I hope you don’t mind me being so crass.
But I’ve been going through a phase the past couple of weeks. I’m just not excited about anything I’ve made.
It’s disappointing.
It’s even a bit disheartening.
And I’m willing to bet at least some of you have been here before, too. Am I right?
What do you do when nothing you make delights you?
You know that lovely feeling when you look at what you’ve made and there’s a quickening, a sense of delight and enjoyment and perhaps exhilaration at your own creation?
I love that feeling!
But I’m not having it right now.
What I do know to do is to keep showing up.
I keep going to my studio or some mornings I get up and draw after my morning meditation.
I continue to make time for the work. I continue to make the work. Because there’s one thing that meditation practice (and observing lots of other creatives) has taught me. Consistency is key. You don’t give up because you have a bad day.
I know I will get through this.
I know more delightful work is on the other side.
I know I even made delightful work as recently as three weeks ago. (I checked my instagram feed for confirmation!)
I know I have a website full of projects, drawings and paintings I feel satisfied and pleased with.
I know this feeling can’t last forever. But sometimes it feels as though it will!
I have a box full of recent drawings that I want to discard, but I don’t have the heart to yet. I guess I’m hanging on to them as a drowning person hangs on to a life raft. It’s all I’ve got right now.
Which is why I am asking you – what do you do when everything you were making looks like crap?
Responses to “What Do You Do if Everything You Make is Crap?”
Clare O
I put aside what isn’t working…I have a draw full of these “unfortunates.” These pieces sometimes get reconfigured into collages or mixed media pieces, sometimes years later. I keep showing up in the studio and I keep trying. Sometimes I’ll turn a failed painting upside down, throw a slash of color on it and let it sit until the next day. I think of my “unfortunates” as flowers that are just having a hard time blooming and they need to sit awhile, gain some new strength before they can find themselves and bloom, usually in an entirely different way. And during that respite, I too have time to gain strength and rebloom.
Michele Theberge
How beautifully put, Clare! Thank you for sharing your wisdom & experience here.
Tara
This has been happening to me lately too. I know it’s a phase; I recognise my ebbs and flows by now, so even though sometimes it’s frustrating or annoying I know if I keep going it’ll come around again. I also work more in my sketchbook when this is happening; psychologically it feels more manageable than canvas when I know there’s a chance I won’t love it! But it allows me to keep my eye in and also reminds me about things I often forget, like play, and making art as a way to explore or play with an idea.
Michele Theberge
I know how helpful that can be – scaling it down to keep the creative flow going. Having it be something lighter and more “manageable” as you say.
Vivian Wilson
I noticed I haven’t been painting much lately. I can make excuses and say there’s been a lot going on with family, work, etc, but the truth is I wasn’t feeling inspired to start anything. This bothered me until I realized it was temporary and rather than dwell on it I just focused on something else. For me it was getting back outdoors. My boyfriend & I discovered the joys of geocaching which gets us out hiking and gives me the opportunity to take some new photos (I paint nature scenes from photos I take). It’s clearing the cobwebs out of my head and getting me a fresh perspective to start creating again.
Oh, and by the way, I have a large stack of paintings that turned out terrible. Every now & then I have a look at them and sometimes I’ll see a way one of them can be changed into something better. After some time goes by & you’ve forgotten all the things you hated about it you’ll see just what it needs to be good.
Michele Theberge
I love that you are turning to nature to refill your creative tank! That’s always helpful for me, too! I’m going hiking tomorrow morning. Can’t wait!
Michele Theberge
Oh I love that nature is such an inspiration for you, too, Vivian! Really feeling like I need that time outdoors myself. I love to hike and usually do each week but I’m having a problem with my knee the past couple of months so haven’t been able to as much. Wonder if there ‘s a connection? : )
Vivian Wilson
I’m not sure what kind of art you usually do, but maybe until your knee gets better and you can hike again, you can go through some magazines, cut out all the trees you can find and collage your own little virtual nature hike. 🙂 I cut out a lot of magazine images to use as parts of my paintings.
Josie Rodriguez
Clean my studio!
Michele Theberge
Cleaning is always a wonderful way to move stuck energy, isn’t it?
Bill Sotomayor
Sometimes all you need to do is put it aside for awhile. When I do this I find out that what I created has turned into something special. I get so used to seeing what I am working on that I forget the creative output has changed. So hang with it and you will discover something beautiful.
