Finding Inspiration and Motivation for Artists

Do you find it hard to stay motivated? Is your art business falling behind because you lack inspiration? 

So you’re feeling discouraged about your art. Where do you go from there? How can you move past that nagging voice in your head that says, “You should quit because it’s no use” In this post, you will discover new ideas on finding inspiration and motivation to create and sell more art.

By the end of this post, you will know….

• How gratitude will help you to stay inspired and motivated
• How setting small goals will help you to achieve your larger goals
• How to prioritize your days
• Power of rewarding your accomplishments
• Power of positive people
• How to create good habits
• Take a break

For more types visit, How To Get Inspired For Artists

Finding Inspiration and Motivation

Are there times when it seems like there is no time to complete your paintings or drawings? Do you get stuck trying to figure out what to paint? Do you feel discouraged when your paintings are not selling the way you want them to?

There are many reasons why an artist may not feel inspired or motivated regularly. Sometimes it has to do with business goals or internal feelings that can be difficult to identify.

Feelings are valid, but you are the only one who can control them. You are in charge of your life. The first step is recognizing these feelings and where they come from.

Why do you create art? Do you remember why? If not, go back to when you were a child. Think about what inspired you to want to paint.

Selling art is complicated, and there will be times when you feel discouraged when sales are down, but remember why you started creating and selling works of art in the first place. Remember how it feels to sell an original painting or drawing?

Selling art is an emotional rollercoaster. There will be months that you sell everything you have, and there will be months when you cannot give your new work away. That is when it’s important to find inspiration and motivation in other areas of life, not just selling art.

Gratitude

It sounds simple, but practicing gratitude is one way to help you stay focused on the positive aspects of life. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we do not have or the difficulties we face that we forget the good things.

Gratitude will help you find inspiration and motivation because it provides a different point of view.

Gratitude opens the door for more relationships.

Gratitude improves physical health.

Gratitude improves psychological health.

Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.

Grateful people sleep better.

Gratitude improves self-esteem.

Gratitude increases mental strength. (Source:Psychology Today)

To read more, visit – 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude

How does gratitude help with inspiration and motivation?

If you feel good about yourself, sleep better, have less stress, and are grateful for what you have, you will have the energy and a positive outlook to work towards your goals.

How to practice gratitude: (Courtesy of Lifehack)

• Keep a gratitude journal and add to it every day.
• Tell someone you love them and how much you appreciate them.
• Notice the beauty in nature each day.
• Nurture the friendships you have. Good friends don’t come along every day.
• Smile more often.
• Watch inspiring videos that will remind you of the good in the world.

For more tips on gratitude, visit 40 Simple Ways To Practice Gratitude.

Start by keeping a daily journal about the things you are grateful for. Write down even the smallest blessings, like seeing the blue sky or having food to eat today. Do this for a month or until you start to notice a difference.

Maybe you are grateful for:

• Finishing a painting you’ve been working on for a while
• Selling original artwork
• Networking with fellow artists
• Someone told you how much they love your new artwork
• You accomplished everything on your to-do list

Set Small Goals

Every successful entrepreneur sets goals and works towards them every day.

They have long-term goals, mid-term goals, and short-term goals.

They have a clear vision of their objectives and live and breathe them every minute of the day.

Do you have goals?

Do you know what your objectives are?

If you do not have any goals, we highly recommend writing them down today.

It is easier to get up each day knowing what you are working towards rather than wandering around, saying, “I wish that…”

Related Post – How To Set Art Goals You Can Achieve

Why is it important to set short goals?

Long-term goals are great. However, when a goal is far off in the future, it’s tough to find the motivation to achieve them.

Smaller goals are achievable and can be inspiring. Set daily or weekly goals to spur inspiration and motivation.

Humans feel a sense of pride when they accomplish a task.

Write a daily to-do list and cross off everything you finished.

At the end of the day, you can sit back feeling good when you look at everything you got done and document it in your gratitude journal.

How to write short goals:

For example, if your goal is to finish a painting by the end of the week, set a daily short-term goal that moves you towards that objective.

For instance:

Daily Goal: Start project X today and work on it for at least 30 minutes.

Weekly Goal: Work on project X every day this week and complete it by Saturday morning.

