Many creative people, not just painters, might go through this phase where they are stuck in a creative rut. For painters, this may mean staring at a blank canvas and being unable to begin; this is known as the fear of the blank canvas, and it can affect any creative for a variety of reasons.
Reasons & solutions
Fear
Just laying down the first brushstroke can be scary because it can be overwhelming to have to change your blank canvas into the image you have in your head. To overcome your fear of making mistakes, I recommend going bold and creating an abstract piece of work.
Overthinking
This is especially common in the early stages of painting, especially if you are a strategizer. Combining that with having to test the waters to find the right method can be overwhelming, and can frequently lead to a situation where you are thinking too much about the process rather than actually starting to paint and lay down foundations.
You may be thinking ”what can I do with a blank canvas?”. I think a good place to start is with an underpainting, which I discussed in a previous post. This technique allows you to cover the blank canvas with your first layer and encourages you to begin painting with your brush.
No inspiration
This can be the most difficult because you may be sitting in front of a blank canvas and nothing strikes you, or you may be halfway through a painting and want to start over because you know it isn’t it. In this situation, I believe it is essential to take a break from painting and feed your creativity by doing something else. This could include going on a nature walk, watching a movie, cooking something new, visiting a new café, or journaling.
This takes the pressure off of finding inspiration and allows you to take a break and be around other creative and new things that can spark ideas. This was quite effective for me because this process cannot be forced and sometimes the best thing to do is to step away and try new things to find inspiration.
Many of these creativity tips came from a book called “the artist’s way,” which I need to reread. It’s a game changer for any creative out there.
