As someone with ADHD I recognize all of these strategies as things I've done with school, work, art, and pretty much everything else, that have helped me get things done. Some of them I've used my entire life! The idea that "If it's something you want to do, you'll just do it" is complete nonsense.

@PeachPlastic

Жыл бұрын

I'm with you! Besides generally struggling with transitioning (either between tasks or from the mental thought to practical doing), part of my inhibition in regards to getting started is the fear of post-hyperfocus fatigue. I'm more prone to slipping into the wormhole, which is as rewarding as it's brutal. Another inhibitor is that I can't mentally problem-solve a later step I'm still unsure about in a prospective project before I physically get to that stage, but I get stuck trying to plan it all out. Maybe that's an internalized expectation. Either way, my struggles have NOTHING to do with how much I want to do a thing, or whether I want it "truly enough"!

@AnnaReed42

Жыл бұрын

@@PeachPlastic yesss the post-hyperfocus fatigue is so real! It's like all of your normal bodily cues to indicate that you are tired, hungry, sore from sitting too long, etc...are just shut off. And when you come out of it, all of that hits you at once. Also I can't tell you the number of times I've been stalled on a project for insane amounts of time because of one small obstacle. (Usually that obstacle is as small as having to ask someone a question but putting it off long enough that they might think it's weird that I waited this long to ask so I put it off LONGER)

Cancer radiation treatments, 30 of them, a few to go before I am finished, really made me have issues with doing my art. Mentally I could not think toward my art. I have had to push me hard to get started with anything. A little bit at a time. If my body is not ready, I rest. I am back drawing again. Later I will paint what I drew. No matter how long it will take me to get myself back in balance.

I think the core of my procrastination, lack of motivation, avoidance, etc. boils down to me avoiding disappointment. I'm still trying to convince myself it's not the end of the world when a piece doesn't measure up to my expectations, LOL. The baby-steps approach seems to be a good solution to handling SO many of life's difficulties, creative or not. I love the idea of exercising that "motivation muscle."

I saw someone comment once, “the harder I work, the harder I work.” I thought this was strange and didn’t make sense at first, but I really started to think about it. They explained that their hard work tends to inspire more, and the satisfaction gained from getting things done is motivating in itself. I realized this is true for me. Instead of sitting around feeling anxious about not getting things done, if I get up and do things, I tend to want to keep going. I’m still processing this phrase, but so far it fits for me. Thanks for the video, as always, I enjoyed it very much!

I believe success requires failure. This belief turns failure into success in many ways. I really think I have to make bad art in order to make good art. I hold in my head and heart the expectation that I will make more bad paintings than good ones in my lifetime. So when I sit down to paint and the wall goes up, I set the intention that I need to make a bad painting so I can get to the good ones. The not so secret weapon on this, of course, is that there is no such thing as bad art. Most times once I've started putting paint onto the paper, I can keep rearranging it until I've found something I like, even when it wasn't in my head at the beginning.

I have been working on illustration projects for a publisher for some months now and like you, although I love it, the same technique day in day out can sometimes make motivation more difficult. Like you I have to complete the work to a deadline whether I am in the mood or not and something I do is to end my work day leaving something simple not completed. So if I’m outlining something I’ll leave one section not done. That way my next days always starts with something straightforward, reasonably satisfying and tricks me into getting absorbed. It’s the same with writing - I’ll leave a sentence half finished. Xx

@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel

2 жыл бұрын

I do something similar. after i'm done with the current art, I make sure to leave art notes for the next day, such as a pre sketch and some color swatches so I don't have to think too much first thing in the morning.

Ooo, first! Also, i posted a video about 2 weeks ago, and i also filmed a portion of one of my lows where i felt so burnt out and lacked motivation - so this totally hits home for me at the present moment. I’m quite introverted, but i’ve learned how powerful it can be to connect with other’s and see the world through their eyes. It helps motivate me when I simply have lunch with a friend and the conversation is so stimulating. It resets my own mindset and sparks creativity.

You’re stunning Minnie! I needed this video today. I want to make art my career, yet I need to pay my bills immediately lol so anytime I sit down to make art, I can always justify doing something else towards getting a better job or whatever instead of letting myself create.. But deep down I think maybe I let my fear of failure create excuses. These little steps will go a long way for me💛

I work in performance improvement. What you are describing is something I teach. We call it the Five Why's. Keep asking why until you get to a root cause. The brainstorming is something we use when trying to come up with improvement ideas, after we have identified the root cause of the problem. I just love how you have applied the rule here. Recently I have found doodle-a-day challenges to be helpful. Draw something I would otherwise never think to draw. Snails, for instance.

