Motivation to create

In a moment of self-reflection I’ve complied a few ideas that might help artists stay motivated.

Art Makes Great Gifts - It is the holidays so what better way to get some new work done than to give a gift to your loved ones. In most cases your family or friends desire one of your masterful creations, but just cannot afford it. Here is an opportunity to do something nice and hopefully it will have been a portfolio-worthy piece as well. Whether it is for the New Year, for your valentine or just a birthday, it is a good way to have a solid deadline and stick to it.

Trade Work - I would like to trade a piece of my work with one of my artist friends. However, I would rather give them something new. Ask your friend to trade a new piece of work and give each other a respectable deadline.

Dueling Artists - An idea that my friend Warren often proposed to stay motivated, is to create fictitious assignments for each other. Since we are both illustrators, staying fresh and sharp is our goal, plus it helps build our portfolio. Choose a subject matter or story, and then create an image for a deadline that you both agreed upon. It’s a great exercise to see how the other person interpreted the same story/subject, and also a good way to keep each other accountable for their work. It is helpful to keep a regular schedule - once a month, or even once a week. This is also a great way to get feedback from other artists and keep each other motivated.

Drawing A Day - Pretty self-explanatory. Whether it is a doodle, a location drawing while at lunch, or a sketch for the next great masterpiece, it is good to keep in practice. Exploding Dog has done an amazing amount of work based on a word, phrase, or story that fans have provided him, on a daily basis.

Build A Business - Ever wanted to start a business or a cool new band? Here is a great chance to create an entire new design for a client that will never tell you “no”. Start with the basics - an identity. Then, create some supporting materials such as a website or flyers or print ads. This is a good time to do exactly what you want without any client interference. What you put into it is what you get out of it, but it’s a great way to show some skills.

100 ideas - We read an article recently regarding writing down 100 ideas. It sounds easy but maybe not at first. Grab yourself a large coffee, some good music, then plop down with a pen and paper and go to town. Write down whatever comes to you. Could be things you want to do in the next year or it could be things you want to accomplish in the next ten years. In any case, it gets you thinking about what you are doing and what you want to do. In the end you might have 97 bad ideas, but one of those might just be a springboard for another set of ideas. Plus, that list is always something good to reference in times of brain farts.

Post by matt on 03/05
Artwork • Business • (0) Comments •