Sometimes you just get stuck. You are painting along fine and then you reach a point where you don’t know what to do. It might be because you have fallen in love and have lost objectivity. It might because the color is off somehow. But usually you stop and pullover because you just actually have no idea what to do. You truly have never been here before.
This is a good strategy in most circumstances. But in art, sometimes you think you can figure it out if you think hard enough, but in actual fact you can’t. It is hard to imagine too many steps ahead in a painting. Having no clear image to shoot for is somewhat terrifying but there it is. You have come to a place in the road that you can go no further. So logically we stop.
And then, since no new clear information is conjured up, we tend to stay stopped. Stuck.
So I don’t know the full answer but I think I know a small part of it.
And here it is…
When you hit a roadblock, when you can’t keep moving in one direction, instead of stopping, you just go left or right. You pivot. In other words you keep moving in a way that is different even though you might not know the outcome. The important thing is to just keep moving. You might even be pretending to be moving towards something but if you can keep moving, if the dance can continue, the answer, the solution to what was stopping you arrives more quickly.
Interestingly, questions that arise in the process of making your art are often best answered from doing instead of thinking. If you can just keep mark making, faking it almost, then your art continues to change. It is this changing that actually starts to give you the crucial information about what you might do next. The changing art seems constantly new and fresh and as a result you can remain objective. And being objective allows you to see your art and what to do next, more easily.
So next time you find yourself just staring at your art not knowing what to do and minutes are turning into hours just remember…. Move. Take action even if you don’t know what to do. Do anything. Trust your intuition and simply dance.
That is a pretty good answer till a better once comes along.
And from my experience, it always does. Do you ever get stuck? And when you do how do you get unstuck? Please share your thoughts and comments here.
In Gratitude, Nicholas
21 Comments
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.
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When I get stuck I go over to the Saatchi Art Online website and just scroll through what other people are doing until I see something that strikes me as interesting. That usually sets off my creativity again. Just this morning I was staring at Canvas No. 3 – totally blank 100 x 80 cms – of a group of 3 that I planned to be abstracts of the summer garden. Then a FB post came in about the latest Purple colour issued by Pantone – in honour of the musician Prince (of Purple Rain). That immediately gave me an idea. I would seed a design with this purple colour. Looking at the purple I thought of my mulberry tree – and then the inspiration came. I now have a design and plan to activate the canvas this afternoon.
Such great timing for this topic – 3 months ago I started a piece, felt lost, and leaned it against the wall and went onto something else. A few days ago I returned to it (actually I was cleaning and wanted to move it) and upon “rediscovering” it I decided to finish it. I realized I now had a different trajectory than the one I started with, the original idea was forgotten and I was “free” to carry on without a plan – just putting marks down – as you said. I was no longer so invested in it that I was stopped in my tracks – I just wanted to get it out of the way. Upon pivoting I realized it wasn’t the piece of art I had in mind when I began, but a new one sprung up in its place. Probably a better one, but honestly I can’t remember what my original plan was and I’m okay with that. I love surprises.
This is my approach exactly. I’m into photography at the moment. Time, and therefore distance, usually tells me whether a photo is worth keeping, (further) editing, or tossing. As a street photographer instructor I recently met says “I let it marinate”.
I like the term “marinating.” I think some work needs it. My feelings for my work can shift-change over time. I’ll go from being in love with a piece, to hating it, to ho-hum, and then sometimes, maybe even years later, I’ll see it anew and find that it’s good. Art is mystifying on so many levels.
Thanks! You nailed it! I’ve been doing just that in two paintings… for over a year!! They have morphed so many times! I’ve kept moving, staring, trying…. always not happy with result. Sometimes something is fun, works… but on the whole… no! I finally listened to Diebenkorn and painted out a huge section! Today is the closing in in on it day… (I hope) because I need to free myself!!
Wish me luck today!! Your advice always right on.
You are right!!! It’s like physical therapy (of which I am doing….doctor’s advice). Perhaps we have all heard the following words: “Don’t use ‘it’….lose ‘it’!” That applies to making art as well. When you are stuck, simply ‘play’ with your materials. Something always happens in your favor.
I needed this today. I have a piece that I’ve been looking at for a long time now, not wanting to “mess it up” since I like a lot of it, but that’s holding me back from digging in again. Right now I’m going to put it back on the easel and mess around. Thank you Nick. You are a blessing, regularly!
I am there now,,,stuck. Although I’m an non-objective painter, occasionally I want to stratal both worlds, abstract with a touch of realaity, so I do abstract landscapes. And it’s not working this time, so I took out the trees which were blocking me. The painting is much better now and I hope I can continue to move forward. And who knows, maybe it was never meant to be an abstract landscape!!
Thank you for reminding me to “take action” and to be brave.
I usually put the piece aside and go on to the next one, than when I go back, a solution usually appears after a time out as I call it.
Thanks for this post as this is exactly where I am with a painting right now, hesitating, then stuck. So I appreciate the advice to just keep moving to create momentum, to see where the process takes you👍
I’D have no prob’s if I painted in the abstract; but I’m figural so I look for a narrative.
When you can’t paint: PAINT. Maybe break out your worst, uncontrollable brushes, too.
Now, I have a question for you: who buys your big canvases? Designers and retail?
I’ve been stuck for awhile now and just reading this gave me an idea how to move forward with the painting that I got stuck on. Thanks so much.
So cool to hear as this is exactly what I feel, take action keep mark making and its so nice to hear because it supports my intuition. I am days away from a deadline for a show I’m putting my work into and my mind just wants to keep asserting stuckness and create elaborate stories for the stickiness but I know the intuition has a will of its own and every mark I make strengthens that intuitive will and calms my mind. Thank you for your post.
This is just the conversation I needed to hear as I return to my work tomorrow. Boy, it does feel comforting to hear how other artists move through their problems. Thank you, Nicholas, for giving us this forum!
I find that I sometimes get stuck because I really like where a painting is at, though I know it’s not finished. I’ve learned that if I take a quick photo on my phone, that ‘stage’ is not lost, and I’m able to dive back in and keep working.
If something _really_ isn’t working, a teacher once recommended doing something drastic, rather than trying to nudge it back towards success with tentative moves. This usually works for me!
Freezing the moment with a cell phone photo always helps, and seeing the values. It’s usually a value issue, or too many timid moves. Then I think “whats the worst that can happen if I just go for it?” Usually the best happens then.
I usually move on to another project when I get stuck on one. It’s great to have 2 or 3 going at the same time. When I come back to the one I was stuck on, I can usually see what to do next because I have stepped away to one of the others and come back with a new perspective.
Yes this is what I do also. Work on several pieces, different sizes often, and just pause sometimes and move onto something else, sometimes I stop on a particular piece for quite a while.
I’ve found recently that when I’m stuck it doesn’t work applying more paint as I just over work things, so have found it more useful to go in with charcoal or pastels – it’s a different feel of action and I suspect it uses a slightly different area of the brain. Plus it’s easier to rub out if it’s wrong!! but usually I find it encourages me to take much bigger risks which pay off.
Take home trust your instincts and just dance love it.
Gratidão, Nicholas!