How Do I Find Inspiration for Art?

Finding inspiration for art can feel like an uphill battle at times. Below are some quick tips to get you revitalized and inspired to put paint back on the canvas, and keep creating!

Take Action

There is a saying I like to remind myself of often when it comes to finding inspiration for art and that is “mood follows action”. The best way to find inspiration for creating art is to create even more art! I know that sounds silly and very captain obvious but stay with me.

As artists, we tend to stay in our heads a lot. We tend to over analyze and question everything, or even worse sometimes we fail to launch. If you’re looking for inspiration, get in your studio and start painting! Let go of the need for the work to be good, just create.

Start filling your sketchbook with several paintings and give yourself a time limit of at least 30 minutes, and don't stop until you hear the timer go off! Don’t worry about finding inspiration. You will not just magically find it. You have to create it! Once you get going, you will eventually find your groove or flow state. That flow state in and of itself will generate inspiration for you to keep going, and you will likely keep painting past your 30 minute timer mark. But first, you have to start!

The Natural World

Nature is hands down the best artist. There are SO many things we can learn from mother nature when it comes to art. Texture, composition, color theory, I can go on and on!

When you’re feeling agitated in the studio, go for a walk and study the natural world around you. What colors do you see? Are there any specific patterns that jump out at you? What about the textures of certain tree barks, or flowers? Maybe it’s the sound of flowing water that triggers something in you that you can draw inspiration from for your art.

Take mental notes of your natural surroundings, and bring those back to the studio! Nature is one of the best inspirational tools you can use for creating better art. Who best to learn from besides mother nature?

Books/Films/Museums

As an artist, we are constantly creating. Sometimes, we can best serve our creations by taking off our creator hat and putting on our consumer hat. Consuming others' creative works of art is a fantastic way to find inspiration for your next work of art.

If you’ve exhausted your inspiration search, try winding down a bit with a nice book or film. Being able to immerse yourself in someone else's work can really revitalize your desire to create art, and give you an added nudge of inspiration to bring back to your studio.

If you’re a visual artist who mostly paints abstracts, read a philosophy book, or go study some sculptures in an art gallery or museum. Being part of a creative community, we all need encouragement from our co artists! What inspiration can you draw from others works of art? 

Try Other Mediums

You know that old camera collecting dust? Dust that thing off, charge the batteries, and venture out into the city or landscape. Capture whatever it is that is piques your interest at the time. Don’t worry so much if the photo is “good” or “bad”, just collect ideas for later use.

When we step outside of our usual or normal medium in which we produce art, it can trigger a newfound source in inspiration and appreciation for what it is we do day in and day out. If you’ve ever taken a pottery class as a painter, or visa versa, you know what I am talking about! It’s hard right?

Putting yourself slightly outside of your comfort zone, and creating art in a different way can push your work in a completely different direction and is a great way to find inspiration for art. 

Conclusion

In closing, the best ways to find inspiration for art are taking action, exploring the natural world, consuming books, films, or other art in galleries or museums, and also getting outside of your comfort zone and exploring other mediums to produce art. Inspiration will not find you - you have to find it!

I hope this was helpful! Have you tried any of the following to find inspiration for your art? Be sure to leave a comment below, I would love to hear what worked for you! Stay creative!