February 28, 2022
It’s easy to get in a creative rut, but it doesn’t have to last forever. Try and get a different perspective going or change your scenery. Do something to shake up the routine and bring new influences into your life. Sometimes our brains become too rigid in their thinking because it's easier to default to what we know and is guaranteed, even if ti isn't the best for us. Our brains are tricky and can start to convince you of a lot of things, good and bad.
Check out these 10 quotes I compiled from famous artists that I love! They'll be sure to spark that creative muscle and get it flowing again.
1. Henry Moore
"The observation of nature is part of an artist's life, it enlarges his form-knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration“
Engage and enjoy less exciting moments in life, for that is where the mind learns to rest and wander to new ideas.
2. Basquait
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.”
Don’t let negative self talk dictate your future.
3. Dali
“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it”
Don’t take it too seriously, life was not meant to be so serious. Perfection is a myth to spire to, but never reach.
4. Frida Kahlo
“Really, I do not know whether my paintings are surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the frankest expression of myself.”
Each painting is a snapshot in time of an artists’ mind.
5. Emily Carr
“Art is art, nature is nature, you cannot improve upon it.... Pictures should be inspired by nature, but made in the soul of the artist. It is the soul of the individual that counts.”
Find your own voice and stay strong in it.
6. Joan Miro
“Never, never do I set to work on a canvas in the state it comes in from the shop. I provoke accidents - a form, a splotch of color. Any accident is good enough. I let the matiere decide. Then I prepare a ground by, for example, wiping my brushes on the canvas. Letting fall some drops of turpentine on it would do just as well. If I want to make a drawing I crumple the sheet of paper or I wet it; the flowing water traces a line and this line may suggest what is to come next.”
Keep experimenting and having fun with it. Don’t let the rules bog you down. Let the happy little accidents (or not so happy ones) happen, you learn something every time. And remember, nothing is permanent so you can always paint over it and try again!
7. Marina Abramovic
“Your ego can become an obstacle to your work. If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity.”
Believe in yourself, but don’t delude yourself into thinking you are any better than anyone else. Stay humble and keep playing with it.
8. Vincent Van Gogh
“If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
Paint anyways. Practice wins out every time. It doesn’t have to be good, it just has to be. So enjoy the process and Don’t stress about the outcome, let the creative energy flow through you and fill you up with life.
9. Stanisalw Szukalski
“If you want to create new things for this world, never listen to anybody. You have to suck your wisdom, all the knowledge, from you thumb. Your own self.”
Don’t let others pressure or persuade you to change your art to fit in the box they have made. Only you get to decide what your art is going to be and only you know who you are and what your ‘voice’ is.
10. Pablo Picasso
“The worst enemy of creativity is ‘good’ sense”
Don’t listen to your rational mind tell you you aren’t creative, or don’t have the energy. Even if you doodle something random and not for sale does not diminish the practice. Your life is not all about sales, play around and just have fun with it.
I hope you found something that resonated with you and gets you moving!
Peace, love & light!
