✍️ Do you make art every day? I don't, and that's ok.

Published 4 months ago • 3 min read

Hi Reader,

Have you ever been encouraged to make art everyday in order to improve? It's a common piece of art advice, that has roots in some very valid points, and the practise has proven positive for many. However, it's not for everyone - myself included - so please don't feel like a failure if you've tried it and not found it helpful. The key to art improvement is not quantity but consistency, and finding a way to practise which suits you is what will keep you showing up.

If you're curious (as I hope you always are!) and would like to try and every day practise, here are some of the benefits to it:

🎨 Honing your skills and sharpening your observations. The more you practise anything, the better you’ll get (and the quicker you'll do it), so if you are creating art everyday your skills and ways of seeing are going to improve.

🎨 Building muscle memory. Daily exercises lay the groundwork for more complex artistic endeavours later on. By drawing every day, your body gets used to what it needs to do to create certain results, and you can achieve them easier.

🎨 Building Confidence. Don’t know what your art style is? The more regularly you are creating things, the faster you’ll start recognising what you are most enjoying about your own artwork. With this comes confidence, and with confidence you will be empowered to take on bigger challenges in the future.

🎨 Pushing Boundaries. The pressure to create daily can be like a friendly (but slightly bossy) muse, as you might try different things in order to not repeat yourself. This can lead to unexpected discoveries and a new understanding of what your creativity means to you.

All of the above is pretty great, so it is definitely worth testing out if you've not tried it before. You can always set boundaries on it too, making it a challenge for a short time (say, creating art every day for one week) to see how it suits you.

However...

If you try it and it feels overwhelming or unsustainable, it's ok to step back from it. I don't make art every day and when I have tried challenging myself to do so, I have generally found myself losing enthusiasm for creating. I like some breathing room in between my making sessions. Energy levels are not always consistent - mine certainly aren’t - and creativity energy doesn’t exist in a vacuum. When your body is tired, your creativity may seem far away. Life throws curveballs that can derail even the most meticulous art schedule. If you start feeling like a failure for missing a day of art, your creativity can start to shrivel.

The good news is that you don't need to make art every day in order to improve your creative skills. You just need to nurture a consistent art practise. You might decide to show up for your art twice a week - this could be by dedicating particular days or times to creating art, or allocating your time more flexibly week-to-week. Perhaps you decide you want to get two creative things done this month, and you do them over multiple smaller sessions as and when you can fit them in.

It doesn't matter what the schedule is, as long as you are making a promise to meet up with your art soon. You deserve to have some quality time together.

Once you feel like you have a schedule sorted, you can figure out ways to make the most of the time you have. Check out some thoughts on this in my blog.

Grab a biscuit, let's chill & create together...

On My Youtube: Art Made For Us #5

In this video I go for a wander around RHS Garden Hyde Hall, and find lots of floral inspirations. Later in the shed, it's finally time to try painting on a linen canvas I've been hoarding. Come hang out with me as I paint!

Youtube Creator Spotlight: Red Rocking Bird

Sarah is an air-dry-clay super-source of inspiration and information, but it doesn't stop there! You can find tutorials on various crafts including laser-engraving and resin casting, and her calm presence instantly puts you in a cosy creative zone.

Until the next time, Thank You for being here with me 💛

Keep Making Happy!