My Top 7 Art Tips for Creative Longevity: For artists of all skill levels!

Sometimes our journey as an artist can be full of twists and turns. From creative blocks, to frustration about pieces not turning out how you want. Something I can say I'm thankful about though is that ever since I was a child, I actually had some pretty good art habits that not only helped me grow, but also helped me enjoy art more. So for today, let me walk you through seven things that I used to do, and still do, that make the journey a little bit easier.

#1: Studying photographs and other pieces of art

Now this is probably a tip you've heard this before, but what I mean by this is not necessarily drawing/painting pictures or art pieces that you've seen (though that is super helpful as well!) I mostly mean simply taking time to study photos and art visually. Pay attention to the composition, and the colors used to get certain tones and moods. Study the techniques used to create the movement and the shapes of the pictures. We, as artists, are very visual, we naturally see things differently than those who aren't creative. I did this technique a lot when I was younger which helped to build my artistic vision, but also helped me stay creative for longer periods of time since I always had a wealth of inspiration to draw from.

#2: Create an inspiration bank

For this tip, it's kind of like having a Pinterest boards but offline. Start downloading every single image that gives you some amount of inspiration. From a really nice photo, to art that looked pretty, to concept art that sparked an idea. Set aside 30 minutes but no more than an hour to scroll through places like Pinterest, and download all of those pictures that give you that spark or make your heart sing, you can do this 1-2 times a week. That way every time you open the gallery on whatever device your using, you are hit with a wave of pictures that get those creative juices flowing. The reason I say to download the photos instead of just making a Pinterest board (even though that's very useful too!), is because if you're forced to go online to find the pictures that inspire you, it can be very easy to get distracted by other images you might see or notifications that grab your attention. Before you know it, you'll have spent an hour just scrolling! Apps like Milanote are good too, especially if you want to group specific photos together for a particular painting or project.

#3: Visualize drawing/painting ideas in your art style

We've all been through this phase in our artistic journey that we wanted to draw like everyone but ourselves. I've been there before. I think something that often happens is that we visualize a drawing or painting in a specific style that may not be in the style we draw in at that moment. Thinking of a painting or illustration in your style takes out the guesswork in how the piece will turn out. Now, I'm not saying don't try anything new, far from it! Growth happens most outside our comfort zones. But, the expectation to draw in a style or at a skill level you are not currently at is only setting you up for disappointment and frustration. So unless you are doing a study or in the mindset that you're just trying something new, be kind to yourself and know that your art style and skills are not gonna change overnight.

#4: Draw your own reference sheets

When you're feeling inspired about something, or an idea pops up into your head, take your sketchbook and draw as much as you can of that idea while it's still fresh in your head. You can also create a separate folder to store all the inspiration that led to the fruition of the idea. Building the habit of creating "reference pages" helps you to build your artistic vision and also gives you something exciting to look at/work on whenever you next open your sketchbook. Also, doing this will help you build your own creative inspiration and will hopefully get to the point where external inspiration is not as necessary.

#5: Sketch at least once a day (or at least do your best too!)

It amazes me how easy it was to just draw something everyday as a child. As you get older, there are more stressors added to your plate whether it'd be school, work, exams, finances, etc. This stress can make it difficult to stay creative, however, I do find it to be more helpful to sketch at least once a day. No matter if your sketching something for a project, slowly working on a larger piece, or even a simple doodle, do your best to pick up the pencil at least once and sketch something, it will help you more than you know. And, even if you feel stuck, if you've been following my tips up to this point, you should already have a bank of inspirational photos and art to use as reference! I mostly mean just sketching, if you're limited on time or going through a lot of stress, other art mediums may just add more stress to your plate. So unless you want to paint, I recommend just a quick sketch as a bare minimum!

#6: Take breaks if needed!

Although I think it's good to at least sketch once a day if you're able, I also know there are times where I simply cannot draw for the life of me. I end up more frustrated and drained than I did before drawing. If this is happening to you, I would highly recommend giving yourself some grace and taking a break, a long one. Drawing everyday can work for some, but forcing yourself to draw when you really don't want to will only make you hate it. Give yourself a few days or even a week to recharge that creative battery, you can use this time to download more inspirational images that you can pull from when you feel ready to draw again!

Though these last few tips are for followers of Christ, I would highly recommend learning more about God and maybe even give Him a chance. He's been very good to me, and is the only reason I'm still here and not 6 feet under. At least just think about it~ 😊

#7: Pray for creativity and alignment

All things on this list would not have been possible if God had not ordained it. I believe that my calling and purpose on this earth requires my creativity, which is why He blessed me with tactics to increase it's longevity. So, pray to Him about your creativity, and ask that the work you make aligns with His will and plans for your life. He wouldn't give you a creative gift for no reason, so as soon as you start aligning your heart and talents with Him, you'll see that He will bless you with an abundance of ideas and the motivation to execute them! Be sure to seek Him for Him first, if He sees you're after His own heart, surely He will bless you with all desires he placed within you to begin with.

And with that, those are my top 7 art tips that help me stay creative for longer. Though I would say #7 is the most important of them all (which it is) the other tips on this list should help get the ball rolling in increasing your creativity, building your artistic vision, and be able to create for longer.

I hope you enjoyed this article, I wrote it from the heart and pray that these tips help the right people. Thank you so much for stopping by, and please subscribe to the newsletter if you haven't already to be notified of articles like this, recieve discounts for my art store, and have access to exclusive content written just for you!

God bless you~