How Can An Artistic Prompt Get You Through A Creative Block?

When it comes to creativity, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. Whether that's a rut of not making anything (hands up to those who are stuck here!) or a rut of making the same things all the time. You may be wondering how you can come up with new and unique ideas for your work; You may be wondering how to get started on a new project when you're just not in a creative mood. Or,
maybe you've just been out of the creative game for too long and are afraid of how to get back into it...

We're here to offer some of our most-loved and effective Artist Prompts to get the creative juices flowing. Join us for a class and we're sure to get you and your friends into a creative state of mind (and if we can't do it, we're big believers in the power of wine as a creative juice) :) Come paint and sip with us!


-- What exactly is an art block?

An art block is defined as a period of time in which an artist cannot tap her creativity and/or bring herself to create a new piece of art. There literally is a block in the flow of her artistic creative juices! The biggest mistake you probably do here is hope that the block will magically disappear in a while and that you will quickly return to create magnificent magical art. Sometimes this does happen and creative ideas explode in your mind spontaneously letting you create fabulous pieces of work you are proud of. But, most of the time this does not happen, and the art block remains for way longer than you want it to. I had the latter. An art block that was just not going away had tons of empty canvases, empty drawing books, and empty walls! I struggled for days wondering how to get over this art block and finally realized that I must learn to make ART PROMPTs my new best friend!


-- What is an Art Prompt?

An art prompt is a starting point to expand your artistic horizon and become more clear with your artistic vision. Art prompts can be visual cues in the form of words, phrases, or pictures; audio cues in the form of songs, stories or day-to-day conversations; or sensory cues in the form of smells, tastes, and touch. They can stimulate your mind to start thinking and challenge you to create something new and different. Usually, your mind is unable to process anything interesting when it is staring at a blank sheet or focusing on the process of finding an idea. A stressed mind is confined and cannot run wild and free. The presence of a prompt relaxes your mind. Your mind is now convinced that it can go and draw what the prompt suggests and thus runs around untamed subconsciously finding new words, new images, and new scenes and cross-connecting ideas at a million times a minute. Thus when you finally touch your paintbrush to your blank canvas ideas flow in abundance and magical work is born.


Here are some of our favorite prompts:

** By having a list of drawing prompts already created, you’re less likely to experience decision fatigue because you already have your ideas. Here’s a list of ideas to get you started:
- A vase of flowers
- A cute cat or dog
- A figure study drawing
- A skyline or urban landscape
- A cartoon character
- Something in a glass bottle
- Candies and lollipops
- Detailed textures (fur, wood, etc.)
- Repeating patterns (dots, zigzags, etc.)
- Fruits and vegetables


** Capture Inspiration When You Are in the Moment
When you have finally gotten your groove back and you are in the midst of a new creation, remember to listen to that quiet voice that flows through you.
It may be your next great painting! As soon as you can, write it down, record it, sketch it, take notes. Soon, you will have a backlog of ideas and your only concern will be finding the extra time to paint them!


** Take a Simple Object and Make it Beautiful or Interesting
This can be something around your home—an heirloom, a gravy boat, an ugly lamp inherited from your spouse’s grandmother (don’t get me started on that one…)
Basically, you can make your own still life painting based on this object, or even create an abstract image inspired by its shapes or colors.


** Paint Your Favorite Subject–Upside Down
We LOVE this one!
This exercise really helps you to loosen up if you often paint realistic subjects. The idea is not to make it look exactly like the real thing—it will be more of an interesting interpretation of a flower, a horse, a figure, etc…


AND MORE:
** Try to recreate a work by your favorite artist. Then make it your own.

** Pick one subject and illustrate that thing in an entirely different way every day for thirty days.

** Create something inspired by your favorite song.

** Pick a color or material you usually avoid and use it in excess.

** Have someone draw a random shape, then complete the drawing.

** Cut out images from a magazine then combine those images by tone to create a new image.

** Go for a walk and photograph ten random things, then choose one to illustrate.

** Practice continuous line drawings where your pencil can’t leave the paper while you draw.

We have the perfect place for you to relax and jump-start your creative thinking! Paint with us!

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