Michele Theberge
This is always a good solution. Especially for something that takes multiple sessions to complete. With my current drawings, they are simple, meditative like a zen calligraphy. It either works or it doesn’t. Because they are quick I don’t mind discarding some.
Kate Pethoud
There are a couple of things I’ve found with both painting and with the clay work I do. Sometimes I am too familiar with the pieces and I just need some time away. It could be 15 minutes, a day or two or sometimes a year or two…. which makes complicated storage issues sometimes. I had a painting I did that was watercolor and then I added acrylic. I loved the colors but the piece just didn’t have any focus so I set it up somewhere so that I could see it as I walked by all the time….. then one day I looked and saw a perfect drawing in one very small section…. I cut that out and framed it in a 3×5 frame and it’s been a delight to everyone who sees it. The rest? Bookmarks, some signed biz cards, collage pieces. I try not to toss anything unless I really, really dislike it.
Michele Theberge
As a result of this post, I have a local friend who offered to take some of my discards off my hands for her letterpress projects. Since I don’t do collage and I am committed to simplifying and decluttering this was a great solution! I keep a drawer full of collage papers for 15 years and finally cleared it out when I realized they weren’t going to get used. : )
Duffy Indeherberg
I do know what you are feeling. I too have these moments. If I am not
very satisfied with what I have done I put my work a side and a few weeks later
I dig it back up en start to work on it again, with a whole new approached.
These are mostly my better works. The best work that I made is the one
who came out of mistakes or bad day works. If I do not have that …..oh that
will not work or this is not what I want, my project will fail. So I trust my inner
feeling and just go one. It will be better and it will be good but on a other
day.
Michele Theberge
Great advice!
Sue Cole
If they are on paper, I cut them up to use as collage cards for a different point of view and/or I clean my studio
Michele Theberge
Ha, ha! I’ve been on a HUGE decluttering kick recently! My kitchen, office, closet, studio! Just filled up the whole back of my truck to take to Salvation Army!
fran
…take a walk, read a book, see a movie; the spirit will return.
Michele Theberge
Nice!
Rich Mason
usually I just gesso over it and redo after giving it some more thought. I look for parts I like and try to reuse them. Sometimes I just cut them up and throw them away. Lately I’ve thrown away more than I’ve saved.
Michele Theberge
I can relate to that!
Meg Biddle
In the middle of a long night, I was so stuck on a large painting I wanted to shred it with my blade knife. Just before I did, I thought I’d do some bold crazy brushstrokes and different color on it, because I was about to destroy it anyway. Suddenly I liked it again. Thought maybe I should always paint with a brush in one hand and a blade knife in another.
At least metaphorically 🙂
Michele Theberge
This reminds me of something that my college professor did for me about 30 years ago! I was feeling very fussy about a painting I was doing. Feeling stuck. He was a really gentle spirited kind man which is why I was aghast when he made a black “X” on my piece. What he was demonstrating was not to make it too precious and anything can be painted over. That lesson really stuck with me!
Meg Biddle
wow, I’ll bet! Once a teacher “gently” handed me a bucket of gesso. These are good lessons. Preciousness is the worst.
Ed Smiley
Some things I do:
1. switch media, especially something I can cut loose on
2. start a new piece in a diametrically opposite direction, different mood, different style; if tight then free, if loose then detailed, if nuanced then bold, etc.
3. put it aside: don’t trust my first impression until time has passed
4. if yes, it really is not right for me, then recycle it into other work
Michele Theberge
Great thoughts, Ed!
Samuel Turner
Hi Michelle,
As so often is the case, we are our worst critic. Second, both of us know that creativity is a gift that can’t be rushed. Yes, the dry times are very hard, frustrating, even hesrt rending … but nothing, nothing lasts forever
In the case of a dry period that hurts… BUT we know it is only a phase.
What do I do? I write sometimes. I read about art. In all times, I shoot for the gratitude ring. Experience tells me two things. (1) I am my own worst enemy and; (2) Painting is my lifeline. I love it, need it, am grateful for iy. It will come back to me.
My best counsel: Take a trip. See new sights. Refresh your world. LOVE YOURSELF!!!
Michele Theberge
Nice, Samuel! Thanks for your insights!