@dreamrabbits5072

2 жыл бұрын

I'm the opposite, I would love to draw snails but I never draw people!

A long time ago I heard someone say that asking Why? 5 times is what finally gets you to the heart of the matter. I wish I remembered the details, but it's stuck with me

I am so there. I promised my cousin a painting and I can't even figure out what to paint let alone start. She lives in the UK and I live in the US. My aunt (her mom) is visiting her in 2 weeks, so that's my deadline 😳 My why: she wants a painting of something I'm not 1) interested in, and 2) good enough to produce that particular subject matter.

Ah, I needed this today. Some amazing advice here, Minnie. My old boss gave some great advice too, on 'swallowing frogs' - based on a quote by Mark Twain. "If you know you have to swallow a frog, swallow it first thing in the morning. If there are two frogs, swallow the big one first.” I always aim to get jobs I *really* don't want to do early in the day, so I don't have to internally stress about them and procrastinate for hours.

Such great tips. The thing with me is I realized I can make such beautiful pieces if I just try to finish something I start (I dont finish every I I alot of unfinished work) I've been doing art for 8 years now and I finally see all the hard work paying off when I get discouraged which is often I remember all the things I made like me Map of Middle Earth and The Map from the Hobbit and I look at it on my wall and then i flip through my sketchbooks and see the progress I made I say look you made that keep going. And sometimes all you need is a little break then you'll be recharged and ready.

Funny you post this, I remember making a comment to fellow artist that I hate when people say making my art is so 'fun' and less than a min later a passerby came by saying how 'fun' are art is. I don't get how people don't think that we artists have to work, yes work on making art especially when not motivated (or a bit sleep deprived) to meet a dead line.

I know that you are very versatile but it’s your mini houses that attract me to your channel. No one else does them like you

I feel exactly the same. I've never been this way before, I used to just have the urge and just do it when I had a spark. But now I've decided to take it seriously and I bought an arsenal of supplies because I'm transitioning to traditional from digital. And I am practicing, but I just don't feel like doing it :( even if it's not practice if I want to do a full piece, I don't have that motivation anymore. I also have so many health problems and on top of that when I get things like my period or the flu it hits me hard because of my weak health, so I am always battling some physical pain or discomfort issues, and that adds to the procrastination. I've only been able to do a few things but I got so much better at drawing in the few sessions I have done, I've been practicing smart instead of doing it by repetition, been following tutorials, I've been debating whether to trace or freehand, and I like to freehand more because it looks less stiff...and I trace to practice and get to know the subject first. I've been drawing for my whole life but I've always been slow and my technique was crap so I've gotten SO much better thank goodness. Now I'm practicing using gouache, coming from acrylic painting and a little bit of watercolor (barely lol). I love art and I can't see my life without it, but I don't know why I can't just do it.

i have this problem with nearly everything i do, i freeze before the task even though i know how to do it. i am working through some steps with my therapist to see if i can change something: - i make myself do something i freeze up for 'just once' and note down every thought that pops up in my head, even the terrible ones. this might take a few hours longer than i would normally expect the thing to take, due to all the emotions. - afterwards we talk about my thoughts, and do a reality check for each one - for art, this might be 'is it true that i will never make progress', 'is it true that i am just wasting time', 'is it true that the result is not valuable even if it isn't like the image i had in my head?' - we also talk about where these thoughts come from, and how i might prefer to think before starting a task. - Then i can write down a list of positive counter-thoughts i can go through before starting. don't know if this will help anyone, but thought i'd share

Wauw I do hear you , so recognizable , often people were indignant when I told them I was not in the mood or I not always love the painting proces even I am super happy when it is finished and turned out well , when I saw your video this morning it felt as you answered my today's struggle but I know that I just need to go to the studio , put some music on and just do anything and I ve started without noticing and yes if it really is a BAD day i do some chores just as you say you have the feeling to have done at least 'something' , also the journaling is a good help and last but not least knowing I am not alone with this mindstruggle helps a lot , I wish you a productive week on your own pace and thanks for sharing this, it is my motivation for today already , 🍀

I get a crap piece of paper and ball point pen and watch a youtube video and just doodle with absolutely no goal in mind. Or, I have motif that I have painted over and over again (like little cells/molecules) with all different colours. I don't have to think about it much and it usually gets me painting again. It's amazing to me how, if I go weeks without doing any artwork, looking at my sketchbook and paints is like trying to read a foreign language that I used to understand but that no longer makes sense. It's like my brain has shut off that function. But I trust now that it will always come back with a little work! :-)

I love this, took mental notes. I’ll definitely be referring back to this video a few more times because the advice is great.

