That’s a tough question, isn’t it? And truth be told, I don’t think there is a one-fits-all solution or answer to this. But at least there might be some inspiration ^(haha) to try out to see if it works for you. Some of them do for me, some of them don’t. That being said, having lost your muse or ideas isn’t something to be concerned about and it can have oh so many reasons – be it stress, motivation or simply lack of experience, not knowing where to start. And that’s okay!

What is it that is blocking you?

Maybe you had inspiration but now it’s gone? We’ve all been there, trust me. And it’s an odd, certainly scary at times feeling that overcomes you when you just stare at a white sheet of paper. And ideas simply won’t come. If that’s the case, look at if there’s something holding you back. Maybe you’re stressed? Maybe there’s a knot somewhere that holds you back, that wants to be sorted out first? I work best when I can fully concentrate on what’s in front of me – and I’m worst and slowest if my mind is digesting something else.

Where to look

If you’re looking for a spark, observing and taking pictures of the things around you is always a good start. Be that the outside world, nature, architecture, animals, museums – whatever it is that will peak your interest. Really look at things; I find myself often observing a pattern or a plant, asking myself: “How would I draw this?” and the ones I can’t let go will flow onto paper eventually.

Similarly, you can look for ideas or thoughts online! Have a look at other artist’s work, magazines, movies – even music! You don’t have to create an entire concept or story on the spot – if you want to just draw a box of cereal because you enjoyed your muesli this morning, that’s fantastic!

How to create a concept

If you do want to create a full scene, however, I find it very useful to come up with a little mind map. Come up with things I like. Maybe collect a handful of terms, see if they work together? Maybe I like tea ^{(I do)}, maybe I’ve seen a really cute video of some cats on Reddit the other day. And maybe the sky in its cotton candy colours just sparked some comfort in me. Well, how about a cat-owned tea shop at sunset?

I used to run with the first layout of an illustration I had as well – and mostly still do. But I know lots of artists that do little thumbnails of different variations and perspectives. It does help! It refines what you have and helps putting the focus (and sometimes letting you know your focus in the first place) if you play around a bit.

Make an effort

Being creative is an incredibly amazing way to spend your time and energy – and it benefits from you making an active effort to nurture and grow it. The more you do something, the better you’re going to be at it – and finding ideas is no exception to this. The more you brainstorm, the more you develop, the more you try and fiddle around, the easier things will come to you. The best way to do it is by repetition and by creating a habit. Don’t give up if ideas take their time to form – just keep going, do a bit every day, every other day, every week. You’ll see sparks in no time, I promise.

[Picture by Kelly Sikkema – thank you!]