I’ve posted about things to do when you ‘aren’t feeling like it’, my sticker making journey,  and some of my older works.  It is no secret that I have been feeling a little stuck, but, by taking my own advice and giving myself time, I am coming up with different solutions to curing my creative deprivation. 

I haven’t really been feeling creating the types of art that I am used to, but, that is no reason for me to keep myself in a creative drought. 

It all started with a simple google search for “easy art ideas”, when I saw all the vibrant colors and crafts that people have already come up with.  The deeper I got, the more ideas I started to get on ways that I could create quick and fun art, yet, none of the ideas I had really hit home. I  walked around my house, and one by one, I compiled a list of found and used items.  I dove into the recycling bin and recovered all types of tops and containers, I dipped into my mom’s mini button collection and came across some cute finds, and I found a way to utilize some expired ginger biscuits in my cupboard.

Little by little, I collected all my items, sat down, and pondered all the possibilities. At first, I was planning on ways that I could make a sculpture, then it was ways I could paint a face, and then finally, I decided that I wanted to throw convention out the window and let my creative spirit free.

 I ‘therapized’ myself!   I sat on my bed and I let myself go crazy.  I put out some paint and one by one,  I took every item and stamped it onto a piece of paper until I was content. 

As I was doing this, I realized that I had somehow slowly made making art not as fun as it used to be.  I was gatekeeping myself a little bit and my standards for my own creativity became way too high, a little unobtainable, and really boring. Much like when I made stickers, I was having the time of my life doing something that I have never done before, especially because I was throwing my idea of conventional art out of the window.

Even though it isn’t something that I normally do and it isn’t exactly something that I would put on my personal portfolio.  I realized that I didn’t allow myself enough fun projects.  I let my inner child and my growing adult come together to create something that was done based on feeling and sheer excitement for creating.  

Sometimes you need to scribble, sketch dump, or stamp a bottle cap onto some old poster board for you to get in touch with yourself. If you are feeling stuck and no matter how much time you give yourself or how many project ideas you come up with, the answer might be that you need to stop taking yourself so seriously and allow yourself some artistic freedom with no expectations. Get your hands dirty!