of artistic inspiration. Artistic inspiration manifests in different ways for different artists. It might arise from a deep emotional connection to a particular type of person or a group of people. Artistic inspiration might come from a certain place that incites creativity.
It can create empathy and understanding, challenge the status quo, and inspire action. Whether it's a painting, a photograph, or a piece of performance art, art has a way of connecting people and inspiring them to take action.
Additionally, regardless of whether a piece of art is ancient or yet to be created, it serves a purpose—every piece of art exists for a reason, and these reasons constitute its functions.
One of the best ways of finding inspiration as an artist is looking at other artists' work and learning from them. And the more you paint, the more you learn, and the more you are able to look at other artists' work and decipher what they were doing and their thought processes behind what they were doing.
A muse is a great source of artistic inspiration. Artistic inspiration manifests in different ways for different artists. It might arise from a deep emotional connection to a particular type of person or a group of people. Artistic inspiration might come from a certain place that incites creativity.
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Introduction: My name is Jamar Nader, I am a fine, shiny, colorful, bright, nice, perfect, curious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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