Art blocks - why do we get them?

[aya]

I suffer sometimes with art blocks, it can last for up to a month and it's very annoying, occasionally if I watch speed art video's on youtube I can break the block, I don't know what it is I just sit there with my hand on the paper starring at it, blank mind, if anyone knows any tips on breaking blocks I'd love to hear them, may be it's just me ?

[Kristian_Saapunki]

I dont know why. But I get them to. I do the smae thing as you. Look on youtube and google. Helps sometimes.
Also would like to know if any one have tips on this. <3

[CarlOwen]

Just checked your site. I have nothing more to say.

[aya]

Just checked your site. I have nothing more to say.

Hi Carl who's site?

[CarlOwen]

Changed my mind about having nothing more to say. I am referring to your site. Your artistic craftsmanship is exquisite. Your subject matter leaves much to be desired. It panders to Marque De Sade interests leaving your appeal to a very small and select buyer's population absent of purchase interest while enjoying the presentations you give online for free. Because of the paintings you have presented, I even doubt that you are who you present yourself to be. I truly hope you can retreat from your present course and present paintings worthy of your expert craftsmanship.

[aya]

You make interesting judgments, firstly I 100% am who I am who else could I possibly be, I wonder why because of the paintings you say I've presented you doubt me to be me?
up to last month my art has been very dark by nature but I paint from within and my art reflects what I am at that time. I only joined this site a few days ago and I'm really excited about it, but I'm a little saddened as a mod you make judgment so easily based on your own subjective opinion as there is beauty in ALL art in my opinion, saying that I've started to paint nicer things now mainly portraits =)
thanks for the compliment & I don't paint for money, ever.

[Kristian_Saapunki]

I just found a good tip."When lacking inspiration I find it's good to play around whit a new medium or style of drawing/painting or whatever".
Never know what you discover! =)

Edit:
I think I alrdy do this. Just never thought about it.

[CarlOwen]

Good morning. I am glad to hear you are painting 'nicer things' such as portraits. I look forward to seeing your 'nicer' work. Subjective? I agree that art is subjective. I am also of the opinion that just as the artist has the right to produce whatever kind of art they want, the viewer has the equal right to accept or reject the work and has just as much right to tell the artist why the work is rejected. Read my profile page and you will know exactly where I am coming from in regards to art.

[jenn_iam]

HI Aya,
As an artist, you will encounter a wide variety of tastes and of course opinions when it comes to you exposing your art to the world. Some good, uplifting and positive.. some more pointed, direct, critical or judgmental. That just goes with the territory.. My advise to you is do what you love. I am all over the place with my art. I do work that resembles aspects of what I want to convey in a moment... sensuality, gothic, fantasy, classical, erotic, themed, to name a few. I look back on my inspirations and look forward to the horizons of possibility of creation. I looked at your art, I personally don't have any issue with any of it, but of course I love the art of Brom and Vargas too and, like some of yours, they lend more toward the seductive nightmare art which has its fascinating appeal. But to Carl's point, that has a niche of the 'Who" or the "Market" that that type of work appeals to. Its OK to voice that potential opportunity or obstacle, its advice no matter how you look at it. My grandfather one time, when I was sharing some art... it was of a Fairy in Bondage (non-nude)... made a comment that stung a bit... he said.. You have talent, but why this crap.. Draw wildlife or the Buttes (its a mountain range, near where I live)... at first, I felt a bit hurt. But, I stepped back and said... not all art is for everyone. Its OK. I framed the work, and entered it into a competition... it won the top ribbon in its category. My grandmother, pulled me aside, and told me that that painting was "Her favorite of all of my Art so far"... This was an important lesson. We will encounter many of both sides of reactions.... but as the creator, do what you love. I have drawn wildlife, when I "Feel it"... I have still never painted the Buttes... :: shrug ::

For whatever its worth... I hope it helps. And I hope you keep posting here and everywhere... Create, Share... and sell when you feel like it... Don't get disheartened because you get negatives.. don't only glory in the positives... they both have their place... Keep balance and Create.

