5 tips and ideas for my creatives out there in no particular order. These are some philosophies that apply in my own life that help keep the ball rolling. I know for a lot of artists the hardest part is turning abstract ideas such as art and dreams into practical day to day realities. Hopefully these can encourage you to keep creating and to help you find some solutions for your own creative process
Creative Deadlines: I try to give myself a deadline for every idea that I want to become reality, and I do it publicly. Most of the times when I announce to the world I’m going to do something whether it be via the blog, Instagram, or just in person… what I’m actually doing is setting a deadline for myself. It’s one thing to say something and not do it when it’s just a thought in your head, but when you speak it into the world the accountability goes to a new level. So when y’all see “painting coming Friday” or “new blog post this week” I’m holding myself accountable by creating my own deadlines and creating that expectation in the world. Start saying “yes” before you feel ready because if you’re waiting to feel ready you will be waiting for a long time.
Commit To Finish: what I’m learning currently is the importance of finishing work and pushing through all the phases of emotion and doubt that is intrinsic in the creative process. for me, EVERY piece has a moment where I’m thinking “I should just stop now, it’s not turning out like I wanted it to…” and I’ve started asking myself, “well how do you really know that if you haven’t finished it?” I found a whole new meaning to trusting the process. What if the feeling of failure you feel at the onset of your creative endeavors is not inadequacy but the fact that the process is yielding something DIFFERENT (not worse) than you imagined in your head? The most important discoveries in art to me come right after the decision to see a foreign idea through… that’s how you discover new styles.
Take Risks: There is no way around this. If you think about it… every innovation is a result of risk. Risk it all, many of the things holding you back from taking the risks you dream turn out to be of little consequence later. Without taking risks you will always exists within that you already know and you may wonder why you are feeling stuck and uninspired. Have you rolled the dice today?
Be consistent: My mentor Miya said it best: McDonalds is not good, but it’s really consistent. In the artists’ psyche you may be tempted to believe you’re not good enough… but try not to get it confused with not being consistent enough. Create a system, commit to the craft and I promise the skill set and proficiency will follow. Everything will grow - the opportunities, the skills, the money…just stay with it. For me, I decided to start making art every day starting in the middle of December 2021. It’s really really tedious at first and you have the push trough a mountain of resistance… but after a while it has become just a part of my life just like breathing. My goal was to be able to freehand Asian motifs from my mind without a reference, and after these first 6 months I can already see the skill developing. I can no freehand koi fish, dragons, peonies and Chrysanthemums without looking at pictures ( a skill that didn’t exist 6 months ago).
Break down large goals into tasks you can manage daily. Often the size of your dream can leave you paralyzed in your tracks. You see where you want to be but the amount of options and paths become overwhelming and choosing a direction feels impossible. This is where most people begin to think their goal is impossible. What I’ve been doing is breaking down large goals into small tasks and small goals that I can accomplish daily or weekly. You have to think of it like a house. You can’t build a house in one day but you can lay a few bricks for the house in one day. Drywall another. Electrical. Plumbing. Same principle. Just yesterday I designed and ordered my flyer for my solo show. Just one simple task. But it’s another step towards my goal and another brick… Don’t quit on your dream just cause it feels there is too much to do. Take a deep breath, take some time to plan it out. MOST large concepts can be broken down into small, very doable and very manageable ideas. Maybe what’s lacking in your process is not the resources or the skill set but the ability to manage tasks and time in a way that is efficient and inspiring to you. DO NOT QUIT on your big idea please, it may be one of the most important things you ever do. And hey, if you quit, the world doesn’t get to enjoy it. We need it!
Anyways, I hope any of this was helpful. Keep creating y’all!