What, exactly, does the term 'flow state' mean? Why is it important for artists and creatives to experience it on a more consistent basis? How can I get into 'flow state' as I'm working on my art? We experience 'flow state' or 'creative flow' when we're fully immersed in a task, whether it be painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, or playing music. Our minds and bodies seem to be working in unison when we're experiencing a state of flow. Unsurprisingly, it leads to our best art...without us even trying too hard. There are no negative voices coming from inside us, critiquing our every move. Distractions seem to be non-existent. Most of all, we're enjoying what we're doing so much, that time seems to fly by, or it seems to be suspended altogether. 'Flow state' is a term that's mostly used in the creative world, but it's important to know that someone can experience this while doing many different activities. We can feel it when we're cooking, cleaning, driving, doing some type of task in our day job... Athletes are also known to experience it when their playing their sport. However, the arts are incredibly mind and body intensive, and it can be difficult to get back into flow after it's lost. Not to mention, today's fast-paced/distraction-filled world seems to be the antithesis of the focus and time required to do creative work. For many of us, it can seem nearly impossible to get into flow state. But it's important to experience it because it's when we create our best work and when we enjoy ourselves most. This leads to greater consistency and more growth over time. In the video below, I tell you how to do this!
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
How to experience a state of flow more consistently as an artist
1. Prepare yourself mentally and physically before sitting down to draw or paint When you're feeling relaxed and ready to focus, it'll not only show in your work, but you'll enjoy the art-making process much more. Instead of jumping straight into drawing or painting when you're stressed out and have lots of things on your mind, take 5-10 minutes to prepare your working area so that's inspiring and comfortable, as well as to get into the right headspace. Explore breath work, taking a walk outside, meditation, journaling, stretching, dancing or simply listening to music. Find a little pre art-making ritual that works for you and do it. 2. Avoid multitasking and distractions In today's world, it feels like there are 50 things calling our attention, all at once, 24/7. However, I assure you that, outside of work and responsibilities we have with our loved ones, nothing is really that important. Working on your personal goals and making time for what fulfills you is more important than wasting your most valuable resource (time), scrolling on social media, watching alarming news, and binge-watching the latest t.v. shows. It's essential to establish the days and times that you'll be devoting to your art practice, and to let your loved ones know when you'll be working. Schedule it in your calendar/weekly agenda, just like any other appointment or important task you need to get done. During these times, silence your phone, close your email and other unnecessary tabs/windows on your electronic devices, and only use the media you need for your art creation. Focus! It may seem impossible at first but, the more you practice this, the easier it becomes. 3. Make sure you're working within the Goldilocks Zone I talk about the Goldilocks Zone in this video. In order to experience this beautiful state of flow, it's essential to pick projects (or studies) with your current skill level in mind. This is because you need to be able to go in with a certain level of confidence in order to "let go". If everything is completely new to you, and the piece on hand requires methods, techniques and/or information that you've never practiced or learned before, it's going to be impossible for you to do this. The process on hand needs to be familiar enough for you to get to a certain point relatively easily, but just challenging enough to feel like you're pushing yourself a tad past your comfort zone. *Bonus tip: Remember that not everything you create has to be a masterpiece or even "good". As artists, it's not only healthy, but important, to give ourselves permission to experiment and even fail. Practice creating art for the process and discovery it brings, not for the sole purpose of creating a perfect product. Stop overthinking, allow yourself to play and let the chips fall where they may.
