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Sometimes just making marks helps to set those creative juices in motion.
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Music that is a bit more open to interpretation, instead of having lots of lyrics getting in the way, seems to work wonders for me. Stick to jazz, blues, soul, experimental, or progressive rock.
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We all have varied musical tastes, but if you’re hoping to find that creative spark through music, I’d suggest staying away from pop tunes. But, if I’m in a rut, music can often pull me out of it. These days, I mostly listen to music when I am actually creating in the studio. Music provided that extra spark for me when I was in high school and college. Music was an early source of inspiration for me. When was the last time you sat down with a great album and put on some headphones? Whether it’s playing it or listening it, music can take you to “other” places, especially when we close out other sounds and focus solely on the music. Music has always been a great outlet for me. (Keep in mind that an image on the internet is no comparison to seeing the work in person.) You can check out the finished work, including detail images, here. Below is the sketch for the finished painting. There is so much detail that it is like seeing an entire collection of works in one painting. It is an incredible work to see in person, measuring over 59″ by 87″. My favorite painting to “visit” is “The Andes of Ecuador” by Fredric Church at Reynolda House Museum of American Art. I can’t wait to get back to the studio to work. When I leave the museum, I feel completely rejuvenated, inspired, and motivated. Get “up close and personal” with the art. Study the brushstrokes, the composition, and the colors used by the artist. Get out and go to a local gallery or museum and look at the works in person. And when I say “study”, I don’t mean doing an internet search for images. We often get caught up with our own art and forget about all of the other fantastic artists and works out there for us to study. Sometimes a simple walk can lead to lots of new ideas and renewed motivation. We think clearer when we are getting better circulation. Walking also gets the blood flowing and better blood flow means more oxygen to your brain. Ditch the earbuds and let the sounds around you in. Listening to the birds sing and taking in the natural beauty of the world around us clears our minds. There’s nothing quite like going for a quiet walk on a beautiful day. When I’m stuck, these activities seem to “kick start” things for me, so hopefully they’ll work for you too. In this post, I’ll share 7 different ways to provide some room for those creative juices to flow. But when we try to force it to happen, the more it hides from us.Ĭreativity simply can’t be forced, we have to let it happen. It seems that the more room we give to it, the more it grows. If you’re experiencing this, there’s nothing wrong with you – it’s normal. Either our motivation is lacking or our inspiration is missing.