What To Do When You're Dead: A Step-by-Step for the Creatively Blocked Painter

If you are following me closely you may know I’ve experienced a handful of life shifting events in 2022 which have pulled my time and attention away from the easel. I think in total I painted 4 paintings this year. I can only speak for myself when I say that when I paint I put my whole self into my work, which is why I haven't been able to paint — my whole self has not been available. 

As time ticks on, as it tends to do, it has given me the space to gain some perspective. Though the concerns that took me from the easel are not fully solved, I’ve learned I can’t solve them by not painting. Therefore my being away from the easel isn’t helping anyone. So, I’m making near daily efforts to get back to it — with not much success. 

I’m stuck. I have writer's block for painters. I’m staring at the abyss of the white canvas. I feel like I’m at the edge of heaven, but not inside the pearly gates. I’m just…dead. 

My attempts to paint even the smallest and simplest things are yielding less than mediocre results. I’ve wiped the same canvas clean now 6 times. It occurred to me that some going through the same thing right now might start to doubt that they should be painting at all. So, in hopes of being some good to my fellow creatively blocked friends, I decided I’d take a quick minute to help narrate my process of getting unstuck. Here is a step by step:

First, pretend you’re not stuck. Instead pretend life has just picked you up and set you back down at the beginning. That’s not a bad thing! It is an opportunity to connect with yourself and why you love being an artist. It is the perfect time to revisit the works of the master that you love the most and to revisit the fundamentals of your craft and submerge yourself in the comfort of the basic understandings of oil painting. Start slow and small with what you know works. Marinade in the easiness and the certainty of the common aspects of being a painter. What the heck does that mean? In essence, it means, to relieve pressure, pretend you are a beginner and you’re not supposed to be producing works of value yet. You are supposed to be learning the basics. Your only job right now is to practice the basics of art understanding. Here’s a few ideas:

• Clean and organize your paint tubes

• Clean your brushes

• Clean your studio floor (seriously, yuck)

• Make a limited palette color chart (don’t be anal with measuring, etc., just make a simple one)

• Make a monochrome value chart

• Pencil or pen sketch an apple or something simple from life

Second, when you start feeling like your studio is a friendlier place, it is time to: 

• Watch an old favorite instructional video 

• Reread a chapter or two in Alla Prima by Richard Schmid or any book by the teachers you love

• Visit your favorite paintings at your nearest museum or online museum

• Explain to whomever will listen (even if it is only you)  what you love about those master works, be specific, speak in practical terms about paint quality, light, shadow, color intensity or neutrality and brush work, the composition, the subject, etc. 

• Make a simple sketch of one of those paintings, or if you’re already feeling inspiration, make a partial master copy…just pick a feature of one of your favorites to copy, you don’t have to make an entire Sorolla, maybe just one ear or just one hand

Are you starting to feel more settled, more inspired? Are you starting to come back to life? Now is the time to get to work! 

• But, be kind to yourself. Start with something fun and something easy

• Give yourself good sleep

• Put on good music, an art podcast or a good audio book 

• Make sure you’ve had healthy food 

• Drink water, tea or coffee in the studio the whole time

• Rest when you are tired. You are being born again. That takes a lot of energy

• If you start having doubts it’s time to call your most encouraging art friend, you know the one who no matter what work you show them, they look at you with starry eyes and proclaim that you are the most talented artist alive, yeah, call that person, show them your progress and soak up their enthusiasm. Then get back in there! 

• If you start feeling stuck again, go back to step two and repeat 

Happy painting!

Tina