Getting over creative blocks is something you have to get good at when you're in school or working and a deadline looms. Art classes were a place for me to learn to just going ahead even if I didn't feel inspired. I discovered that things sometimes look crummy for the first few hours because your mind is still in that left brain judgmental mode. When you're running around in the world trying to get things done it can become hard to turn it off. But if you keep working things can suddenly improve as you get lost in the process. By getting lost I mean the creative right brain kicks in and you stop trying to do something perfect and just enjoy sketching or painting.
This is a page from my sketchbook with the sketch for our current Halloween promotion. Earlier today I didn't feel inspired and couldn't come up with any clever ideas while thinking about it. So I just started doodling and the sketch evolved and now I quite like it. I was procrastinating about doing this, but once I got into it I didn't feel like stopping so I added a little sketch for one of the other blogs I post on, "Picture bookies", with the theme "asleep". And finally a little elf that may show up around Christmas!
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By: Claire Louise Milne,
on 10/2/2007
Blog: Illustration for Kids Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: elf, halloween, sketches, doodle, sketchbook, claire louise milne, Promotion, Add a tag
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Blog: Illustration for Kids Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: elf, halloween, sketches, doodle, sketchbook, claire louise milne, Promotion, Add a tag
4 Comments on Sketching away a creative block, last added: 10/30/2007
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They are really quit wonderful! Thanks so much for putting all that into words. It really helped me understand the whole process of left and right brain in drawing. . .never had it explained like this before. It made so much sense!
lovely sketches! :)) loved it!
I love this post, I can really relate to it and it's good to be reminded of it. Your sketches are wonderful!
PS, I have your bird cards hanging up in the living room and my toddler loves to have me pick her up so she can see them up close and point to each bird. I think they contributed to 'bird' being her first word. :)