Sometimes I just can’t draw…

…and I’m making peace with that.

Over the last two weeks I haven’t been drawing at all, this lazy scribble mandala being the only exception. For a while before this I had been drawing every day, finishing multiple drawings per day sometimes, feeling super productive and creative.

I used to think these spans of time when I wouldn’t draw anything were a product of me being lazy and wasting my time. I used to buy new art supplies during these times to try to force myself back into creative mode, but often it was to no avail, and this contributed heavily to my art supply hoarding problem.

These creative lulls can be detrimental to artists who rely heavily on frequent posting to social media, as the algorithms most reward consistency. This is one of the reasons I left social media, I find that this pressure causes me anxiety and stifles my creativity.

Ever since I decided to stop shaming myself for these phases, I’ve come to see them for what they really are: periods of rest. I view the short lapses as naps and the long stretches as hibernation. Rest is just as important as the work we do, without rest we are far less productive and much more likely to give up altogether!

I now know, from lived experience, that this is just a break and I will get back into drawing when the time is right. It can’t be forced and attempts to do so will only leave me dissatisfied and upset. I now understand “art block” as a sign that I need to take a step back and spend my time elsewhere.

Of course, when the time comes to create again, sometimes it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things! I like to take it slow and approach it with a playful attitude. I’ll start with silly doodles, blind contours, basic mandalas, simple patterns, neurographic art, or even just pasting things into my sketchbook. Once I feel properly warmed back up, which can take anywhere from a couple hours to several days, I can attempt my more “serious” ideas. But sometimes my creative phases consist entirely of easy art and I’m okay with that too. Sometimes I just have to Make Bad Art.

This has actually been a pretty recent revelation which is why I’m only just now sharing about it. It’s so nice to feel at peace with myself when previously I would have been irritated by my state of “stagnation.” I feel even more grateful now for the times I do draw, I don’t take them for granted quite as much!

“Draw every single day” is common advice and I understand the intent behind it but I don’t think it works for everyone. Practicing self discipline is certainly important and you do need to draw frequently if you want to improve your skills, but in my opinion it kind of defeats the purpose if art-making becomes a dreaded chore.

I prefer this approach instead: always keep some basic tools for drawing handy, and draw every time you get the urge to do so. This approach has been much more successful for me personally for building a creative habit. I recommend keeping the tools in your travel kit to a minimum so you don’t suffer decision fatigue and can jump straight into drawing! I currently have a bicolor red/blue palette going on in my tiny travel sketchbook that lives in my purse, and to my surprise I absolutely love working with such limited colors!

Lately my creativity has been manifesting itself through writing more than through drawing, so I’ve started a little writing project. I want to say “stay tuned” but I have no idea if anything worth sharing will come of it… we’ll just have to wait and see!