I find excercise can help clear your head even just walking. And then coming back to it

I find that cleaning and tidying helps me too!! Mostly because my problem often starts with it being too messy to start a project 😅

This is a great video, Minnie! I took notes and everything :) One thing I'd add is to do an intuitive sketchbook page with no expectations, just making marks. This might be a good way to shake off the rust and get your hands moving and your brain puzzling without any weight or expectations. I don't do this one enough, but I'm doing it more and more and I always enjoy it!

I love that you are a professional procrastinator. My mom taught me to spell the word when I was in first grade! LOL!. As a professional writer, I think sometimes the procrastination is the brain working and not ready to act. But I also play games with myself. Write for a half hour and then you can paint. Also, writing with others helps and encourages, so doing writing sprints with friends.

Minnie this might be the best video you've ever made. Not only was is visually pleasing (and that reversed shot of you painting the leaf was so creative), but you actually solved a huge problem which many people face on the daily! Thank you!

Subscribed because I identify with this 100%. I do commissioned pencil portraits, and even though I paint and draw every day, as soon as I get a commission, I sit staring at the page, do a few lines then walk off and do some dusting or gardening, then come back and do another few lines then leave it again! tend to get it done when I remind myself how lucky I am, and to just get over myself 😂 audiobooks are also a must.

As a former behavior specialist and Cert. Wellcoach, AND 50 years of painting... one thing I suggested to my clients is more of an approach I call "peas before dessert"-- and all that is -- do the smaller harder things first and the rest will be cake! It's a built in intrinsic reward system that works for me...Or you can look at it like a "Grind and Gift" process where you do the challenging thing for X amount of time, and when you do that, you get to do XYZ for an hour as a treat. Make it up, to fit you...

That was such a great video! Thank you for sharing so many examples of our roadblocks and how to overcome them. I've spent years only creating one to three pieces of art per year, because somehow I always thought it would need to be a big production, a super detailed drawing or painting which always took me 20 hrs or longer. And I love how those drawings/paintings turn out, but they drain me so much. I've done a lot more art now that I've decreased the scale and complexity of my work. I still love the results of my smaller paintings enough to motivate me to create more. Doing art more often is also helping me improve my skills. I think working on my understanding and expectations of my own art has really helped me.

What often stops me from doing art is that I do enjoy it while I'm actually drawing but before I'm drawing I often think that I still need to improve so much and see all these other people's art that are much better than I am, so this often stops me from actually drawing and trying to improve.

I totally needed this video today. Great suggestions that I plan to try.

Love your Work and motto- be happy wherever you are- enjoy the jackpot- sharring is carring

Perfect timing! I was scrolling through KZread trying to find a good video to sketch to. Thanks Minnie!!

I have needed your.message, so glad I found you!

Ive recently begun to learn to draw and this is perfect timing to hear what I needed to, in order to keep motivated. thank you for your perfect timing!

Great video Minnie, very on brand with how I’m feeling recently. I love love LOVED the Patreon rewards this month. So beautiful.

I love your confidence Minnie, in the face of others, your gentleness in the face of tough issues, and your dogged determination. You are an amazing content creator and role model, thank you so much for existing ☺️

Thank you very much. This helped so much!!

Exactly feeling that this week and I have to keep thinking about my productivity last week. I always find cleaning helps. Or going for a tea in the afternoon. I used to love sitting in a cafe to get the juices going. So many great ideas from those days.

I subscribed to your channel a few days ago because I haven’t been able to find my motivation for art in months. Watching videos from other artists really help me! So you can imagen this video came suprisingly on the right timing :))

When I was a student I used to write a list and leave it on my desk so I had something to pick up from and that worked really well. I should start that again.

I really needed this video Minnie! Thank you for sharing these tips. It's always really encouraging knowing that we are not alone when it comes to motivation and procrastination problems in making art. Keep up the amazing work ❤️

I needed this!! I’m currently working on my Fine Arts thesis and it’s so mentally exhausting to paint and think creatively *all* the time, thank you for this!

Excellent tips and advice, Minnie! Thank you for this video, you said it was kind of unplanned but it came right when I needed it 🥰

Thank you for this. I consciously know all artists struggle ti find motivation, and that it is irrelevant in order to do the work because the work must get done regardless, but I somehow tend to forget and then I put myself down for feeling unproductive and unmotivated. You remind me that it's a daily struggle for everyone and that it's part of the process, and that it doesn't have to stay that way. These are my favourite videos. Thank you for sharing ❤

A great video. Everything you talked about (how i feel that I'm not capable, don't even know where to start and how to proceed) resonates with me at this time. Watching your videos give me the positivity and calmed down my frustrations at not being able to draw. Thank you Minnie for making this!