*Articles on Creative Flow: How to get into Creative Flow State by Jake McNeill Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi by Mike Oppland Creative Flow as a Unique Cognitive Process by Charlotte L. Doyle
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What does it really take to develop one's own artistic style and voice? How do professional artists get to a point at which their artwork is unique and seems to be an extension of themselves? Is there anything that artists just getting started can do to get there sooner? In today's blog post/YouTube video I'll be sharing a fundamental aspect behind finding one's own artistic style and voice that's rarely, if ever, discussed. I'll also be sharing some key tips that have helped me make a ton of progress with this in my own journey. So, let's just cut to the chase. The fact is that becoming an artist that creates unique, quality artwork is just as much about doing the internal work as it is about continuing to develop our cold drawing/painting skills. Why? Because it's through the introspection, self-analysis and even self-discovery that takes place as you continue honing your art skills that you'll be able to start peeling back the layers and learn who you are as a human being, as well as how this relates to your very own creative process. You must find out who you are, the message you want to share with the world and how you want to share it. Without comparing yourself to anybody else. If we don't practice listening to ourselves throughout the creative process and we constantly depend on external inspiration in the form of other artists' work to get started, we risk never finding out enough. We risk not connecting the necessary dots so that we're able to create something from scratch that's truly ours. Think about it. If there's one thing that all kinds of artists who manage to constantly create unique, meaningful work have in common...one thing that makes a person stand out from the crowd, it's the fact that they know who they are. They know what's important to them and are unapologetically themselves. Don't get me wrong. Developing our cold artistic skills and knowledge on Art Fundamentals is essential when we're just getting started. In my blog post titled 5 Tips for the (Serious) Self-Taught Artist, I get into the importance of learning about Art Fundamentals, as well as why its vital for serious artists to adopt a learning mentality and to embrace exploration. It's through knowledge about Art Fundamentals that you'll be able to make use of Elements and Principles of Art effectively, in a way that's visually impactful, harmonious, balanced and that transmits your message. This knowledge also provides you the confidence you need to trust in yourself artistically, which is so important. And yes, we're always going to be inspired and influenced by other people's work (visual artists and otherwise) that has impacted us directly or indirectly throughout our lives. Our art is an extension of ourselves after all. But there are effective ways to do it and others which aren't so helpful if we're already at a certain skill level. In this blog post, I explain how to get inspired by other artists' work in a way that isn't copying and that will actually get you closer to discovering your own art style. Even though there's nothing "new" under the sun, no one else in the world has that exact combination of influences and experiences you have. And you better believe that you have the ability to create an original mishmash of all those things. Here are the objective/tangible aspects that we often consider when looking at our own or someone else's artwork: But, what about the more subjective aspects? What about those things that cannot be readily described, but felt and understood at a deeper level? What about the artwork's overall mood, message or story? Artists who've developed a unique style and voice, find their own way of making use of their medium(s) and the aforementioned objective/tangible aspects in order to transmit a particular feeling or message that connects to who they are. And while this message doesn't have to be anything complex or grandiose, it does have to come from you.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
Creating quality original artwork comes down to two things: a) Having an original vision and a message that's meaningful to you b) Having the skills and tools necessary to see it come to life As you continue honing your skills and mastering your medium, start reflecting on your creative process, what you're enjoying and not enjoying, the commonalities that you're finding in the pieces you've created, your personal strengths and weaknesses, what strengths you'd like to enhance and what weaknesses you want to work on, etc. Also ask yourself what's most important to you, what life/world issues deeply affect you, what change you'd like to see in the world, what life lessons have marked you or made you different from others, etc. Remember that, even though a lot of us are total introverts and work in isolation, we create art to ultimately share it with others. We create art to communicate important issues, bring light and/or build bridges. What is it that you want to communicate with yours? Then, work intentionally, based on your findings and the goals you set for yourself. Here are a few specific tips that'll help. Tips to Find Your Own Art Style and Voice 1. Prioritize and stay consistent
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Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything.
-Eugene Delacroix
Do you love creating art but often get frustrated with yourself because the outcomes of your drawings or paintings aren't what you expected them to be? Are you constantly comparing yourself to other artists you come across online or through social media? Do you feel anxious to get to where others are, even though you know they've been at it for far longer than you have?
Today I'll be sharing a video in which I explain why artistic perfectionism is something that we should do our best to move past. I'll also be sharing a couple of my own experiences as a recovering perfectionist and specific tips that will help you overcome this harmful habit so that you can make faster progress.
I believe perfectionism is amongst the worst habits that we can have as creative beings. It oftentimes paralyzes us from even getting started or stops us from creating the amount of work we should be doing in order to truly progress artistically.
As artists, we shouldn't be striving to achieve masterpieces with every-single-piece we create and should give importance to the entire creative process, not only the end-product.
This includes explorations and smaller studies we may have to do prior to starting a larger piece.
It's these imperfect, messy works that allow us to get to know ourselves artistically, as well as what we want to put out into the world.
Hope you enjoy!
Do you love creating art but often get frustrated with yourself because the outcomes of your drawings or paintings aren't what you expected them to be? Are you constantly comparing yourself to other artists you come across online or through social media? Do you feel anxious to get to where others are, even though you know they've been at it for far longer than you have?
