How To Get Motivated To Draw

It happened again.

Here I am sitting at my desk and ready to create something beautiful when suddenly, my motivation to draw plummets. "WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?" Is what I ask myself at that moment. I frequently complain about not having the time to draw, but realistically I have more than enough. So what's the deal?

Well here are some thoughts I have on the topic. I decided to write them down in a hope that they will help me (and others) overcome "motivation killers". Here are 5 of my best tips on how to motivate yourself to draw.

1 – Stop Wasting Time

More often than not, I'll find myself loafing around on the days that I have off.

I'll watch YouTube videos, browse the internet, stalk people on Facebook, play games on my computer or phone, and the list goes on. These are all a complete and utter waste of my time. "NUH-UH, VIDEO GAMES ARE GOOD FOR YOU AND YOU'RE STUPID!" screams the internet at this very moment.

Of course, being entertained isn't a bad thing, but it can certainly become a bad thing when you're constantly using it to replace productive or worthwhile endeavors. Nobody should spend all their free time on unprofitable entertainment.

If I had spent HALF of the time I wasted playing video games with drawing or painting, I'd probably have my own art gallery in NYC by now… Alright, that might be a stretch, but you get the idea. Spending all your time on entertainment is the #1 motivation killer.

2 – Force Yourself to Draw

Believe it or not, the inspiration to draw doesn't often magically appear on demand (aside from some being sprinkled with magical motivation dust. That stuff is great). But I've come to find that forcing myself to doodle for a few minutes is enough to get my creative juices flowing.

After doodling for a bit, I ultimately end up getting inspired to draw something bigger, or more detailed. Ironically, much of the inspiration I've had in the past has been a result of watching a new show or playing a new game (in moderation). Here's a few examples of said inspired drawings.

P.E.K.K.A. - How to Motivate Yourself to Draw BayMax Reaching for a Soccer Ball - How to Motivate Yourself to Draw Black Pen Drawing of Hunger Games Peacekeeper - How to Motivate Yourself to Draw

See? I told you entertainment isn't bad, and it can even help motivate you to draw. You just don't want to turn into an entertainment junkie, shooting up the new season o-OMG THE NEXT SEASON OF SHERLOCK ASDJBAKASsfajsdf-

Sorry about that… where was I?

3 – Try New Media

I know it might be easy to get comfortable using the same media, but there are SO many different art utensils out there to try.

There's pencils, colored pencils, ballpoint pens, micron pens, basic markers, Copic markers, charcoal *Inhales deeply* watercolor, oil painting, pastels, and SOOOoo much more. Not to mention how many different things you could use as a canvas. Why stick to just white paper? In fact, why stick to paper at all? A YouTube friend of mine named Agapey has made a habit of drawing on wooden cutting boards! How awesome is that?

My wife recently signed me up for SketchBox as a birthday gift (She's the best), so I'm excited to see what new mediums they send me to try out!

4 – Write About What You Want To Draw

This may sound odd, but it really works for me. When I lose my motivation to draw, I write about what I hope to draw in the future. I don't tend to keep what I write, but maybe as an example I'll post the next one I make. Although, this article actually started out as a way to try and get my creative juices flowing, so that counts, right?

Try to be descriptive when you write, too. So if I use this tactic myself, I would write about the next steps to finishing my Disney Castle drawing. I've already drawn the framework and given basic details to the castle, but it still needs shading, as well as creating light/dark contrast.

5 – Look At Other Artist's Artwork

What could be more inspiring than watching the artwork of your fellow artists? If you're an artist, then I'm sure you're already aware that you tend to connect well with other artistic people. We're often greatly passionate about our artwork, and when we find someone else that loves art, it inspires us to continue our hard work.

With access to the internet, viewing artwork is easier than it's ever been before. There are MILLIONS of artists out there that share their work with the world through both videos and photos (I'm only one of them), and searching through their artwork is one of the best ways I've found to get inspired.

Conclusion

Well there you have it. There's five ways you can use to get up and motivated to create that next beautiful work of art. I would love it if you shared this article with your friends, or better yet, send me your artwork! I have a page set up so I can feature the artwork of other artists and I would love to share yours!