Waiting for the “right time” to make art will never work because art-making operates on a completely different principle than other challenging tasks in life. Unlike difficult conversations or obligations that drain you until you push through them, art actually gives you energy and momentum once you start. The secret isn’t finding more time, a bigger studio, or external validation. It’s understanding that the brush hitting the canvas is what opens the creative channel. Everything you want from your art practice is waiting on the other side of just starting, even if it’s only 15 minutes of making marks on paper with no plan at all.
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The Art Practice That’s Waiting for You
There are so many people waiting on the sidelines to start making art.
Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe you made art at one time. You know you want to do it. You know it’s one of the most important things. But you haven’t been able to get back to it.
We tell ourselves there’s a better time coming. When I have more time. When I’m less busy. When I have a bigger studio. When things calm down.
There are all kinds of reasons not to do it.
And I hear this constantly. Starting again is one area that I love helping people with, and it comes up in retreats all the time. This is one of the common challenges people list. They just want to make art a part of their life. They know they want it. But they can’t get it going.
Why Art-Making Is Different
Here’s what I need you to understand.
Art making is a different kind of challenge than other hard things in life.
When we think about doing something difficult —whether it’s having a hard conversation, moving, or whatever—we eventually have to do it. And we just do it.
But art making is different than that. You don’t want to think of it the same way.
Art making has this crazy piece to it. Once you get in it, it gives you energy and momentum to keep going.
Everything you think about making art, all that activity called procrastination, or thinking about making art, or coming up with all the reasons why you can’t. Whatever that is called, that’s not at all making art.
The External Energy Trap
When I find myself in these patches when I’m not physically making the work, I tend to start looking outside myself for energy.
Am I an artist? Is the gallery gonna call me to tell me someone likes my work, or are they gonna sell it? I’m looking for energy, and I’m thinking that’s what I need. Somehow, that’s gonna magically get me back into this.
It doesn’t work that way in art.
Nothing helps. Nothing really helps. There’s no good time. You’re never gonna have a big enough studio. You’re never gonna have enough time.
None of that.
What Actually Opens the Channel
The only thing that gets it going is when the brush hits the canvas.
When you’re just doing the activity.
And this is why I am always talking about creating a 15-minute practice. In Art2Life, we call this Bloom. Because it’s this little thing you do that allows you to do the rest.
It opens the door. It’s how you make the work. It’s how you begin the work.
And it doesn’t even have to make sense.
It’s just something about physically, literally, physically making something. You don’t need a plan. It doesn’t have to be the thing you wanna make.
That gives you access to the channel. And I’m looking up because I feel like it is a channel… It’s a channel to the divine in a sense. It’s a channel to really feel yourself.
And then you start making art.
The Momentum That Creates Itself
It’s that momentum that’s created from doing the thing… just doing the thing. The thing allows you to do the thing, if that makes sense.
And, it’s just not something you can figure out by peering at it, by looking at it from a distance.
It’s kind of amazing. Everything you want is waiting on the other side of just starting.
Don’t overthink it. Starting can be so easy.
You could spend the amount of time I’ve been talking about this, making something on paper in these two or three minutes. And it will move you towards getting back into motion.
Why This Matters So Much
Making art alongside your life is a beautiful thing.
It’s the art that gives you momentum. It’s the art that gives you energy to do more. And art is what changes you, making you more present, more alive in your life.
And it just unfolds so beautifully.
But you just have to start.
Your Next Step
So here’s what I want you to do.
Get in the studio today. Put some marks on some paper. Get this thing going.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to make sense. It doesn’t have to be the painting you’ve been dreaming about making.
Just 15 minutes.
Just something physical.
Just the brush hitting the canvas.
That’s all it takes to reopen the channel.
What helps you get unstuck when you’re struggling to start? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
