7 steps to getting out of a painting funk

burning stuff once again

darlings,

it's real talk slash tough loving time.

you know those times

when you come out of studio

- having forgotten to eat and sleep for days -

utterly content

and completely spent?

this is not one of those times.

(if it is, how did you make it past the title? and

for crying out loud, pour yourself

a big glass of red, bask in

the glory of it, and enjoy

the fruit of your labor!)

oh, this is different.

you just checked your facebook page

for the 13th time today,

hit refresh on your etsy stats/inbox/twitter,

spent hours/days/weeks getting inspired by 

crying over breathtaking art on pinterest

and even more time staring in despair

at blank canvas.

read on, my friend.

 having come out of a 2, ok, 4 week studio funk

with one glorious full day of painting,

i'm feeling good. in fact,

i feel victorious enough

to impart the bits of wisdom

that really worked for me.

1.admit you have a problem

in the midst of the funk, your creative spirit

expresses itself

in one way only:

by making beautifully crafted excuses.

be honest with yourself.

do you really need more research

or inspiration?

more often than not i find

i'm just procrastinating,

overcome by fears.

2. give yourself a (guilt free) break

don't be tempted to skip this one.

sure you've spent a lot (too much) time

not getting essential work done,

but beating yourself up

doesn't exactly count as relaxing.

take some intentional time off

(a half an hour, even a day if you need).

and make it good!

you'll be much more motivated to get to work

in your newly found

good mood.

3.take a hike

go for a walk. breathe in the crisp air.

get your blood pumping. 

open your eyes. listen.

explore.

4. ease into the work with a bit of play

don't start off trying to paint the next masterpiece.

that buys you an express ticket

to overwhelm town.

instead, go non-committal. have some fun with it.

i tear some lovely papers to bits.

burn the edges.

glue random odds and ends to a failed canvas.

throw some paint.

explore a new way of making marks.

pretty geometry

5. meet self imposed deadlines

now that you've been quite nice to yourself,

it's time for some tough loving.

create some artificial deadlines.

push yourself to the limit.

find that you're made of steel

in addition to the ooey-gooey arty stuff.

surgery

6. turn your computer off and get to work

eliminate distractions.

also, literally,

turns your computer off and get to work.

just do it. 

7. celebrate the little victories

you know what to do.

for me, it's the sweet sweet vices:

whiskey & a nice cigar on the patio.

or working on a fun sewing project:

giving an old sweater

edgy & feminine new life.

cheers! you did it!

tell me your tales of painting victory

and beating studio funk!

beautiful decay