We’ve all had those days. You have the supplies, you have a painting or drawing waiting for you, and you may even have plenty of time to work on it. There’s just one problem: you really, really don’t feel like making art.
It’s easy to assume that we need to feel motivated or inspired before we sit down at the easel. Sometimes that motivation is there and I can’t wait to get into the studio. Other times, suddenly almost anything sounds more appealing than working on my painting. The problem is, if I waited until I genuinely felt motivated every time I made art, I would get a whole lot less done.
One thing I’ve learned is that motivation often comes after I start working, not before. Instead of waiting around for inspiration to magically appear, I use a few simple tricks to make getting started easier.
Reset Your Art Space
If my studio is a disaster, sometimes the first thing I need to do isn’t paint or draw. It’s clean. A cluttered workspace can make getting started feel like one more chore, especially when I have supplies from the last project scattered everywhere.
I’ll give myself 10 or 15 minutes to reset the space. I throw away any trash, put supplies back where they belong, clear off my work area, and get out whatever I’ll need for the project I’m about to work on. By the time I’m finished, I’m already in the studio doing something productive, and I have a clean, inviting place to work.
There is a catch here: don’t let cleaning become another form of procrastination. This is not the time to reorganize every drawer, alphabetize your colored pencils, or decide your entire studio needs to be redesigned. Clean just enough to make your workspace inviting again, and then get to work.
Create a Little “Art Time” Ritual
I love having little routines that signal to my brain that it’s time to work. For me, one of those things is getting something special to drink. Sometimes it’s flavored carbonated water, and sometimes it’s a cup of tea with an orange slice.
Why the orange slice? Because everyone knows orange slices are for fancy times.
Your ritual obviously doesn’t have to involve citrus. Maybe you make your favorite coffee, turn on a particular playlist, listen to an audiobook, or do something else you enjoy. The ritual itself isn’t really the important part. What matters is that you’re creating a transition between whatever you were doing before and your studio time.
When you repeat that routine often enough, it can become a little signal that says, “Okay, we’re making art now.” Bonus points if your ritual makes the whole experience feel just a little more special.
Make Starting Ridiculously Easy
Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t actually making the artwork. It’s starting.
If you’re sitting on the couch thinking, “I really should go work on that painting for the next four hours,” that sounds like a commitment. So don’t commit to four hours. Commit to 15 minutes.
Tell yourself that you only have to sit down and work for 15 minutes. Pick up the pencil, mix some paint, or work on one small area. If 15 minutes passes and you’re still absolutely miserable and don’t want to continue, fine. You can stop.
More often than not, though, I find that starting was the hard part. Once I’m sitting there and actually working, I start getting interested in what I’m doing. I solve a problem, something starts looking better, and before long I’ve forgotten that I didn’t want to work in the first place.
Know Exactly What You’re Going to Do
Sometimes “I don’t feel like working on my art” actually means “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.”
There’s a huge difference between walking into the studio thinking, “I need to work on my painting,” and walking in knowing, “I’m going to finish the background and then start blocking in the fur.” One feels like a giant, vague project. The other is a specific task.
A great way to make this easier is to decide what comes next before you finish your current studio session. Leave yourself a note about what you want to work on next, or even set out the supplies you’ll need. When you come back the next day, you don’t have to waste energy figuring out where to begin. Past-you has already made that decision.
Give Yourself Permission to Have a Mediocre Studio Day
Not every studio session needs to be amazing. You don’t have to create your best work every time you sit down, and you certainly don’t need to feel wildly inspired throughout the entire process.
Some days I’m excited about what I’m working on and suddenly five hours have disappeared. Other days I’m basically telling myself, “Put the pencil on the paper, Lisa.”
Both days count.
Sometimes you’re just adding another layer. Sometimes you’re working through a boring section. Sometimes you’re fixing something that isn’t working. Those less exciting studio sessions are still moving the artwork forward, and they’re a normal part of creating.
I think we make it harder on ourselves when we expect making art to always feel creative. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it’s just work. That doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.
Stop Waiting to Feel Motivated
In the end, there’s no perfect trick that will make you excited to work every single day. You can clean your studio, make your fancy drink, put on your favorite music, know exactly what you’re going to work on, and promise yourself you only have to do it for 15 minutes. Eventually, though, you still have to put your butt in the chair and start.
The good news is that you don’t have to feel motivated before you do that. In fact, a lot of the motivation you’re waiting for may show up because you started.
Instead of asking yourself, “How do I make myself want to work today?” try asking, “How can I make it easier to start?” That’s a much easier problem to solve.
Reset your workspace. Create a little ritual you look forward to. Know what you’re going to work on. Give yourself 15 minutes and see what happens. You might be surprised by how quickly “I don’t feel like making art” turns into an hour or two of actually getting something done.
And if all else fails, try putting an orange slice in your tea. Apparently that makes everything fancy.