Releasing Creative Juices: How to Start Painting and Having Fun

It’s going to look stupid.

Everyone else’s looks better than mine.

I never have any good ideas.

I should just stop trying.

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever reached for a paintbrush, you’ve likely heard those voices before.

In fact, if you’re one of the 128 million American adults who have tried to create some kind of artwork, you might have walked away discouraged, vowing never to. touch a brush again.

It might be hard to believe, but every artist-even the incredible ones we binge watch on Youtube-has felt that way. If you’re struggling with creative blocks or just don’t know how to start painting, take heart.

This article is just for you. It’s your roadmap to overcoming creative dry spells and the fear of painting. We double dare you to keep reading and find out what you’re capable of.

Embrace mistakes

Sure, the man himself said that mistakes are “Just happy little accidents.”. But what does that mean when you’ve spent hours on a canvas only to realize that it’s nothing like what you pictured?

There’s no denying that mistakes are frustrating. Before you go all Dorian Grey and slash your canvas with a pallet knife, take a minute (and a deep breath).

Look at the canvas again. See what you did well, and give yourself a pat on the back. Look at the things you want to improve on and make a mental note to practice them.

Your mistakes are your opportunity to see how far you’ve come. Soon, you’ll look back and realize that your trees don’t look like power poles anymore. Nice work, Da Vinci!

Focus on the process, not the outcome

So, you’ve painted for an hour and .. your canvas looks nothing like the tutorial did.

Yeah, that makes everyone. feel pretty bad about their skills. You’re probably tempted to listen to the voice that says, “I’m just not good at this.”

Instead, though, think about what was valuable about that hour.

• You overcame your fear and tried something new and challenging.
• You spent a relaxing hour absorbed in the process
• You took baby steps towards. developing your painting skills

As Adventure Time taught us, “Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sort of good at something.”

Paint with other beginners

Nothing kills the fear of painting like diving in with other beginners. That’s the magic of a painting party: you can break the painting ice with some good friends and good drinks.

You can. throw your own painting party. Cue up your favorite playlist, invite your favorite people and get your hands dirty. Together, you can experiment with new painting techniques and compare painting styles.

Or, if you’d rather focus on painting than hosting, have a painting party come to you. Remember, there’s no right way to get creative, so have fun.

Find inspiration in unexpected (AKA, weird) places

When the creative juices just aren’t flowing, it’s easy to feel like giving up. But you can find a way around those creative blocks and keep following your muse.

Start by looking at everyday things with your creative eyes. Maybe. you looked at the same coffee pot you see every morning, but this time its curved lines spoke to you in a new way.

Maybe your kinda annoying neighbor stopped you in the hallway again, but this time the light hit their face. Suddenly, you notice how their wrinkles reveal their years of hard work in a dead-end job, and you have the itch to capture them in paint.

Or maybe a weird idea popped into your head when you were drifting off to sleep in yet another boring office meeting.

Creativity is a muscle, not a superpower. You can exercise it so that it gets stronger. Keep practicing-it won’t be long until inspiration finds you again.

Paint regularly

Tchaikovsky once said, “The muse doesn’t come without being called.” And I think we can all agree that he was a pretty creative guy.

If the idea of painting makes you nervous, the best thing you can do is make it a regular habit. Over time, you’ll overcome your fear through exposure. Plus, you’ll be having so much fun that you’ll forget to be nervous.

Are you having. trouble keeping your painting date with yourself? (Wait, what? Who would stand up such a hot date?)

If so, try a . Once a month, you’ll get all the supplies you need. to paint something gorgeous.

Subscription boxes are a perfect way to stay motivated because the exciting new products and different types of paints will make you want to get to work.

Plus, when the box arrives in the mail, it will remind you that it’s time to paint. No more procrastinating until your easel is covered in cobwebs.

Seek fun, not perfection

Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought the following:

“My painting. has. to be perfect because otherwise, it means that I’m not a good painter and that means I’m not good at anything creative and that means I’m a total failure and ..” Ok, ok, everyone, put your hands down now.

It’s easy to feel the pressure to be perfect in painting, especially when people around us (or on Youtube) are more advanced.

But when you sit down to paint, instead of asking yourself, “How can I make this look perfect,” what if you ask yourself, “What do. I. want this to look like”?

What might happen: you start having fun instead of feeling anxious. That’s a win in our books.

And that’s how to start painting

We’re all guilty of spending so much time wondering how to start painting that we don’t actually get around to doing it.

There’s no sugarcoating it: creativity is scary. If you’re listening to those voices tell you that you’ll never be good at painting, we can’t judge.

With these strategies, though, you have concrete steps to take as you start your painting journey.

Having great painting supplies always helps, so check out our range of to get delivered right to your door. However you do it, stay creative, and have fun!