7 Ways To Activate Your Inner Artist
If you’re feeling unsure of yourself as an artist you are not alone. There are twists and turns and hidden roadblocks along the way. The only thing we know, is that we are called to be creative in some way. In order to follow this creative life, there are a few guidelines to making the road less bumpy and truly activating the your inner artist.
Actually call yourself an artist. Once you say it out loud, it becomes real. Yes, you might feel awkward or shy, but this is an important step! Once you’ve given yourself permission by calling yourself an artist, now you’ve trained your brain that you can actually do the art.
Start a sketchbook. No AI, just real thoughts, real drawings by you (a real human). It’s amazing what you can do when you allow yourself to take the time to do this. Drawing while on the phone, painting while listening to a podcast are all great ways to start a sketchbook without thinking too much about it. The act of putting marks down on the paper is training your brain, and training your hand on the connection between the two and the sketchbook is the perfect place to start.
Keep an ideas board. This could be in Pinterest, your phone, your desktop or a box of magazines tears. Whatever the format, you are collecting things that you are interested in. The detective work lies in what all these things might have in common. That’s when the fun begins and you begin to unravel what it is that makes your art unique.
Give yourself permission to make something ugly. The first painting is never the best one. The first drawing is rarely a Picasso. It takes repetition, trial and error, experimentation, along with a foundation of techniques to start your growth. Just sitting down to try is gold! Once you are comfortable with making bad art, you are on your way to making better and better art, hooray!
Practice letting go of control. As artists, we are often times perfectionist. Perfectionism is one of the stickiest ways to get stuck in the mud. Finding a way to allow things to unfold naturally, whether it is the color mixing process, your day to day routine, or that smudge on the page that you can’t seem to erase. It’s time to go with the flow, and find a way to make things work for you, not against you, however messy it all may be.
Connect with your people. Having amazing people in your life that are supportive of your creative adventures is one of the best ways to improve your art. Letting go or taking social media breaks encourages you to breath a little, stop comparing yourself to people you don’t know on the internet, and allows you the space you need to let your creative flourish.
Spend less on art supplies. There are so many fun art supplies out there that it can be truly overwhelming in the art supplies aisle. If you’re looking to get started in watercolor, you can download my starter supplies list here, with my best recommendation for one brush, one paper pack, and one set of paints to jumpstart your watercolor journey without the overwhelm.
