How do you conjure creative sparks? – The Artist Market Co.

It's 9 o'clock in the morning. You've scheduled the next two hours solely for the purpose of making art for your next show/commission/100 day project/fill-in-the-blank, so you sit down to make something and bam! a masterpiece is born. Right?

Maybe...

If not, what do you do? Do you...

Just sit there and stare at the canvas?
Move your brush around and hope something comes to you?
Look at other people's art?

There is no wrong answer, but when you notice something actually works (and you think it worked once or twice before), make a mental note.

The next time you are bumbling around wondering how to start, you can pull that ritual out of your imaginary toolbox and see if it works again.

Personally, I like to have an idea before I sit down. Some things that work for me are...

Driving long distances. My house is 45 minutes from the grocery store - so this one happens a lot.
Yoga, pulling weeds or other not-too-strenuous exercise
Lying in bed before I fall asleep

Basically, I've noticed when I stop trying and let my brain drift off is when the good stuff comes to me.

Since I know this about myself, I can do more of these activities more if I'm in a rut.

What do you do when you're needing your creativity to kick into overdrive?

About the Author

Jessica Craddock

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I mentor intuitive visual artists who are sick of one-size-fits all formulas sell more work, more consistently, at higher prices — with better work/life balance. My clients regularly make 3x more in art sales within a year.

Using my signature Consistent Income method, we’ll push you over the precipice of some really amazing growth so you can become the creator of your next chapter.

My secret sauce is that we focus on not just the "doing", but also the "being". Affirmations, trusting yourself, knowing when to go slow and when to go fast, practicing getting out of your comfort zone and making room for the feelings that go with that... all this is equally as important as the action steps.

For once, you'll be ahead of the game and understand what's right for you.