what can i do about this?

[bluemonika]

i hope i placed this in the right section, and well if there is already a similar tread then you can delete this but..well here goes.

i know that there are several treads about artblocks and what to do about them. however i am not sure if i am currently suffering from an artblock. you see currently i think my art is improving and i do not think it sucks at the moment plus i have numerous ideas in my head of what i should draw but...

everytime i go sit for it, it is as if there is something inside me that is blocking me from either drawing those things and i also get this weird feeling in my head that is hard to describe. i guess it is a mix of headache and tiredness. i just feel not much energy to draw altough i know that it is my biggest passion. this feeling comes to me frequently and it is making me crazy.

it might pass again i guess but this is not handy when you have people who are waiting for you to finish their comissions and such.

can somebody give me advice? what can i do to overcome that stupid feeling in my head? are there more people with that problem?

[HunterKiller_]

There seriously needs to be a sticky about this.

I don't know if this is the case for you, but often it's just subconscious procrastination. Your brain's saying well I don't really want to draw so I'll just tell him it's because I can't think of anything to draw.

If you pick something right in front of you and draw it, you've got no excuse.

As for doing a commission, well, if it's because you're having trouble with it, then look up some reference.
Have short breaks, do something else, get some fresh air.

[OTTA]

Try to think like this?

"Do an art, Use your mind, Not your brain."

It'll lead you somewhere or anywhere you want..

[NightVision]

It could be stress because you expectations are high (subconscious).
Best way to get over it is probably to just start working.
It can help to give yourself time for warmup (15 minutes of fun doodles) and some 'free drawing time' where you can do something easy and fun like lifedrawing or a study, where you learn but don't have to have a certain result.
Dividing the tasks you want to do in smaller manageable tasks helps too, ex: just a few headshapes of the 'hero' or, studies from ref of people with the same features as your hero (hair, clothing,...).
Remembering that what doesn't turn out right today, can usually be fixed to look better tomorrow, takes the pressure off too.

Good luck

[bluemonika]

thanks for the great responses everyone :) ill see if i can fix it with that.


hunterkiller: i guess it is indeed partially because of stress but unlike in your example, my brain does indeed not have the mood to draw but i do know many things that i actually would like to draw. it is not that i have no clue what to draw now or that i think my art sucks.

OTTA: that's a good one :D

[J Wilson]

If I've had a tiring day at work, or if there is a lot going on around me that week, I may find that it's hard to produce art, even when I want to. If I'm tired, I know I can produce anything good. I'm much better off taking a 2 hour nap than producing crap work and still being tired (as an example).

If a short nap doesn't help, or of you aren't tired enough to want a nap, then I suggest you just work through whatever you are feeling. You may not want to at first, but start working anyways. A lot of times forcing yourself to be productive will put you in the correct mood.

[Black Spot]

I’m working on an animation and I need hundreds of backgrounds due to the nature of my project. Its hell, but I still grind them out. I’d rather go and churn out background characters or work on the actual animation, but most of the time I don’t. Sometimes work is boring and mind bogglingly boring, but if it needs to done, it has to be done. Even when I’ve just churned one out, I look at it and sometimes I’m happy with it. Keeps me going and this is after doing a full day’s work at a mundane job that pays the bills.

Stop moaning and go draw.

[Zaxser]

When I'm like this, it's almost always because something else needs to be taken care of. I need to nap. Need to eat. Need to clean my stinky self after days of constant drawing. Use the time you can't draw to do something productive. Don't always play video games when you can't draw.

I would love for drawing to be all of my life, but basics need to be taken care of too. The time you can't draw is the time to do those things.

[Minkie]

I've felt the exact way you've felt ever since I've started school. I've hardly done personal art since I've started school, it's like my Muse has just been beat to and fro and she's so exhausted.

The only time I was motivated enough to do personal work was during breaks (I've only had two weeks off since January of this year), so I'm sure mines related to stress/fatigue. So.. just take a short break? So you can revitalize yourself. :) I'm so looking forward to December, I'll get the whole month off from school!