Inspiration in Watercolor - What to do when you don't feel inspired.

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▶︎Free Video Lesson: 8 Ways to Avoid Overworking Your Watercolor Painting www.learntopaintwatercolor.co...
You can watch my full interview with Thomas Schaller here. • A Conversation with Wa...
“A day spent doing a bad painting is better than a day spent not painting at all.” - Thomas Schaller
But - you might ask - what if you don’t feel inspired? Do you wait for it to arrive? And what do you do if it never shows up?
In this week’s video, we hear some insight from watercolor artist, Thomas Schaller, about the topic of inspiration. Then I go through 3 things that I do to keep myself motivated and inspired when I'm not necessarily feeling like painting.
Thomas Schaller is a fantastic artist. He's a great person, and he has a lot of great insight into the creative process. Some words of advice he offered for those times you feel uninspired, are:
“I think about who I am and what makes me want to paint in the first place… I don't have to go out and find [inspiration]. I just have to sit down and get to work… It's the process of doing it that's inspiring. You've already got the inspiration.”
His words resonated with me, and they are ones that I recall when I am feeling particularly unmotivated or discouraged.
To hear more from Thomas Schaller and to learn the 3 action steps I take when I am feeling uninspired, watch this week’s video!
Keep working at it, keep coming back to your art, and keep moving forward.
Check out my recommended watercolor brush collection.
www.amazon.com/shop/m.white.art

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Опубликовано:

9 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 54

@TracyDeeWhitt Год назад

I love that Schiller mentions that sometimes he produces “bad” paintings. 😉 I really get discouraged by my bad paintings, or I’m afraid of creating an unsightly one so much so that then I don’t paint. This encourages me to just paint. I am learning. Thanks!

@KarenPScott Год назад

Yes, yes, yes and yes! There are so many ways to be "arting" when you cannot, for whatever reason, actually paint on any given day. They all contribute to one's well of creativity. Showing up is sometimes difficult. Think of your favorite artist who did just that. Chuck Close did it. Brian Rutenberg does it. So many others. Put in the time. Clock in the hours. Make bad art some days. Throw it away. Get up the next morning, breathe, start again. That is life.

@dianemcgregor6171 2 года назад

Haha! "A day spent doing a bad painting"...is actually something that helps inspire me. Because after my initial depressed feeling of trying to copy something and seeing that it is awful, I then find myself being inspired to just play, painting whatever comes into my head on to small cards. Very relaxing, and with no pressure I find my creativity comes back.

@poopadaify Год назад

This is helping me today. I’ve been so tired the past few Days and hard on myself for not working on a full blown painting, but just doodling around. Thanks for sharing this!

@barbaragemin5117 2 года назад

My inspiration ALWAYS comes from looking at watercollour artists' work. Listening to Thomas' views was interesting too, but for me it’s hard to look at a failed painting. Something I must get over; it’s the pleasure of the process not the result. Thanks again Michael.

@katcan333 Месяц назад

So far I'm obsessed with painting.

@christinebravomom5711 2 года назад

I think this video applies to a lot of life. E.g.,, substitute “exercising” or "meditating" or something else you want to be a regular part of your life where they say "painting."

@anitakurvinen3079 Год назад

I haven't been painting for four months. That's bad thing and becomes more and more difficult to start as time goes by. This video helps me. I will first start to clean up my studio and put papers and everything ready. Thanks Matt!

@learntopaintwatercolor Год назад

You can do it!

@anitakurvinen3079 Год назад

😃👍

@evelyne7071 2 года назад

Also, I use my previous sketches to help me get over an annoying block. But, as you say, whenever I put pencil to paper, stuff just jumps out.

@kiritsi100 2 года назад

Great suggestions Matt. I've used a lot of them myself. I started a daily art journal about 25 years ago. Haven't missed a day yet! Sometimes it consists of just a quick gestural sketch that could take a few minutes to something like a small painting in watercolor, ink, acrylic, that might take an hour. I make sure I don't labor over them for too long. They're all in a 9 x 12 watercolor spiral bound pad. I put no pressure on myself and just have fun in the process. And then I have larger works that I take my time with like plein air landscapes, portraits, etc. I'm a composer/musician so that takes up a lot of my other creative side. But we all need breaks to rejuvenate and clear the mind. Thanks again for the inspiring words!

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Glad you liked the video, Andy! That's impressive that you've kept up with your journal for so long.

@barbaralee915 Год назад

So good. I LOVE light & shadow. I can find that almost anywhere.

@annevanderwoude9319 2 года назад

I really like this video I could identify with it because I’m waiting for the right day in the right mood thank you

@yunzers 2 года назад

I’m waiting for the weather to get a little warmer so I can take a break from painting and go fly fishing. I’ll be sure to take a sketch book for some great plein air preparation! Thanks again have a great day!

@lorriewatson7423 2 года назад

Because of life, I had not painted for years, and I REALLY missed it. Now, I've retired, specifically so I can delve into painting before my time here on earth is up. I worry I've lost my touch with it, but I still enjoy my time trying to refocus my minds eye. Thank you for the videos, they really help!

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing that, Lorrie. I wish you all the best in your painting endeavors.

@nataliemiron4584 2 года назад

Generally I find myself always wanting to paint something. Just recently I don’t have a right mood because of that terrible war. But in the peaceful time I tend to save in a special folder every reference photo which maybe would like to paint one day so I have a lot of ideas in my storage. I also plan to prepare a dice cube and write down some categories on its sides - portrait, landscape, nature, pets, macro etc.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Great suggestions. Yes, it is hard to find the same creative energy when there is so much suffering going on.