Thank you so much for the tips. I can totally relate to everything you talked about in the video.

Thank you!

love this! I always look forward to your advice videos!

much needed, thank u for posting :)

Hello Minnie, lovely video thank you for sharing! I needed this today as I'm a procrastinator and I want to get into a more "productive" mindset, this truly is inspiring! And yes, I've been setting up my desk little by little with Art supplies, gotten scented candles which definitely help me, and creating a "Creativity time" playlist to help me get, and stay in the mood! Music always takes me to another place so it's a great idea thank you!❤️🥰🙏🏼

I just wanted to say thank you for making this video and understand what am I going through right. My parents doesn't understand this kind of problem since I also can't explained it to them properly like you did. By gods will, I will try my best to follow your advice and I will keep you updated in the future.

Muchas gracias por su consejo!!!

It’s funny how someone can sit there and actually tell someone, “well this doesn’t sound like it’s for you if you don’t want to do it.” I’m sorry what?? In what universe is it normal to want to do what you like 100% of the time? I love my family as much as anyone in the world would, but I don’t necessarily want to be around them 100% of the time. It’s also ridiculous that we wouldn’t have a problem with a family member or find them annoying at some point or another. To think that you shouldn’t be doing something creative if you don’t feel like doing it all the time or if you don’t know what to do with it all of the time sounds like something someone who isn’t creative at all would think. As someone who loves drawing, creating and painting, it’s my opinion that creativity is not just something you have, it’s something you work for, and that means taking breaks and doing other things because work is hard even if you love it.

This is so helpful, thank you!!

Thank you for sharing, very helpful 😀.

Excellent video. Thank you for putting this out there. I have learned over the years to do many of the things you have talked about to help me get through an “I don’t want to do this right now” time. The biggest thing for me was to give myself permission to take the break and not worry about not being motivated for a bit. It’s important for us to be patient with outselves.

This was definitely helpful and I’ll keep these in mind next time I find myself in this situation. Thanks so much for sharing!

Watching other artists’ videos and visiting museums always puts me right back to the creative mood.

💛 thank you

Thanks for this, such helpful advice xx

This hits the nail on the head!!! Thank you for the tips and pep talk!!!!

One thing I do, to get into a flow, is very lightly scribble on the page. I’ll make swirls and sharp angular lines, then when I’m done I’ll look at it for a while and try to find shapes and figures in the scribbles. I’ll draw what I see and sometimes it good, sometimes it’s bad, but at least I’m making something :3

This video resonated SO WELL with me! THANK YOU!! ❤

This was so helpful, thank you 👍🏻

81 paintings!? Wow! You’re amazing 😍😍😍

THIS JUST MOTIVATED ME SO MUCH AND I NEEDED IT THANKS:)

Thanks, this video was just at the right time in my career. Your content is ALWAYS calming and reassuring, as well as informative.

This was so inspiring! I am 100% going to give this a go!❤ thank you for all the lovely ideas!

I enjoyed this video! Thank you! Also, I love the earrings!

This got me working today, thank you!

Best video on this topic ever! Thanks soo much!

Loved this so much, was very motivating , thank you Minnie 💕

Yes! This is something I struggle with a lot. For me it's mostly fear of failing, of the piece not being as good as my visualisation of it. I love your idea to try something else for half an hour. I find flicking through Pinterest gets me really in the mood to be creative so I might try that next time (with a timer set!)

Thank you so much for this video! There's a term paper I'm supposed to be writing, but I just can't get myself to do it - but I think I'll be able to apply (almost) everything you've said to the academic writing process as well! ❤️✨

This was such a good concise video. It really helped me get on the right mindset to try starting those projects I am stuck with.

Thank you, really great advices!!!

As someone who loves art, this video helped me so much. I can relate to so many of these things ❤️

Something I do to help me get started with drawing is to (quickly) draw something else that I know I’m good at drawing. It helps me remember that I do like what I make, especially if what I’m actually trying to draw isn’t something I’m used to. Great video as always 😊

Thank you. This helped.

