6 Ways to Never Run Out of Ideas for Your Art

Do you sometimes have trouble coming up with ideas on what to paint/draw?

Or maybe you are feeling a little uninspired?

The key here is to not only do these, but to write your ideas down/sketch them out as you try these. This way you will always have your ideas available to you when you need them!

Here are some tips to find ideas for your art (and never run out of ideas too)!

1. Just create

I don’t believe you should force inspiration or yourself to create art, so what I mean by just create is to create without pressure.

This could be drawing in your sketchbook or painting over a painting you already messed up, play around with paint, make a color chart, or doodling in a notebook.

I’ve found that when I begin creating, inspiration comes to me and I come up with more ideas even though before starting I didn’t have any inspiration.

Sometimes we just need to start creating to let our creative juices flow.

There’s a quote from Pablo Picasso that I like, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

2. Have a collection of ideas ready to go

This collection of ideas can be quick sketches in your sketchbook. A folder on your computer. A Pinterest board. A list on a random sheet of paper. Or my new favorite way to collect ideas is by saving Instagram posts.

I like to create various Instagram collections to save posts that inspire me. Some examples of my collections are nature photos and inspiring art.

Having a collection of ideas will save you time so that you don’t have to spend your creating time thinking of what to even create in the first place.

It also helps me to consistently think about what I’ll be painting next and kind of day dream about it so that when the time comes for me to paint, I am in the mindset to paint and I feel motivated, excited, and I don’t have to think hardly at all what I’ll be painting. I’ll already have a clear idea.

3. Do something that isn’t creating and that allows you to think and dream

Here are some examples: dishes, folding laundry, taking a shower or bath, take a walk, and going for a drive.

My best and more exciting ideas for my art comes when I am driving or doing the dishes. It’s weird, but true and really works.

Doing activities like these allows your mind to wander without pressure.

4. Have a collection of things that inspire your art

This could be photos, poetry, movies, books, music, and objects that inspire you like flowers, feathers, shells, leaves, crystals, etc.

I also like to save Instagram posts from artists that I admire. You can create a collection on Instagram (kind of like a Pinterest board) and when you see art on Instagram that really inspires you, you can save it to the collection.

I talk more about this in the first Sketchbook Saturday about finding our art style (click HERE to watch).

5. Explore and experiment with your art regularly

This could be trying a new medium, painting or drawing a subject you haven’t before, using new colors, creating in a different space, doing an art challenge, doing art studies of others work, painting or drawing on different paper or surface, and more.

This will not only help you find more inspiration and ideas, but it’ll also help you grow as an artist, improve your art skills, and help you refine and evolve your art style.

6. Take a personal day

Do something by yourself that makes you feel good and happy. Some call this an artist date.

You can go somewhere where you’ve always wanted to go or somewhere that inspires you. This could be a garden, beach, park, coffee shop, museum, art galleries, etc.

If you’re not creating art because you are scared it won’t be as you imagined or it’ll suck, then you’ll never get past this “ugly” stage of being an artist.

Your first sucky artworks are the building blocks to your better artworks.

You could also stay home and do whatever you’d like such as take a long bath or read or whatever will make you feel good.

The idea is for not only self care, but to relieve the pressure to create and find ideas for your art. This way, ideas can come to you naturally.

When you do something that makes you feel good and happy, creative ideas come because you’re not pressured to create or come up with ideas.

7. Journal and write down all your ideas

I kind of touched on this already, but be sure to make a list of all the ideas for your art.

You can expand on them and dream up others while journaling. And as you journal about your ideas more may come to you.

Let me know if this helps you and if you have other ways to come up with ideas for your art!

And I challenge you...

Pick TWO of these to do and comment below with your chosen ones! :)