I really enjoyed art since I was a kid. I think that it's a really good way to evade yourself from reality. Also, you have a lot of fun, you become more creative, you can express yourself...
A lot of people believe that they cannot draw. I think that this is not true. You can have the "gift of drawing", but in my opinion practice is your bigger ally. Normally, the most difficult thing is find inspiration, or figure out what we want to draw. My advice is to not force you to make art. If you're not in the mood, you're not going to be able to create something good.
Sometimes, even if we want to start drawing, we're lost. We don't know what to paint, we think and think but our mind is going nowhere. This feeling is really frustrating, so that's why I want to give you some tips to make art when you don't find your muse!
1. Inspire yourself with other artists, without copying.
An artist is like a plant that needs to grow, and the other artists are the water required for this process. Even if you don't like the painting you're seeing, you can always find some ideas or techniques to incorporate to your work.Also you can be inspired by photography, sculptures, graffiti, tattoos... Do not put limits in your mind, learn to observe and appreciate everything that you have around! You can find ideas even in the small things!
2. Listen to new music.
This could sound stupid, but music really have an impact in our feelings, and sometimes, this feelings and emotions give life to our creations. For example, when I started to draw in a more "serious" way, I always listened to psychedelic rock. All my drawings were inspired by that. Lots of weird lines, mushrooms, weird shaped objects... It was in that moment when I realized that music was really influencing me. Try to discover new artists, new genres and explore your subconscious with them. You will find new feelings, new ideas, new ways to express yourself.
3. Talk with other artists.
To get to know people with the same interests as you is really helpful. I think that being surrounded by an artsy circle is very important, even if it is online in a forum, or in social media. You will be able to share your art with others, to ask for opinion… And the most useful thing: to see what the others are creating. You will be in contact with new forms of art and techniques that will open your mind and show you a new horizon.
4. Evade yourself with other things.
Sometimes we start to draw and we feel stuck. Especially when we really want to improve and we have the pencil in our hand 24/7. Your brain also needs to have a break. You can watch a movie, read some books or magazines, go for a walk... These are also things that will inspire you a lot. For example, I really like to draw my favorite movies. Try to relax if you cannot create anything, you will get stimulated by a lot of stuff (as I said before).
5. Don't be hard on yourself.
Often, we are really critical with our art. This was something that happened to me before. I used to draw a lot, every day, and obviously not all my drawings were good. And I threw them away, because in my mind they were not enough. This is a common mistake, because even if you don't like it, your idea is there. Maybe it was not your day and it didn't work. But you can find that drawing after one month and discover the inspiration again, and make a really good drawing based on the idea that was not working at the beginning. What I want to say, is that you don't have to underestimate your art. The idea that is not functioning today, maybe will function tomorrow.
6. Get notes.
For me it's really important to take notes about my ideas. For example, if you're walking and something pops in your mind is really convenient to write it down, to be able to develop it later and to not forget about that. You can carry with yourself a notebook too. Is really useful to make sketches if you don't have time to make a proper drawing. You'll never know when an idea is going to come!
7. Discover your style/s.
This is probably the most difficult one, and of course, you can develop more than one style, or even mix them! For me, it's really good when someone is seeing my drawings and they notice that I did it, because that means that my personal style is there. But it's a really long way. You need to work a lot, to know a lot of artists, and also to know yourself. You need to experiment, and you also need time. You will probably feel desperate at some point, but all the effort is going to be worth it if you really want to have your own way to draw. We're normally influenced by the others, about what they do or say. We try to imitate people that we admire. And with art is the same. If you want to create unique designs you need to define your own personality leaving the others aside. The most important thing is to believe in yourself.
8. Understand that there's not a right way.
This is really important. There's not a right way to create art. There's no rule. People love to see new things, so think outside the box. Be as creative as possible. Feel free to express yourself with a pencil, with pens, with black, with colors... Do whatever you want and whatever makes you happy. It doesn't matter what the others think. If you feel comfortable with what you are making, that's enough.
9. Find who you are.
This is really related to finding your own style. But I think it's the key to make better art. Maybe you need time for yourself and leave art appart. Going out with friends, meditating, traveling alone to a new place, knowing new cultures... To get to know you is the best way to evolve your art and find your own place in the artists guild. Also, you need to realize that each person has his own method. Because there's not only one way. You can reach the same goal going through different ways!
And of course these tips may not work with you, but they were and they are really helpful for me and that's why I wanted to share them with you!
I would like to end by showing you one idea that really works for me when I want to draw something but I don't come up with any design:
THE DRAWING DICE
Take a paper or other material and let's have fun creating the drawing dice!!! First of all you need to cut the paper with this shape:
Instead of numbers, you have to put things that you can draw. For example: a flower, an eye, a woman, the devil… Think about simple things that can work together. When everything is finished, you have to throw the dice, to see what you are going to draw. You can throw it more than once and try to create a composition. Also, you can make more than one, to have more combinations.
I really think that this is a good idea, and really helpful. I hope you will put this in practice and like it!
Just remember that there's as many types of art as people in the world. Experiment with everything, let yourself go, enjoy the process. Your mind has no limit and everyone can draw. You just need to believe in yourself, and any kind of art is valid!!
Now, grab a paper and a pencil and HAVE FUN!