Ooo, a ‘creative hot streak’ sounds like fun!
Fellow artists: have you ever had an intense art block that stumbles your creative process? Yep, I’ve been there too! An art block is like a monster holding you back when the finish line is right in front of you! So, how do we stop those art blocks from happening? -- Having a successful creative hot streak of course!
First of all, what’s an ‘art block’ and a ‘creative hot streak’?
An art block is basically the last thing an artist needs when wanting to create something. From my own experience, an art block is basically a moment in time (kind of like a phase) where whatever you draw doesn’t look adequate for you. I remember having an art block last summer and whatever ideas came to my brain, I didn’t enjoy how I displayed them on paper or digitally. Everything didn’t look good to me and I felt like I wasn’t creative enough which made me create less. But alas! There’s a way to prevent those art blocks from happening-- a creative hot streak! A creative hot streak is the opposite of an art block. Instead of producing little to no art, you’re pumping out pieces of gold one by one. Every artwork you do brings joy to your eyes!
So, how do we create such a ‘hot streak’?
Well, according to the article by Sarah Cascone in Artnet News https://news.artnet.com/art-world/what-causes-creative-hot-streaks-2008473?utm_content=from_artnetnews2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9%2F18+Saturday&utm_term=Daily+Newsletter+%5BALL%5D+%5BMORNING%5D .
, there are two habits that involve an artist in finding that creative outlet. The first tip is to experiment. Involve yourself in more than one field of art-- experiment. Don’t limit yourself to one practice. Explore your possibilities! “Although exploration is considered a risk because it might not lead anywhere, it increases the likelihood of stumbling upon a great idea,” (Cascone). Keep exploring different fields of craft because you never know what you’ll create! Experimenting with those different areas may spark inspiration in the creative process you’re used to, too! The bad habit you may want to avoid though, is repetitively using the same medium over and over again, which may stifle creativity. But, if we use these two habits in a healthy way, exploitation can be used to positive effect. First, explore your ideas! Explore those different mediums out there and THEN exploit that same medium for a while. Study it, practice it. “. . .exploitation is typically viewed as a conservative strategy. . . exploration followed by exploitation appears to show consistent associations with the onset of hot streaks” https://news.artnet.com/art-world/what-causes-creative-hot-streaks-2008473?utm_content=from_artnetnews2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9%2F18+Saturday&utm_term=Daily+Newsletter+%5BALL%5D+%5BMORNING%5D .
From my own experience, what different areas of art do I use to spark a hot streak?
Watercolor, oil paint, pencils, pens-- there’s so many out there to experiment with! However, being an artist myself, I find that art involves more than coloring and drawing. Art is everywhere around you. Sure, explore those different mediums but also realize that there are different ways to be inspired! Ways that I help out my ‘creative hot streak’ is to search for ideas on Tiktok, looking at different artworks on Pinterest, finding different ideas to create online to be motivated for my next project. Working out or making a creative dish of yummy food inspires me as well and keeps my creative juices flowing! Now that I’m in school, I’ve been seeing more work from my artistic peers, which inspired me to do more! I pumped out turnarounds for a character, a story for my thesis, posts for LinkedIn-- more ideas! Even with the certain tasks I complete, the more inspired I am to create more. Even though some of them aren’t necessarily ‘drawing’, they still inspire me. My artsy brain and I still love them, even though it isn't a medium to draw with. In my opinion, explore a variety of ways to be creative, whether it is writing a story, acting in a play, or watching a movie--don't limit yourself! A successful creative career is within reach for you when exploring all the possibilities that are available--don’t keep yourself limited!
Cascone, S. (2021, September 14). What causes a creative hot streak? A new study found that it often involves these two habits. Artnet News. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://news.artnet.com/art-world/what-causes-creative-hot-streaks-2008473?utm_content=from_artnetnews2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9%2F18+Saturday&utm_term=Daily+Newsletter+%5BALL%5D+%5BMORNING%5D .