Dealing with Block

[blindavenue]

Hi, newbie here.

Let me preface this by saying this is my first post to ConceptArt. (Hello, everyone.) I've read the FAQ and perused the forums, and I think this is the right forum for this kind of topic.

I'm going to assume that CA.org's most seasoned contributors have both 1. done paid art jobs, and 2. dealt with specific kinds of artist's block. I'm dealing with a specific kind of block, myself -- one which I could use some feedback on how to overcome.

When I'm drawing for fun, be it a casual sketch or a finished piece, it's relatively easy. When I'm drawing for any kind of contract, paid job, or anything with an important deadline where time is of the essence, my mind just locks up. It doesn't matter what I'm drawing; it just seems that knowing that I'm under the gun blocks me. I still get the job done, it's just laborious and takes much longer.

I suppose in a sense this is a psychological problem and only tangentially related to the actual process of creating art, but nonetheless I also suspect this kind of block is something most (if not all) commercial artists have dealt with.

So -- any suggestions? What do you do in this situation?

[Ilaekae]

1. Use dynamite
2. Use a strong laxative
3. Think about the rent being due in six days
4. Look in my refrigerator at dinner time and wonder what i can make from one egg, pickles, and something bluish green spotted with purple in a plastic container from 1953.

[Leonor]

I would go to the doctor if I could and get mild medication for anxiety. Then, learn to sort whatever philosophical or psychological problems that are causing so much anxiety so you can wean the medication.

[Black Spot]

It's your mindset. Think of your contract as a game and you really should rescue that princess before the train runs her over. So you have a picture to do, let's say a forest scene. Pretty boring, but you just know that there will be Orcs coming through in five minutes to mess it up. Instead of concentrating on what you're doing, think of what happen in the next scene. Make the job exciting in your head before you start.

[dbclemons]

Get inspired. Take out some books of your favorite artist and flip through them, not with the idea of stealing, but just to get motivated. Nothing gets me going more than just looking at art by other people, even if it's something completely different than the sort of stuff I do. Walk through a local museum or browse online. After a few clicks I'm all juiced up.