7 Art Exercises I Will Actually Use in 2022
Every January, our resolutions are like noodles thrown at the wall: ideas we toss with hopes it will stick through the year. Sadly, balancing a full-time job and art ambitions shake most of the half-boiled starches off into oblivion. I am often discouraged by the grand ideas that my mind paints when it seems I never have time to simply begin. I know I am not the only one. It’s time to establish exercises that fit your unique art lifestyle.
(And mine too!)
Catch That Color Craze
Feel empowered by colors. Wrap yourself in color theory so you can complete those grand masterpieces with surety. It only takes a moment to create a catching swatch sheet or compare the various hues of blue to match that stunning yellow you love. Redraw the same image twice in complimentary colors to see how the piece changes. Any exploration is a healthy way to expand your creative horizons.
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Breathe in Fresh Air
Come rain or shine, the outside world is the impetus of great inspiration. Don’t get stuck in your head, and enjoy stretching your drawing muscles in the outdoors. Take your sketchbook outside, on your patio, or even sit at a window. Get that creative energy overflowing with fresh air and vitamin C.
Win at Art with your Besties
We all have had enough of being shut away. It is time to wake up and join your art community. Enlist your friends in prompt exchange challenges and participate in their social media. If there is a space in your town, book a gallery and share the area with fellow artists. Working with other artists is motivating. Your work will inspire others, too.
Art Thought Dump
Dedicate a sketchbook to exploration so you can ditch artist’s block. A sketch journal is a place for you to wander with no expectations: spend those 5 minutes just swatching, sketching, or writing down an idea. See a compelling flower on your 15-minute break at work? Grab your pencil and gesture it down, no matter how it turns out. These journals say yes to your brain’s creative stream of consciousness. A space for your brain to tinker is the same as any exercise: the more you do it, the faster you get at producing your ideas.
Random Object Recycle: My Favorite Stimulus
In this wasteful world, don’t let random items in the house go to waste. Practice working with shape and form by applying color, cutting, shaping, and molding, or by simply practicing that annoyingly tricky human nose on receipts. This will be like yoga for your brain. Painting objects will restimulate and stretch your mind if you also suffer from brain fatigue after a day’s work. This exercise provides problem-solving challenges that 2-D paper cannot give.
Listen to Artists
Other artists produce video content, podcasts, and blogs all the time for your consumption. Find tips and tricks to increase your skill or be entertained. Empathize with other people’s struggles and get the strength to try a project again. Take advantage of other artists’ lessons and be empowered to live your best art life.
It doesn’t matter if you have 5 minutes or 5 days. These exercises sustain you with their adaptability. Make creativity a priority in your life. You got this! Want more specific ways to use these exercises? Follow so you don’t miss my next blog: Wait, I Can Do That Art Excercise in 5 Minutes?
