What Motivates You With Your Art?

Although I try to sketch every day, there are spells I hit where I just don't feel like it or life gets in the way of doing so.  With me......if I let those spells drag out, I tend to find excuses not to get started back into it. 

To help motivate myself, I set several goals each year and look for various times/opportunities I know will help re-ignite that spark if in a slump.  These are not in any specific order or importance.

The 365 Sketch a Year Goal - Rather than making this too rigid to allow for days life gets in the way or I just don't feel up to sketching, I set a 365 sketch per year goal versus sketching every day for 365 days.

I met this particular goal by the end of May :-)

Monthly Goal Between Friends - This one is where a friend/sister in the UK and I alternate months setting a monthly goal.  We decide subject and normally require at least six illustrations in various mediums each month.  So far I've been able to keep up with only two months remaining.

Inktober - I always look forward to October for this challenge.  I may not follow the prompt list but I like the challenge of producing an ink sketch each day of the month.  The purpose for me is to hone my skills with hatching and cross hatching or other means of producing form and tone values within a sketch (like stippling).  This includes digital sketching.

Sketchcrawls with Friends - During the cooler months we try to schedule about 4 outings a month.  During the hotter months, we strive for at least 2 outings a month.  Most I have participated but there have been several due to health reasons that kept me from physically going out.  But even if I don't go out, I still try to sketch something of the place scheduled from photos I've taken from previous outings at the same locations.

Testing New and Old Supplies - Nothing motivates me like learning about new materials.  I love testing and playing with new papers, new pens, new inks, etc. etc.  AND if nothing new, I'll bring out materials and supplies that tend to take a backseat to my normal choices .....like color pencils, pastel pencils, watercolor pencils, NeoColor II Crayons, etc.

Recording Gifts, Keepsakes, and Other Treasures - Anytime I receive a gift or one of the family members finds something out and about they think I'd like to sketch, I try to record them in one of my journals. 

I'm also a big kid at heart with stuffed animals calling out to me to sketch and paint from time to time.  Even those I've had for years.  They all have sentimental value which makes them special to sketch when nothing else strikes my fancy.

Difficult/Challenging Subjects -  From time to time I like to set personal challenges to face my fears with certain subjects I tend to avoid.............like multi petal flowers, facial features, people in general, etc.  Another subject is buildings (except old barns) because all the detail boggles my brain.  I try to challenge myself to work through all the detail but have to be in the right frame of mind to do so.

One such challenge I've done a couple of times is Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Ink Challenge.  It may be time to do it again because I still don't feel comfortable jumping in with pen only.  Eventually I MIGHT get past that (or not).  :-)

Helping Someone Out - This is another major motivator for me.  If I learn someone is struggling with a particular subject or medium, there's something inside of me that wants to try and help if I can.  Maybe work through on my own taking camera shots or scans and sometimes videos of my process hoping it might help another person out. 

Mental/Emotional Therapy - When I need to focus on something positive or to release myself from stress and turmoil and sometimes physical pain, I look to and try to lose myself in my journals.......if I can.  If I can concentrate on a drawing, it's a sweet escape for a little while.

New Places - I don't get out too often but when I do, I love to record places I've been.  Most often from photos I take for the purpose of sketching/painting later at home. 

Social Media, Blogs, Art Websites, Books, Videos - Even when I'm in an actual slump, I spend hours every day looking at what others have done.  I follow certain art groups on Facebook, search the web for artists and their works, maybe grab a book off my shelf, view a DVD or check out YouTube watching others work through their sketches and paintings (tutorials).  I don't think there's a day that goes by I don't have sketching and painting on my mind........lol

And now that I've mentioned what helps motivate me, here are those situations that do not:

Special Requests and Commissions - Asking me to paint or sketch a particular subject someone wants me to do to especially include adding a $$ amount to it.  I just won't do it.  I'm happy to share something I've already done as a gift but as soon as a $$ amount is mentioned or a special request is made, I avoid it like the plague.

Competitions and Shows - This is something I just won't subject myself to.  It's too stressful and for me takes the joy out of wanting to do any type of artwork.  I already struggle in the confidence department so to subject my work being judged and/or critiqued.........no thank you.  Been there, experienced that and one major reason I changed to keeping artist journals instead of full size drawings and paintings.  I no longer feel I have to try to impress or please anyone but myself.  By working in a journal, I'm free to do what I want, how I want......and learning to accept and even embrace my imperfections.  The only judge I have to be concerned with is my inner critic and I've finally learned to tell it to back off........lol

Prompt Lists - I'm just not one who enjoys following a prompt list.  I don't like trying to decide what to sketch that fits that particular prompt.  Instead something has to call out to me and I never know from day to day what that might be.  If something doesn't interest me at that moment, I just can't bring myself to bother.

When I'm Really Sick - I just want to sleep.........ha ha.