Yes Minnie, it’s true, motivation is such a rare attribute. It’s like a mist or a wraith being that teases us but is always out of reach. I chase it a lot. Get very frustrated when it all just seems too much. I liked Kendal’s idea of writing down the first step. I used to keep lists and then when I didn’t get to cross all the to do things of it, I would feel as if I had failed to make productive use of my days time. The concept of just the first step seems so much more doable. Will implement this. Are doing Okay? I think your output is phenomenal and I feel you should know that others shouldn’t judge you for having an off time. Art may be your life, still, you are your own life as well. You are the composite of so much more than just painting. Your interests, hobbies, loves, dislikes, the people you share life with. All of these too need to be nourished and given space in your life to just be. No wonder our brains need down time from art. All the other things that make up who we are, will transform our art, if given the space to breathe back into our creativity. Procrastination then can become a catalyst to propel art forward. It’s a weird way to view it, I know, but I am trying to see my downer times as breathing spaces and not be so judgmental of my brain’s need to stop for a bit.

These are some great tips! Thanks for sharing Minnie ☺️

Oftentimes starting out is the hardest part for me, so the method of writing down the small starting task has helped me immensely with that. For those tasks I'll give it a time too so the to-do list item is something like "draw in sketchbook for 5 minutes". I set that time to be small enough that I can always commit to it even when unmotivated, and the act of getting started and working through that timer is often just the push I need to keep going!

oh my goodness this video was so helpful. exactly what i needed to hear.

Oh Minnie, what a surprise for me as I watched your video and suddenly you said my name!!! Thanks, it was just such a fun surprise😍 I’m so happy that you have found the tip useful. This video was so inspirational and has added to my - how to get moving list!! Thanks so much, you are a 🌟👏🏽💖😍❣️

Great ideas!

thank you! i have been so challenged lately.

This was SO helpful, thank you! I've been going through changes to get inspired. I'm a Graphic Designer, but I want to get more into traditional art/creating - not using the computer so much. I used to draw all of the time when I was a little girl - completely unrestricted. But as an adult, I feel boxed in. I'm feeling void of creativity and it's upsetting because I know being an artist is what I'm born to do. It means a lot to me to be/stay motivated and creative. Your video was inspiring and I wrote your tips down in my sketchbook. I will start implementing your tips. Thanks again!

I used to be afraid to mess up and "waste" my art supplies because I didn't know what I was doing but I've been doing it now for 6 years and I'm finally making myself work on something each day to get better and try different mediums

Oh, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.. I too have made a procrastination ritual: 1-choose a medium, lay out 5 materials, 2- next day, choose ref pics, do 2 sketches, 5-10min each, day3- value sketch+ 1st layer of colors. After that, it just naturally flows 🙂& I have constant momentum. 💕 hearing you as I work

Loved this!! Gonna go do something creative right now 🥰 thanks for being an inspiration as always ❤️

@traceywindle962

2 жыл бұрын

That right there…’Gonna go do something right now’ had a kinda knock on effect with me! 🙂

Thank you

Tips: Ask yourself: What's stopping you from doing what you want to do? Feeling tired/not capable/unconfident? No supplies? Don't know where to start? Switch up your environment and/or creative process. "Gamify" your process such as doing timer races against your previous records. One small step: committing to one small thing such as setting your supplies across your desk. This is to push you to start without thinking too much. How do you take that small step: keep everything you need to start/paint in front of you. Visualize: picture what you want to achieve, what would your finished piece look like? Imagine how you would begin and try it! Do something else: seek inspo from the media and learn from observation, exercise, read, create art journals, watch YT -- THO MAKE SURE TO SET A TIMER (30 min max) Bring joy, curiosity, and experimentation into your process. Above all, know that you are capable and you are capable of trying!! TRUST YOURSELF. One thing that motivates me as an amateur artist is to think that if you are a tiny bit better than you were yesterday, you are on the right track. I've been having this struggle with motivation for weeks now, which saddens me because it seems like I am missing out on everything. But thank you Minnie for your tips!! I feel motivated to try again :))

needed this rn wow

how did you know I needed this right now? haha Thank you

Thank you for sharing this video ❤️ Personally I get motivated by watching process videos of the amazing artists on KZread 👀 ✨ I’m in love with the color combos you choose 🥰 & I just start crave working with gouache 😂

Yay!!!! A new video! 😘♥️

Love this Minnie! We have very similar ways to get the ball rolling! ..now if I only can get going right now 😂 great video as always! :0)

If I have to.... that can be a big issue, I have a show and the creative block came, each painting is a weight on my shoulder. I could solve part of the problem inviting another artist to participate of the exposition. I do not know why this happens but I am very thankful for this video, it has helped me a lot.

great points and also thank you. Plus, Hi.

I have a rule: do the worst first! Whatever I’m dreading doing I either plunge into or make a list of steps to get it done. It works really well but I admit that there are times when I just CAN’T 😆