Feeling down in an inspiration slump? Not to worry: these six tips will have you creating in no time.
Make a mood playlist
Hop on your favorite streaming platform and get ready to play DJ. You could create a playlist inspired by an emotion, or you could take it in a more abstract direction: what does orange sound like? What about winter or strawberries and cream? If you want to get really creative, you could even doodle some custom album art before burning the playlist onto a CD or cassette for a friend.
Scribble away
There’s no questioning the fact that the simple gesture of placing a writing utensil on paper is a highly cathartic feeling. When you don’t know what to draw, shift that catharsis into gear by filling up an entire piece of paper with scribbles; soon enough, you might find your mind naturally wandering to create images from the scribbles. Feel free to layer in other mediums on top of the initial scribbles, like a burst of fresh pastel from a watercolor.
Take a walk
Whether it’s around your neighborhood block, the metropolis of New York City, a grocery store, or just your yard, taking a solo walk can be a good way to get in touch with your inner monologue.
Create a collage
Head to the magazine section of your local thrift store or retrieve some week-old advertisements from your wastebasket. A bit of glue and a pair of scissors will take you a long way in crafting hyperreal scenes or a blackout poetry masterpiece.
Make a mood board
Brainstorm a theme and then create a mood board surrounding that theme. The mood board could be for a hypothetical retro-futurism film or a high fashion photoshoot inspired by the gilded glamour of Marie Antoinette. Keep it digital for easy browsing (Pinterest is great), or print out the photos for reference in your artist workspace.
Play (re)designer
Flip through the cereal boxes or toiletries at your nearest grocery store before settling on a familiar brand that you think could use an artistic facelift. Jump into photoshop or your sketchbook and try to come up with a new approach to their logo and color schemes.