As for your Artists Block... I cant think of anyone who hasn't had an artists or creative block.
What do you love.... what other artists inspire you? What photography? Places? Music? inspire you. If the pages seem blank, then write.... as you write, think visually of things as you lay words on the paper... take a drive... Stare at patterns in the walls, an only that... What do you really see beyond what it is? Doodle on your writing... Have you read a book called Steal Like an Artist? Its a quick read, I just read it. I think it would be a good one to help you with some of the blocks... Unlike the title.. its not about STEALING in the sense of plagiarism... its stealing in the sense of you see something, in nature, or created by someone that inspires you of the next idea, thought, creation..etc... Don't worry about being Original, or creating the next masterpiece... Even if you start something, and you lose it part way.. STOP.. Start something new. I can't tell you how many times I sit down at the drawing desk to draw, or sketch and go through countless stops and pages of new starts... until something just Blinks into fruition... Keep at it... the right thing will Click, and you will be off n running in no time!

[Kristian_Saapunki]

Getting a bit of topic here?

[jenn_iam]

No, not really.. trying to circle back around... at least my last bit was back to the help with Art blocks..

[Kristian_Saapunki]

"Even if you start something, and you lose it part way.. STOP.. Start something new." well spoken

[CarlOwen]

How I wish I could stand down and let the world spin. I cannot. I totally disagree. If there is no one to speak out and champion recognition for the need to produce and own objects of beauty, beastly prostitution of beauty becomes the accepted interpretation of what is beautiful in the world. In my meager way I protest such a path for humanity.

Yes, I have scrapped hundreds and hundreds of project productions. I have never scrapped the idea or concept of what I wanted to produce. If NASA had followed this kind of advise we would have never landed on the moon. My suggestion is to address your block, figure out why deep down inside you are blocked and once you hear your true heart's voice you return to your project and try again. To the artist on this blog I am most appreciative that she is blocked. It tells me she knows she has chosen the wrong path and is trying to figure out a way to get away from the morass she has fallen into. I suggest she get a summer bouquet of flowers and paint it a few times. If she does it she shall know why I suggested it.

Let me put it another way. There are many motivation books on the market. Almost all of them speak to goals. Immediate, intermediate and long range. My experience has shown that this is true; in the brain left side thinking. It is not so much with the right side of the brain. Learning how to earn a buck and how to eat and support a family is left brain business. It takes time, training and focus to develop the right side of the brain. And that is the side that reads relationships, space occupancy, forms, lines, colors, etc. As you continue to challenge yourself by jumping into the deepest part of your mind where absolutely no thoughts exist and muck around you will re-emerge with an idea that can become a thought that can become feeling and finally manifest into a work of art.

It is also my experience that those of us who dwell to long in the world of hate and revulsion endanger ourselves into entrapment of self pity and rejection of social norms. That self hatred manifests into self destruction or the destruction of those around us. Now you are asking yourselves what is this guy's experience to have such a self-serving and blindly limited vision of what "true art" is?

I have been a Marine, a steel worker, a student, a husband, a father, and a grandfather. I have been a correctional officer, Lieutenant, counselor, supervisor, designer, developer and administrator of a 98% successful rate of an in-prison drug treatment program, an adjunct professor, a senior trainer at UCSD and an assistant mental health bureau chief. Oh yes, I have had over 80,000 men and women move through my assigned caseload in the 30 plus years I was in corrections. I have had my life saved by my own hand many times and by others many more.

So, I suggest artists need to focus more on what makes human existence worthy of living by producing those objects of beauty that in all of our soles we collectively wish to see and some of us have the means to own. I have seen and lived in the world of inhumanity to humanity and do not need to be educated by a young artist using art as a medium to educate the world about how smart they are and how brave they are to show the world what a terrible mess we are in. This is my artist stand until the day I die. Just hope this helps re-direct a few artists back to the path of light so to speak.

[jenn_iam]

No one is saying Not create works of beauty.. But, the just as the judgments of art is subjective so is the individual's interpretation of beauty.
And No, I would never say 'Stand down' Carl... ever... Much as my illustration of my Grandfather... though harsh at the time, I appreciated his outlook... As I do yours. But that said, I don't expect that you will LOVE everything that I create...and I, you. That is where it falls to personal taste. But then that falls to the topic and how it relates to our preferences.... we can, however still like a method, or technique, even if we do not like the image it portrays. 'nuff said on this I think as its getting philosophical... WE can go on and on.. but should be in a different thread...

I am interested in the Overcoming the Artist / Creative block, that the topic suggests.

