5 Tips to Get Rid of Artist Block for Good

11 Aug

Artist block is the creative curse we all face at some point, where your ideas dry up, motivation disappears, and the blank canvas stares back mockingly. But here’s the good news, you can break the cycle. Check out these 5 tried-and-true strategies that helped me, and will help you too, get unstuck and back into your flow.

1. Set a Creative Constraint

Sometimes, limitations can actually help spark your creativity. Try giving yourself a challenge, for instance:

Use only three colours to create a dynamic piece. Sometimes, we can get lost in the perfect palette. What I find fun is choosing 2-3 colours without looking and then committing to this new palette.
Draw only with your non-dominant hand. This helps me focus and concentrate on the here and now, rather than burdening myself with all the anxieties around making a great piece of art. It also gets me actively involved in working my fine motor skills.
Create something in 10, 15 or 20 minutes. I find this helps me loosen up and start ignoring perfection. It is important to enjoy the process as well as the outcome.

By narrowing your focus, you reduce decision fatigue and force your brain to problem-solve in new ways.

2. Switch Mediums or Tools

If you're always drawing with pencil, try painting. If you paint, try collage. Sometimes the materials we use become too familiar or restrictive. Switching things up can wake up your brain and reconnect you to the physicality of making. Even trying digital vs. analog work can help spark new ideas. I also find this helps artists who have short attention spans (like me), and need variety to propel their art.

3. Steal Like an Artist

Look through old sketchbooks, revisit artworks you admire, or even take a museum walk. A fun activity is to pick an artwork from a gallery and reinterpret it in your own voice. Ask yourself: How would I recreate this piece using my style? What would I change, how would I respond ? This builds your visual vocabulary and gives you a creative starting point.

Also, if you don’t know what your artistic voice/ style is yet, this is an excellent way to explore yourself and your art. Try recreating others art that you admire and take what you like and leave the rest, it is the best way to find your voice. You learn music by practicing other peoples songs, visual art is the same.

4. Create a Daily Ritual or Practice

Artist block often comes from overthinking or perfectionism. A ‘daily ritual’ (even just 10 minutes a day), can help silence the inner critic.
Start with small, repetitive tasks like:

Filling one page of a sketchbook everyday, like visual journalling.
Doodling while listening to music, see how the music helps move your art.
Drawing an object in your house each morning, get yourself ready for the day while staying grounded and focused on the moment.

Once art becomes an inherent part of your day, ideas start flowing naturally.

5. Make Bad Art on Purpose

Give yourself permission to make something ugly, weird, or chaotic.
Try this:

Set a timer for 15 minutes.
Use random materials.
Don’t stop to fix or judge.

This helps you let go of perfection and remember that creativity isn’t about results, it's about exploration.

Want More?

These tips are just the beginning. Want the full list of 50 ways to break through artist block plus an additional list of 50 inspiring, non-generic art prompts to reignite your creativity?

Sarah Soulay