Bad Art Days and How I Deal

Yesterday I attempted to paint a watercolor face and, after trying three times, I gave up and decided to go to sleep because I had an appointment in the morning I had to wake up early for. 

Here are two of the three sketches I made on good watercolor paper which I then painted and ruined. At least I got in my face drawing practice for the day (silver lining!). 

I'm usually a pretty stubborn person and think (maybe naively?) that I can accomplish whatever I set out to accomplish. However, when things simply don't turn out the way you want them to by the third try and two hours later all you have to show for yourself are three pieces of ripped, crumpled paper, it's easy to start second-guessing yourself and your abilities. 

Yes, I got a little frustrated and mad at myself for wasting my good watercolor paper. Nonetheless, I took a breather and reminded myself that the time I put in was not wasted at all. In fact, I learned many things from my failures that I will be applying the next time I try this out again. I also reminded myself that, I cannot expect myself to create a masterpiece after having only dedicated a short amount of time to this particular technique applied to this particular subject. I reminded myself that every artist has his/her own strengths and weaknesses and that this is a good thing. This is what sets us apart from each other and gives us space to grow and explore. We are also human beings and every single day has its own set of variables which may be affecting us mentally and/or physically. 

If you ever have what I call a ¨Bad Art Day¨, give yourself a break. This doesn't mean you are a bad artist or that you should stop altogether. Don't let yourself be consumed by your frustrations and take this as a sign to do other things that are important in life as well. You could clean/organize your workspace, play with your pet, get a workout in, prepare some healthy food, spend time with loved ones, watch a good movie, etc. All of these activities will affect your work in a positive way when you get back to it later. 

As a creative, what brings me the most fulfillment is probably the act of producing something that started in my own brain and was made with my own hands. The sense of elation that I get from creating is something like a drug to me. I get obsessed with this feeling and wanting to improve in order to create even bigger and better things. I am also an introvert and have no problem spending my entire day indoors working, so I have to make an effort to stop and do something else. It is important to remind myself that I am not a machine and more areas of my life need attention. What's more, it is the experiences we have in life that bring us the strongest inspiration. Think of how much better your art would be if you dedicated time to your mind and body and actually made time to enjoy what life has to offer! 

If you ever have a Bad Art Day, take a breather. This is normal. Don't be so hard on yourself and think of how far you have come. Nothing great comes easy and/or fast. If you are anything like me and you like constantly stepping up to challenges, congratulate yourself for even trying. Stepping our of your comfort zone is an act of bravery and will ultimately lead to growth. If you are putting in the work, trust that you are getting better and keep going after having taken a mental break. If you know in your heart that this is your passion, don't ever give up.