Today I'll be sharing a video in which I explain why artistic perfectionism is something that we should do our best to move past. I'll also be sharing a couple of my own experiences as a recovering perfectionist and specific tips that will help you overcome this harmful habit so that you can make faster progress.
I believe perfectionism is amongst the worst habits that we can have as creative beings. It oftentimes paralyzes us from even getting started or stops us from creating the amount of work we should be doing in order to truly progress artistically.
As artists, we shouldn't be striving to achieve masterpieces with every-single-piece we create and should give importance to the entire creative process, not only the end-product.
This includes explorations and smaller studies we may have to do prior to starting a larger piece.
It's these imperfect, messy works that allow us to get to know ourselves artistically, as well as what we want to put out into the world.
Hope you enjoy!
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
How does one go about making a living as an artist? How do working artists manage to juggle their art production, marketing, all of the administrative tasks that come with running a business and their own personal life? What does it really take to be able to sell art online? How can we deal with artistic burnout/creative block in order to keep producing consistently?
Podcasts and YouTube videos created by working artists and art-business experts have been invaluable for me ever since I first started planning on leaving my last "normal" full-time position, up until today, as I navigate the challenges of online creative entrepreneurship (while still teaching and selling locally).
Today, I'll be sharing my top five.
Honestly, if it weren't for all of these amazing people sharing their own experiences and advice so generously, I don't think I'd be here today. I simply wouldn't of had the courage to leave my many years of working as an employee and starting my own art business.
Check out my past blog post/YouTube video titled How I Became an Artistpreneur to learn everything I did to prepare to leave my last full-time job.
I absolutely love listening to these podcasts as I draw or paint and I highly recommend all of them to anyone who's just getting started with selling their art or wants to make any amount of income through their artistic skills.
All of these are both inspiring and incredibly useful as they provide practical, actionable tips to help get your art career up-and-running.
I talk more about each of the podcasts in this video and you'll be able to find direct links to all of them below.
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
Best Podcasts for Artists
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
Do you frequently go through periods of feeling too unmotivated or uninspired to work on your art? Do other artists' posts on social media make you feel behind, inadequate, and/or like you'll never be able to reach their skill level? Do you often struggle with finding new ideas to create original and meaningful artwork, and wonder how other artists seem to be able to constantly pump out new work?
In the video included in this post, I'll be sharing ten specific things I do on a daily/weekly/monthly basis that help me avoid art block, as well as practical tips to overcome it. It's important to understand that burnout happens to all kinds of creators from time to time.
Every-single-one of us goes through periods in which we're unable to produce the same amount of work (or the level of work) that we know we could be producing.
There's nothing wrong with you and this says nothing about your abilities. If it happens frequently, though, it's essential to set systems in place that will help you move past them and continue progressing towards your goals as quickly as possible.
Being an artist is tough!
If we really want to improve our skills and make a living (or side income) from our art one day, it's essential to stay determined and disciplined. We have to consistently create new work and have the courage to share it, as well as our inner thoughts, with the world. Even when no one seems to be paying attention.
We're also often very hard on ourselves and expect the outcome of our work to be perfect, even when we're exhausted after having been at work (or school) all day. Even when it's our first time using a specific medium, technique or we're drawing/painting a subject we've never tried before.
Many times, creative burnout happens because we're not taking care of our physical and mental well-being, and/or aren't setting goals wisely.
Read about the top five things I do every-single-week to stay happy, healthy and productive as an artist in my blog post: 5 Essential Self-Care Tips for Artists and Creatives.
And if your art is what you're actually doing for a living (or plan to be doing for a living), you also need to make time for countless other activities, aside from creating your art.
Activities that not only aren't fun, but that will also require you to step out of your comfort zone constantly. *It's worth it though!
Not to mention, if we didn't have the immense fortune of being born into a family of successful artists that can share their path(s) with us, or didn't have the luck to be financially well-off to the point that we had the time to discover ourselves artistically from a young age, we're probably going to have to work "normal" jobs for at least a few years while staying consistent with our art routines.
In my blog post How to Make Time for Your Art I share the specific things I did while I was still working at my last, highly-demanding, full time position in order to ensure I was advancing my art skills. These are all specific actions I took that eventually allowed me to leave that job and start my own art business.
Let's get into the video!
If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
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is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites
to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
www.erikalancaster.com
is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.