@guha467 2 года назад

Tanks a lot for given me inspiration.... I've learned from you...you're way to explain is soooo nice :-) Greetings from Germany

@dragonwhisperer1571 2 года назад

I liked your point on taking a rest. Although I have yet to start watercolor, I can say that resting is an incredibly important part of your creative time. I've often found that I am more creative and have improved if I take a day off rather than powering through that burnout phase. I've been learning Japanese for a bit, and the first time I let myself have a day off (I was burning out), the next day when I went back, I could understand it more easily and I was able to dive into new material faster.

@slimeyflowers9451 2 года назад

Thanks for creating this video! It’s nice to hear what I’ve been needing to hear.

@verabilling 2 года назад

Your videos are so excellent, thank you! Clear and fresh, just like watercolour... Thomas Schaller was so good to listen to. After full time painting and a break of three years, I thought I had forgotten all, but it is surprisingly still in my hands, like muscle memory. The benefit is though, that I now notice bad habits!!! So now and with enthusiasm I am exploring watercolour in new ways.

@debbieborden7651 2 года назад

Wonderful info. Thank you so much.. I just walk out on the land and admire the trees. Try to observe the angles, colors, and values I am seeing

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Great advice!

@kate-mq2fz 2 года назад

Thank you for this inspiring talk! I consider myself a beginner still at art (I started drawing and watercolour a couple of years ago) and so make sure to do a little something everyday. When I don't feel inspired I swatch my supplies and look for new, inspiring ways of combining them. Often an image will generate itself. When all else fails, I put on a youtube video and do some live sketching as I listen to the talk. I have a nice 3-minute Thomas Schaller now!

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Glad you liked it! You can also take a look at my full length interview with Thomas.

@tmikeporter 2 года назад

I also look at art books...just now am reading about Zorn, Sorolla, or pick up my Sargent book. I look at photos of my best paintings to remind myself that "yes, I can do that". I read and reread Robert Henri's book The Art Spirit. I talk a walk in the nature park near me and often bring my sketchbook during the good weather months. I also do wood turning on the lathe which is a form of sculpture...making shapes out of wood. A nice balance for me and it is also creative. I also doodle with the brush on smaller scraps of wc paper. I paint florals and will do that with out a reference photo which helps me as a warm up exercise. I very much relate to what you say here and Schaller. If you were to interview more artists like Andy E., for example that would be a terrific video for you to do.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Good suggestions, Mike. I have interview Andy before. You can find that on my artists interview playlist. I have a few more I'm scheduling as well. Stay tuned!

@renaart6797 10 месяцев назад

Thank you!❤

@blackbearybears 2 года назад

Love this video, thank you and Thomas! I try to make an entry into a "gratitude journal" as often as possible. The entries are pictures, doodles, neurographic art - whatever, no rules. I mostly use water colour paints for this process which gives me the opportunity to see how the paints behave and react with each other. And so, my gratitude journal (Etcher Water-colour Journal) serves many purposes.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Good idea with the journal, Johanna. Also, it was nice to talk to you yesterday! Thanks again for your time.

@RenegadesRift 2 года назад

Don't waste your life waiting for inspiration, go out and find it.

@lindathaxton1994 2 года назад

Life would be boring if we waited on inspiration - it might never come. Start doing & moving & things happen.

@rajikunapuli8793 2 года назад

Very insightful as always, Matt. Great video that helps me understand the painting process better. Thank you!

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

You’re welcome!

@yunzers 2 года назад

Thanks Matthew. I needed this today. Your videos are so helpful and I am grateful.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Thank you for saying that. It’s nice to know when people connect to the content I make. It makes it worth the effort!

@cindyyeates8998 2 года назад

my new thing will be listening to this video. thank you! You are very helpful.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Glad it was helpful!

@markdonovan1540 2 года назад

A very helpful video. I often go days without painting and then I'll do 2 or more paintings a day for 3 or 4 days. I just accept that it's a natural rhythm. I'm sure I would improve more if I practise more, that goes for any new skill aquisition. I also have other things I'm interested in and other commitments, so I just allow things to fall into place on their own. I've seen video of painting or sketching challenges, like 1 a day for a month or 60, 70, 80 day challenges; but that's not for me. I guess everyone looks for a different way to express themselves through art, so when and how long they do it for is as much a part of the process of what to paint, what style, etc. Unless you are painting professionally, then there really is no pressure whatsoever to paint, so enjoy the experience and you never know what it might lead to. It is the journey that gives us the good feeling, whereas the end goal can either be satisfactory or disappointing: so treat those two imposters as enemies! Just paint, draw, sketch, bang a drum, pluck a string, throw a pot, dance, build a log cabin, make a cake, chop wood, etc. etc. - the art is in the moment of immersion in what we do.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

I love this Mark. Everyone has different goals and what we all get out of painting is different. Thanks for sharing your perspective!

@joyceschreiber2538 2 года назад

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@kellydanson2121 2 года назад

Thanks Matt ! Great advice 😊

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Glad you liked it, Kelly!

@1Skymed 2 года назад

Well that's inspiring :-)

@artweeks6986 2 года назад

Go to another medium. We can learn similarities from other mediums as well as embracing differences from WC when using other mediums.

@TR-nv3if 2 года назад

Get a coffee, chocolate and music 😁

@柯禮安G 2 года назад

6:03 I would like to see that "crappy painting."

@jowolf8 2 года назад

Yeah, me too 😊

@ssadvweld1 2 года назад

My trouble is finding what I want to paint that is meaningful to me personally.

@learntopaintwatercolor 2 года назад

Yes, that can be a challenge as well.

@carlosillustrates 2 года назад

Hi, y’all. Burn out is real. I stop painting in November of last year. Gloomy cold weather played a huge part, and honestly the holiday depressed the hell out of me. Now I’m slowly getting back into it. I miss it. And you’re right, getting everything ready the day before helps. 😊