troubleshooting artist

Flur

hi everyone !!

im an artist (mostly painter) whos just out of college over a year and im finding it a nightmare. i feel i havent done anything decent since i left college and want to give up because i get so so down about it.

what does everyone else do when they have no inspiration and down in the dumps ???

snickerpuss

Moved this to Arts & Crafts, hopefully you'll get some helpful answers here.

looksee

Are you working -either art or otherwise? Are you suffering from general inertia or just not painting? Maybe you should not concern yourself about finished art, but do loads of sketching, exercises. Do some research about areas that interest you, find some galleries to visit. Get some physical exercise, do some gardening or similar.

Start a journal and keep ideas, sketches etc in it, and see if anything emerges. A journal is a good exercise anyway.

Good luck

Private Eye

Hi, Get motivated, you have conquered the fantastic achievement of becoming an Artist Well Done!
Now take your experiece and a few Paintings and step forward, offer to display your works in funky coffee shops, trendy craft shops and even get a spot in a shopping mall, you confidence may be low at present, but you can overcome that. Contact an artistic friend or former college-mate and get together and set up an exhibition , Have you considered a car boot sale spot? Dont give up p-le-a-s-e.:pac:

artieanna

I always find looking at art really makes me want to work.

Get yourself to as many exhibitions as you can it will give you the buzz to get going again.

Do some drawings of subjects you are interested in or even continue your work from where you finished in college.


good luck

electricblue

wow....you are just beginning. This is the great challange of all artist. To actually do...is the most important thing. If you want any kind of advice, watch francis bacon documentary on you tube. He did anything and everything to survive as an artist. But his advice was the doing...no matter how you feel...there is no waiting for inspiration. there is no waiting for the muse. You have to be disciplined. If you want to be successful...keeping at it...no matter what...it could take a year...it could take ten years...it could take all your life...but if you truly feel you love and believe in what you are doing ...it will bear fruit a thousand fold

greatstuff

take it easy, the muse comes when it comes, you cant force it, it took me 6 years to do real art work after i left college....up until then i wasnt ready

electricblue

hi again, yeah your right, take it easy...I think I was tanked up on wine when I wrote that previous message. I failed art college and it took me years to regain confidence in myself. I still have a chip on my shoulder about the system I was in....well sort of : )

jk101

Keep ur head up...I was in the same boat, getting stuck doing nothing and getting down about it!

I joined a gym, started reading all the great classics (for someone who has only ever read magazines that was a big step!!!) I try to do a different kind of "excursion" once a week....like I went walking along the coast of houth and this week I went to Glendalough!

I have a lot more energy and just by getting out there and doing something I have a lot more inspiration! At the end of the day I think if you don't feel good about yourself, you won't feel good about your art!

Good Luck!