The goals you write will keep you motivated and striving to achieve them with each passing day. Setting short-term goals will prevent artistic block and guide you towards your long-term goals. Your goals will keep your creative juices flowing, and you will never have to stare at a blank canvas again.

The best way to get started is to use a daily/monthly planner. Visit At A Glance for a wide variety of personal and business planners.

Prioritize Your Tasks

Making a to-do list is an important part of being productive.

You can get overwhelmed when you have too many tasks on your list so it’s essential to prioritize what gets done first, second, third, etc.

When you cannot get to tasks, cross them off and put them on the next day’s to-do list.

It is good to start with the most important task and work your way down.

If you have extra time, you can work on the less important items that are not a priority.

The amount of time you save focusing on essential jobs will motivate you to complete your next project, and when sales start rolling in, you will be as focused as all of the professional artists you follow.

Reward Yourself

Some days are tough to get through. There will be days that no matter how hard you try, you will be easily distracted and won’t get much done.

Instead of becoming frustrated, try to get some more manageable tasks done.

Doing a few easy tasks can motivate you to keep going and get more done throughout the week.

At the end of the week, reward yourself for accomplishing your goals.

Take the time to appreciate the little things you’ve done.

It is easier to get up each morning and continue feeling motivated to keep striving for your goals when you do this.

Here are some ideas of things you can reward yourself with:

• Spend an hour relaxing with a good book and a cup of your favorite tea
• Take the day off and hang out with friends at the coffee shop
• Watch some of your favorite movies or television shows that you’ve been wanting to watch and take a day off from creating.
• Enjoy a nice dinner out with your family
• Enjoy a day at the beach

Taking some time for yourself will clear your head and give you a different perspective on your art business. A clear mind will give you new creative ideas for new work.

Surround Yourself With Positive People

One great way to stay inspired and motivated is to be surrounded by inspiration.

Surround yourself around positive, uplifting people. Positive people will fuel your energy and help you feel good about yourself.

When you feel good about yourself, you will be motivated to work harder at your goals.

It is also essential to be around people who will remind you to stay accountable and help you get out of your comfort zone. Accountability keeps us motivated and on track. Ans stepping out of your comfort zone will push you to create creative work you have never thought about doing.

Build Good Habits

If you struggle to finish a painting, chances are you have bad habits.

Creating good habits and self-discipline will get you started and provide you will enough energy to get the job done.

If you find yourself saying,” I will get to that later.” You are creating a habit that allows you to procrastinate.

Everything we do is a habit.

• Eating snacks at night is a habit.
• Looking at our smartphone every time we have an extra 5 seconds is a habit.
• Looking at Facebook 20 times a day is a habit.

They say that it takes 24 days to create a new habit.

Think about what you have to do to accomplish your goals and start creating new habits to help you achieve your goals.

Maybe it is:

• Waking up earlier
• Not going on Facebook as much
• Watching fewer YouTube videos
• Working for an extra half hour on your art business at night

Start working on your new habits today, and before you know it, they will become part of your daily activities.

How to build good habits:

Write down your new habit

Create an alarm on your phone that goes off every day to remind you of the habit

Be accountable to someone who will check up with you and remind you if you haven’t done it yet.

Avoid activities and people who make it harder for you to start working on your new habits. (For example, Netflix, allowing yourself to get distracted by scrolling through Facebook)

Look For Inspiration

Subscribe to blogs that inspire.

Follow great artists on Social media who are inspiring you right now, or follow your favorite artist’s blog if they have one.

Take time off

When most people think about taking time off, they look at annual vacations.

However, it’s essential to take more time off than just a week or two a year.

Consider taking time off each week or month.

Even a few hours or a day can make a difference.

A day off gives you time to recharge and find that source of inspiration and motivation.

More tips to help you stay inspired and motivated:

• Listen to inspiring music.
• Create a home office that you enjoy spending time in.
• Have photos of your family in several places.
• Surround yourself with the things you love.
• Look at inspiring reference photos
• Hav an organized workspace
• visit different places
• Read great books
• Purchase a piece of art

Final Thoughts On Finding Inspiration For Artists

Building and growing a business is challenging. Finding inspiration and motivation can make the difference between a struggling business and a thriving business. Use these tips to help find inspiration and encouragement every day.

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