What to do if you don’t feel like drawing
So, you don’t feel like drawing.
But you feel like you should be. After all, it’s your passion. Today, however, or maybe in the last month, you don’t feel like sitting down to produce some art.
Why is that?
What to do if you don’t “feel like” starting a drawing
“I don’t know what to draw! I don’t have any inspiration”.
Alright, what makes you tick? What made you want to draw in the first place? The very first step is going back to the initial source of your inspiration.
So you go and play a game, or watch a movie/anime you love. You dig the visuals. You’re hyped for the story (look, you’re inspired!) but when you sit down to produce something… nope, don’t feel like it. (if you do, stop reading and pat yourself on the back 😀 )
In this case you usually are inspired, but just can’t make yourself do it. While there might be multiple reasons that lead to not feeling like drawing, the most common for me are either being too tired or having a “better” alternative. The better alternative usually being a movie/show or video game – yes, the very source of the initial inspiration.
If you are too tired to draw, try to schedule your art time earlier in the day, or on a day when you are not drained from other commitments. Try not to over-rely on willpower, as it’s a finite resource and you might not have much left at the end of a long day. Instead, build the habit of always doing art at the same time (when applicable) or following the same cues (like being in a room, or brewing some coffee).
If instead you prefer doing something easier (which might as well be a consequence of the first – if you are too tired and have no willpower you are more likely to engage in low effort activities) you might want to pull back from the media a bit. If you are playing games 5 hours a day and drawing for one (or even less), then your priority is games, not art. Of course you don’t feel like doing it!
Art requires effort and commitment on a completely different level than games or movies. You might argue some games are hard, but let’s be completely honest – they are still entertainment.
If you are serious about improving your art, try to treat entertainment as a reward after you draw or paint x amount of hours.
Ultimately, even when you are just working on your fundamentals, remember WHY you want to draw in the first place. Set aside some time every day to draw whatever you like (for me, it’s monsters) and don’t simply focus on the hard part of the craft.
Just enjoy it!
Want more? Here are some ideas to get you started
Characters
– Steampunk Aviator
– Cybernetic Mercenary
– Samurai Astral Mage
Creatures
– Shadowspire Crawler
– Crystalwing Serpent
– Blazebeak Phoenix
Environments
– Luminescent Caverns
– Enchanted Forest of Whispers
– Cyberpunk Megalopolis
Need Feedback?
Join our discord server (it’s free of course).
Or, if you need additional or personalized feedback, consider my mentorship program
Artist of the week
