For me even when I’m not painting I’m still in the process. Even if I haven’t painted for 4 years I’m thinking about how to get back to it, being inspired but scared to start.
Part of the process of painting, is getting myself into a state in which I can physically and mentally do it. Getting rid of anxiety, having enough energy and a good chunk of time. I do also agree that ‘inspiration finds you working,’ but if you’re in a really low energy state – let’s be realistic, you aren’t going near your canvas.
So how do you get yourself better and fitter to do the work (or should I say play)? Because you need to start playfully, it has to be fun and light – at least to begin with.
I’m going to try and distill how to get from not painting to painting. Of course this applies to any creative pursuit…
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
You need to get better…. Eat nice healthy food, sleep at regular hours, go for a walk, relax without guilt. Go to exhibitions to get excited and inspired again. I also recommend going to see bad art to remind yourself that you do have a talent that should be shared with others.… and allow yourself to feel bored. When your energy levels are restored and you feel relaxed you will naturally want to do something.
Oh and put your phone away. I sometimes put my phone in a hard to access place – a shoebox at the bottom of a pile of other heavy shoeboxes. The key is to create friction for the distractions and reduce friction from the things you want to do.
BE AN INDIVIDUAL
Creative people get sad and frustrated when they don’t create. After reading some of the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard’s musings I realised that maybe I was feeling unfulfilled because I wasn’t expressing myself. He is often regarded as the father of existentialism, and placed a strong emphasis on individuality and selfhood. Kierkegaard believed that true individuality is achieved through a process of self-discovery and personal choice, rather than simply conforming to societal norms or external influences.
I didn’t feel like an individual. I’ve tried other hobbies in the past year, more group activities but nothing gives me as much joy and fulfilment as painting, I feel like ME when I’m in the flow, like I’m doing what I should be. So I should commit to it. I flirted with other pursuits, I suspect to avoid the pain of starting painting, but my true love is painting. I feel like my paintings are a unique expression of my inner world so I should use them to feel like more of an individual. There’s some taking back of power involved too, taking back my attention which in recent years has been scattered.
Kierkegaard turned to religion to help save himself and his sanity. I’m not sure I want to choose a religion to follow per se, but I do think he was onto something. Substitute art for religion and I may feel less existential angst.
PREPARE TO WORK
If you too are struggling to get back into the habit of painting, some steps to take to start again are:
Check paint.
They may be dried out. This will be a bit upsetting as you will have to fork out a fair bit of cash to replace those tubes. However if money is tight you could restrict yourself to working in black and white or just work with the paints that haven’t dried out. Limitations are important at this stage to simplify the process and just get you moving forward. Less decisions and choice = more creativity.
Prep your canvases
Pull out old frames you can stretch canvas onto, also old paintings you could paint over or destroy and use the frame for a brand new blank canvas.
Stretch the canvas and prep with primer. I promise you the physical act of making some beautiful blank canvases will get you in the mood and make you feel like an artist again. Plus you’ll be spending time in the studio and getting comfortable with the space again. You can start organising your materials in a manner that will make painting easily accessible again.
Review old work
Look at old work, find a thread to continue. For example take a small section of a piece of work you like and enlarge it to make a new piece.
Start small
If painting feels overwhelming – sketch, doodle and collage. Get familiar with colour again. Take note of colour combinations you like, combine them in simple geometric patterns if you don’t know what to paint. I like to paint patterns of triangles on mountboard as a simple painting exercise. Not original but I did make one of those paintings into a textile design. You just need to get used to having a paintbrush in hand and mixing paints again. It’s very therapeutic.
Start small, don’t be precious. It’s all just exercise. Work with what you have and don’t beat yourself up for not doing enough.
Paint for yourself
This takes the pressure off trying to create a masterpiece. Find a space on your wall which needs a painting and create a piece which will fit that space. You’ll save money by painting your own contemporary work of art.
Paint for a friend
Maybe a friend has moved to a new home and needs some art for their bare walls, or their birthday is coming up. You could offer a painting as a gift or as a commission. This will give you a relaxed deadline and motivation to get on with it. Making work with someone else in mind also offers some inspiration and a loose brief.
FEEL GOOD, RELAX!
At the moment my excuse for not painting is that it’s too hot to paint in Madrid. I am planning to start sometime in September when it is cooler and my energy levels are back up. I am slowly organising my space in preparation. I could also set up a fan, a comfy chair and work on small canvases I can hold with one hand. Unfortunately I do have the fear and other tasks I need to focus on right now like marketing my shop. I look forward to the day when life is simpler and I only have two things to focus on in my life but I doubt that day will ever come.
The main goal is to feel good, to enjoy the passing of time. If you don’t paint it would be a shame but it’s not the end of the world. Be assured that you will want to do it enough to start – eventually. I believe the key is to be relaxed about it. But to get to a state of relaxed bliss these days is quite a task in itself.