[CarlOwen]

Good evening Jennifer. Since this is in the art therapy forum I believe my comments are appropriate in dealing with the artist's blocked problems. I have clearly stated the issues causing the block and offered a practical and philosophical way to address the block. Pity so many read my stinging comments and are blinded so as to miss or misread my positive comments. You included. I believe that for this artist that she is at the crossroads of what to do. A simple discussion about techniques and ideas is not enough for her. It will be read as a simply bland pat on the head and now go about doing what you want to do. This artist has skill and a certain boldness to test the waters. But I see she is not satisfied with what she is doing. I am attempting to let her see the trap she has placed herself in and that she has the key to get out of it. All she needs to do is to paint a bouquet of flowers to break free. I disagree with your attempt to limit the conversation to only the question about being blocked. For this artist it is a question about philosophy and the meaning of her own existence. I do not accept your judgement about the content and context of this discussion. All artists, good or bad, work from a certain philosophical point of view.

[jenn_iam]

Perhaps you have misinterpreted my thoughts or meaning in what I have said. I have no issue with anything you have said, nor where they are coming from. I understand your position and your stance on how you have come to that opinion or judgment. I am not faulting that or you at all. My initial response was not for you, as it was more for her, in the aide to help her not view any feedback towards her work with a closed mind... to take it constructively and not get personally hurt by such opinions. Comments and reactions to our art, and what we put out into the world will happen - good and bad, from our point of view. Its what we do with them that makes us and our creations stronger. You are offering a position that may or may not be leading her to her 'creative block' - Fair enough. It may or may not be true... I offered a myriad of ways to help her work past them...which may or may not help.. but in the end, its up to the person who is trying to work through the issue, is it not?

[CarlOwen]

Well Jennifer, I see your route and I have mine. It is interesting that both routes lead to the same conclusion. I agree. I hope she and others who read this can benefit from this discourse. I am done. Looking forward to the challenge of our next "discussion" some time, some where.

[texascliff69]

Aya, i think your art is stunning! you have a very uniqhe mash up of dahli/horror/goth going on, its very unique. I espeially loved Red Angels

[aya]

I appreciate everyones feedback and I have gained knowledge from your story Jen and from your suggestions Carl, and thanks Cliff-ksart!
you must have been over the moon happy when your Grandmother said to you it was "Her favorite of all of my Art"!

Carl I am aware of the benefits of painting the things that the majority would consider acceptable, and I understand you're stuck in your ways of thinking and you will never change, but I'm quite the opposite wherein I realize actually I Can learn from younger artists, in fact my son teaches me a lot about art every single day.
up till last June I worked for a dark minimal records label and produced lots of album covers for musical artists & I also designed tattoo's, so there is a huge audience for my art financially I was very happy.
if I do change my path but it wont be because I think the path I'm on is dark or evil.

The 1 thing that blocks me 90% of the time was money, when I'm commissioned to do a piece or if there's money involved I feel like it almost changes the motive for my creating the painting & I found myself losing motivation rapidly, thats why I paint for free now x

[jenn_iam]

Aya,
Yes, it was a delight for sure. She was such a quite person, complete opposite of my grandfather. And, both you always knew where you stood... I appreciated them both for sure.

As for the blocks.. I was thinking some more on it last night. Why must every time you, we, sit down to draw must we expect it to be a masterpiece.. or a full painting. Sometimes I sit down to draw, and just practice things, or sketch not anything in particular.. .but just to keep the juices flowing so to speak.
As for compositions of paintings... I try to draw it a few times before I really settle on what 'Will be" paintings final layout.

"1 thing that blocks me 90% of the time was money, when I'm commissioned to do a piece"

I would say... don't focus on the money... talk to the person... is your commission of a piece that they have a pre-conceived vision of? if so... understand what they Think they would like to see.... I have to do this when I do Storyboards often... you need to translate what their idea is to art... but it will be defined and rendered in your style and fashion. They want you to do it, because they already like your work.... You, in turn, use the client and their ideas as part of your initial inspiration to get you started...

Another option, is don't do commissions. But, instead, put your early designs out for work you are already in progress on, and define when you will take pre-purchase. that way the stress of $ = deadline is virtually non-existent. You can still make money if you want, and you set your own timeline for art completion.

In the end, the journey of the how or why we create art is at the individual level. These are just ideas... hope they spark something that works for you.