How to turn "Compare & Despair" into Powerful Inspiration
Do you spend hours looking at other peoples' artwork on Pinterest and Instagram and then get depressed about your own?We've all been there.It can be demoralizing to look at other peoples' art if we don't feel confident about our own.The usual dialogue goes something like this: "Look at that painting. It's amazing. I could never paint anything like that. I am no good at this art lark. I may as well just sell my supplies on eBay and take up knitting."But it doesn't have feel that way.Here's the thing: the artwork you admire is appealing to you for a reason. Something in that work is resonating with you on a deep level. If you can identify what it is, you can use it to propel you forward.So instead of letting your admiration send you into a downward spiral, how about letting it lift you up?How it worksFind work you like - work you wish you had made. Ignore the negative voices chattering away in your head and instead try to identify what it is that you love.Is it the use of colour?Is it the composition?Is it something about the mark-making?Isolate the things that you love and then try them out in your own work.If your favourite artist uses a lot of rich blues and greens, see if you can mix the same colours.If you love another painter's use of line, analyze specifically what it is that you love and then give it a whirl.Don't worry about copying - there is nothing wrong with imitating a technique or a colour in order to learn. And the truth is that one of two things will happen:
- You will find that you don't actually like doing the thing you admire
- You will find that you love it, you will assimilate that colour or technique into your own work, and before long it will have morphed into something new and unique to you.
If they can do it, so can you.My late father was incredibly handy. He could fix or make anything. He always used to say "if a human has made that, it must be possible to understand how it works."Maybe that's why I find it really exciting when I see something fresh and appealing in someone else's work. It doesn't depress me because I didn't do it - it excites me because now I know it's possible for me too.So the next time you find yourself trawling Instagram, don't let the nagging voice of despair derail you. Instead, turn your admiration into fuel for your own work and watch it take off!If you'd like to beat the negative voices and transform your relationship with art-making, you might enjoy my 'Find Your Joy' course. It's currently underway, but will run again early next year. If you'd like to know more, click here (and sign up if you'd like to know when we're ready to start again). You can also join me for free in my Facebook group where you can meet inspiring and encouraging artists from all walks of life. I can't wait to meet you!