The No Flow Feeling
We were all born artists of some sort if we care enough to believe it. We all have wide open eyes to support wide vision.
Orly Avineri
This is my set up.
Because finally I had some time to paint in my Art Journal. I have longed for this moment! There’s just been so much else happening lately that there was not energy for “studio time.” It’s been conferences, events, work, article writing, editing the embroidery mag with lots of computer time. But now it’s time to I say: hello again art journal!
Then when I stare at the already gessoed page in my altered book I’m not sure how to go about this. How do I apply paint and most of all: how do I get the page to look like all the pinned ones in my mind? It’s not what they call a creative block but rather a feeling of being lost. Icki helping out too. Where do I start? How can I get into the flow? I squirt out some red paint and paint some circles on there. Okay, good. That’s a start…
Not sure where I’m going with this but time’s up for now. This is how I left the page. I will show you how the page ended up in my next post.
What do you do when you have the time to create/paint/draw/doodle but it is still hard to “get going”?
I choose the color that I like at the moment))
I think we feel a lot more pressure when our time to work in our journals is limited. I think that’s the major benefit of the “art journal every day” movement–by doing a little bit every day, we relieve that pressure of, “okay, I’ve got time now; I better make it good!” The best thing to do is just what you did: pull out the paints and go for it. After all, there won’t be any flow on the page until the paint gets flowing!
On a side note, I was inspired by your list of “100 ideas to spark you into creative action” and have created the same sort of list for my blog (crediting you for your great inspiration, of course!). Thank you for keeping those creative ideas coming!
The key that always works for me is to differ my work. There’s always something that get me going. If nothing else works I’ll read a book and most times I get lots of inspiration from them. Good luck with your flow, lets hope for a less tight scedual and a big overflow.
To quote Juliana Coles, “You begin by beginning. Touch your stuff” This ALWAYS seems to work for me. Although I must admit I have never really gotten an art block. I always have a million ideas/thoughts in my head. Too much so at times.
Hey Hanna, you quoted me, cool!!
I love these pages, not sure about needing to continue. Most of the time though, I keep on transforming and changing, and layering, concealing and revealing my visual information. It can take hours till I’m happy. So I think no expectations what’s so ever works best. We gotta understand deep inside of us, that creative blocks are an integral part of the process, they are desirable, they are helping us grow. XOXO
What do I do at times like that? Hmmm, surf the internet and visit blogs like yours, to find comfort in the fact that other artists have that same feeling every now and then.
I usually do one of these –
Just pick up materials and begin, whether I’m inspired or not – something usually clicks after a while and I can get into my project
or
I do something else, take a walk, go out – when I CAN’T work on my project, I crave doing it more & going for a walk usually calms my mind enough to let some ideas flow.
I have a glue journal; one for doodling; ideas with pictures; one with color combinations..I think I have started at least 12, none of them finished. :) What I do have is a space of my own and just leave it until the feeling comes back (which as you know due to the daylight could be at 3am).
Me, again. sorry for all the comments, but this so strikes my familiar button. It’s funny how, when I have time I often don’t flow well. It does take a long time to get going. Sometimes it helps me to have things half-started, so I can remember what that flow was like and then continue. I’ve always enjoyed editing more than writing. Odd. In any case, having read your next post I see that you triumphed!
There is nothing more frustrating when you have art time and are lacking motivation! I will often tidy up a bit and pull together a few things that “speak” to me… usually it doesn’t take long to spark an idea and get creating!
I love the start you have made! I think that the less time I have, the more pressure I put on myself to do something worthwhile so I don’t waste the time I have…this tends to lead to an instant block! :)
I try to just grab some paint and put it down, even if I am not feeling it, usually eventually I get into the flow. Other times I need to stop trying and go for a walk or fold the laundry. Usually I find myself inspired again.
Other times I will go to a page I have already started, and look for an image. Or pull out what I can and just make marks and play.
I start re-organizing my “stuff” and I usually find something that inspires me to create. Most of the time I forget all the cool, creative things that I have acquired.