top of page

3D Acrylic Painting Techniques Blog

Blog > 5 Ways to Stop Artist's Block

January 19, 2017 - by Ruth Collis

5 Ways to Stop Artist's Block

Block image describing Artist's Block on blog with ways to prevent blocks by Ruth Collis.

Get Free Course

How to Paint a 3D

Simple Sculptural Rose

If you have artist block, here are 5 block solutions you can try, if you ever thought, "I want to draw my thing unblocked." Learn easy art and creativity tricks below.

 

What is art block? An art block definition several in a few Facebook groups said was something that prevents you from being creative. In understanding artist block meaning, that could mean several things depending on the person.

1. Switch Mediums

This keeps your creativity new, fresh, prevents an art block, and is one way to an art block cure.

2. Be Active in Art Groups

Another way to overcoming artist's block is by joining art groups, forums, Facebook groups and getting constructive critiques. This helps you grow past stumbles, gain inspiration from similar people to yourself, and helps you gain more confidence at putting your art out there. A lot of times groups have exercises or themes of the month to paint that stir up creativity, and it's neat to see everyone's different take on the same theme. That is one huge way on how to cure artist's block.

3. Flood Your Mind with Inspiration

This is the real kicker to help you if you wonder "how do you get past mind block?" Few push their curiosity hard and then take a break, so when they only dabble a little, there's nothing there to draw upon. What art books have you read? Courses taken? YouTube videos watched? How much have you experimented with certain techniques that interest you? What art newsletters do you belong to? How to be creative in art is by using your imagination to get "curious" about something art related you want to try. Insanely curious. If you have wondered, "What is artistic creativity?" It's using your imagination to spur your creativity.

4. Know of Tools & Mediums

If you don't know what's available, you will not know how to execute a creation when the idea comes for it. Try this medium and that. One tool, paintbrush, or palette knife after another. See what you like and don't like. One tool you can use to get rid of design block, or designers block, is by using Google Images. If you look up one term and see all the reference examples, that will give you tons of ideas. Did you try the same thing on Pinterest too? Sometimes there are different images there not indexed by Google for a certain term. Those are two major tools to prevent a creative block and get back to artistic creativity.

5. Get Organized

Another way on how to get out of art block is if your space is too cluttered, you will spend more time looking for something than getting your creative idea out. There is a way to set up your art stuff that needs next to no organizing in The Cube Studio Setup ebook that shows a great way to get ​inspiration for artists block when it comes to your space.

Exercise to try on how to get out of an art block:

Here's a funny thing and another tool you can use on how to overcome art block...... just look up the word "block" on the free image Pixabay site. I just did this to try and find a blog post image here that resulted in 20 pages of examples. Go ahead, get rid of the arts block and try it to see how many different images appear for this one theme.

 

If you want to know how to get rid of creative block, a lot of it is just immersing yourself in the arts enough to where it's coming out your ears. If you put a lot of inspiration in, at least a little has to come out, right? That's how to get over art block. Pretty soon, you won't have to try, and ideas will be coming out of you without thinking about it and also getting an excess of backup you will never get to, even with all the creative time in the world.

 

When you think of mental blocks to creative thinking, blocks can be roadstops, stepping stones, or something to aid you to the next step depending on how you look at it. If you have inspiration block, you are really not stuck when you think you are. The artist block ideas will come when you exercise your creative muscles.

 

Did you get any ideas on how to at least create your own literal block shape from Pixabay's examples?! That is how to get rid of artist block​ in an instant... by drawing blocks! I would be using a lot of texture for these fun walls below that would prevent painters block. There's so many different interpretations. Which would you think of?

What has worked for you in working past creative blocks?

What would you like help with?

Answer in the comments below.

Ruth Collis, Sculptural Painting Instructor

Ruth Collis

Sculptural Painting Instructor

www.ThickPainting.com

To learn how to overcome creative block, Ruth shows 10 tools you can use to prevent blocks, how to get in the "Flood of Ideas" stream, get art block ideas by marking off 67 Checklist items before you say you have blocks, tips for creativity, alleviate creative frustration, and a multitude of other ways to get art block help. To release the floodgates of your artistic creativity on how to overcome artist's block besides just building confidence, this creative block book "Artist's Block - The Myth" is available as an ebook to download, by Ruth Colli. See what others had to say on overcoming creative block and how to feel creative again.

Artist's Block - The Myth ebook to download on getting rid of creative blocks
bottom of page