One of the most common questions I’m asked when chatting about art is the fundamental: ‘Where do I begin?’

I thought I’d share a few of my answers to people who are trying to be more creative / trying to rekindle some creative energy / keen but stumped.  

1. Be clear about what you’d like to do 

I know it sounds silly, but many of us do a ‘bundle package’ style wish list of all the things they’d like to do right from the off.  Although it’s great to have goals and big dreams, when you unpack something you think sounds quite simple, you might find it is actually a big old bag of stuff that might be a bit difficult to achieve all together, especially if it’s your first time ever (or in a long time) of trying something.  

Be really specific if you can.  Try and reduce your goals and expectations to smaller steps that fit in to the time, places, and equipment you can get your hands on right now.  Focus on taking the first, smallest step of the activity you’re thinking about, and think of it as a trial.  

It will become a lot less stressful, less pressurised and more playful to use a step by step approach.  It also gives you lots of flexibility about what you might want to do next.  

We all know trying things out gives you an insight you didn’t have before, and who knows, this may well be the permission you need to have a bit of fun and not take things too seriously from the get-go.

2. Pick a subject that you LOVE

Or feel deeply about.  Don’t do what you think ‘artists’ do.   Don’t do what other people ask you to do.  Don’t do something that you feel would make a good picture.  Do what YOU want to do.

Not fussed about landscapes but feel like you should be able to do them - walk away.  

Mum’s asked for a portrait of her beloved dog, but you secretly hate him and you find it really hard doing animals - don’t bother.   

Love looking at a vase of gorgeous flowers but trying to draw them always seems meh.  You’re probably working on the wrong subject.

Think again guys, don’t stress, make up an excuse.   I promise it will be the right move.  

Think about something you really care about, something that makes you react, that stirs real emotion (in YOU not others).  If you’re really struggling, something if you died tomorrow you’d love to have thrashed out and tried to capture.  Have a go at that.

Think about why you care about it? What does it represent?  

Wallow in that love for a while and then think about how you’re best going to get creative about it.   Once you are in the flow of making and creating, you might not need such big guns (heart-tugging emotional inspirations) all the time, it’s likely you’ll find more and more inspiration/motivation in much smaller and subtler subjects, but I find these epically personal ideas really help to spur you over the hump and into the meadow of creative frolicking.

So for example you could…  

• Think of a plant growing in the garden when you grew up that brings back memories.
• Imagine illustrating your favourite book of all time.
• How would you create an abstract work telling the story of an amazing song.
• Imagine the view from the door/window/veranda from a great holiday/your favourite place, what’s happening in the scene? What items are there?
• What would a self portrait of yourself back in time look like? Where would you go?
  
• What item/s in your house summarises life right now?  What would a still life arrangement of these items signify? 
• What’s your guilty pleasure? Make an artwork about it (we won’t tell :))

‘The Witching Hour’ available at Gallery No.3

3.  Give yourself a break

The truth is anything worth doing takes time, energy and a mountain of mistakes to help us learn and shape the best way forward.  We know all this and yet it’s so easy to keep piling pressure on ourselves to deliver more and do better from the outset.   Be good to yourself, be forgiving, be loving.  The chances are you deserve it.  Some days are good days and some days are bad, pick your timing carefully.  Don’t feel bad because today is not going to be a creative day, if you feel it in your gut, that’s a wise move.  Do the other jobs (see below).

Positivity must balance any critique you are giving yourself for any work you’ve tried, or worse you haven’t tried yet, but you’re berating yourself for it anyway in advance!  Put a kind arm around your own shoulder and whisper “Let’s go for it, fortune favours the brave!” and when you’ve got started - “We’re getting somewhere. High-five”(P.S. don’t leave yourself hanging).  

Detail of ‘Winter Scene’ 

4. Don’t overcommit too early

Trust me when I say that I have splashed on equipment and gone all-in on my newest creative addiction more than a few times in my life, only to later discover that the buzz of finding ‘my thing’ was far greater than my interest in that particular fad I thought I was into for life.  

Save yourself the dosh and the compounded confusion, by making an effort to manage your expectations.  Buy/commit small and simple to start.  If you can borrow, consider and try it out - do that.  Time really does tell.   If you try, give it some time and it sticks…fantastic!  

Detail of ‘Three Crows’

5.  Trick yourself into it. 

You’ve tried everything, something always gets in the way… it’s time to get underhand and trick yourself into it.  Try these sneaky methods out individually or together and get past that clever rationalising part of your brain that always has an answer (or dig) to share…

*Telling someone what you are planning / find a creative buddy - this can really help to motivate us to deliver.  i.e. ‘I’ve told Sarah I’m going to do it so I have to do it now.’  Hell you could even ask Sarah to help you by reminding you or encouraging you…maybe Sarah was thinking the same thing and you arrange a creative get together.  Sarah’s nice. 

*Set a deadline - not always one of my favourites, but for some people, who like targets and structure, it can work really well.  Creating a strict (or more relaxed) timeline, for a task / project / series can spur you into action and tick off the jobs that you didn’t want to start but actually now you have, you’re having fun.  

*Incentivise - i.e. ‘I’m going to treat myself this evening if I manage to get started on this project today.’  ‘I’m going to spend this hour just on my art and then I’m making myself a really nice lunch.’ You know the drill.  Everyone loves a nice lunch.

*Beware the other jobs - there are always other jobs.  Other jobs are poisonous and sometimes fatal to your freelove-on-the-freeway creative vibes.  You must freeze the other jobs with all your mental and physical weapons - go for a walk, work in a cafe, sit in the tidiest room in the house and close the door, turn your phone on silent, turn off whatsapp notifications… whatever it takes - it you can buy yourself some time it might just be enough to get you started.

With any luck once you’ve started - there’ll be no holding you back.

‘Murmuration’ 

Thank you for reading x

Check me out on Instagram, facebook or keep in touch via my bi-monthly art journal here.