According to most creatives, be it painters or artists, the rooms conducive to creativity are different than the usual. Some individuals place objects in their creative space to open up the windows in their artistic minds whereas some prefer a clutter-free and calm environment to let their creative juices flow. Even though, most people want their homes to be a haven they can retreat to after a stressful day, creative spaces need to be dynamic enough so that they can act like windows into an artist’s brain.
So, if you are struggling to find your creative spark, here are 5 tips below to help you out:
1. Be messy
Unlike your personal room or apartment where you want things to be as organized as possible, you can be as messy as you please in your creative space. Feel free to spread out drawings, sketches or paintings that are a source of inspiration for you. Bring in souvenirs that spark creativity. Hang crafts that help you in unleashing your creative energy.
The bottom line is to surround yourself with inspiration and just about whatever works for you.
2. Bring the outdoors in
Do you know the feeling you get when you walk inside your living room and just want to watch TV all day without doing anything productive? But when you go take a walk outdoors, it gives your creative energy a boost. This is because outdoors have the power to energize you. So, it is advisable to bring in plants or any greenery you can afford. You can even start by something as small as letting the sunlight in.
3. Keep evolving
By this we mean that you should keep on experimenting with new things in your creative space. Don’t settle with one kind of theme. Keep changing up and see what works for you and what doesn’t.
4. Play music
Music has a positive impact on the minds of creative individuals. When you play music, your atmosphere lightens up with creativity. However, we’d recommend you to not stick to one kind of music. Experiment and broaden your choices. You can also listen to international music and see the impact it has on you.
5. Decide on a project space
Leave an area clean and clutter free for the projects you are working on. Keep all the needed supplies in this area so that you eliminate distractions and focus on your work.
While every painter may have different ways to go about a paint job, there are a few tricks and tips that everyone follows religiously. So, use the following tips to get your painting project done with much more efficiency.
For your walls to end up looking perfectly painted, you want to start off by having a clean slate. Sandpaper helps smoothen your walls and get rid of any patches or nail-holes. So, initiate your paint job by sanding your walls by either using a sandpaper or sanding pole.
It is very easy to get tempted by low-priced goods for a paint job, however, you’d come face to face with a lot of hassle if you don’t invest into adequate supplies. The bristles of cheap paint brushes fall apart after just one stroke and your walls seem tacky. And, that’s just one example of what cheap supplies put you through.
So, if you don’t want to compromise on the quality, don’t get manipulated into purchasing cheap supplies.
Start off by removing small furniture that you can from the room that is being repainted. However, as for bigger items, such as bookshelves or sofas, just cover them up with plastic. You have to do this step prior to sanding your walls because you wouldn’t want your furniture to be covered with dust.
Before you begin painting your walls, the proactive thing to do would be to do a preliminary coat of primer. This will help keep the compound that was initially used to fix cracks, nail-holes etc. from extracting the moisture out of the paint and making it look uneven in some areas. The overall look would come out dull if you avoid using a primer.
To make your end result look vibrant and fresh, we’d suggest you to get a tinted primer as opposed to a plain primer.
Paint droplets usually find a way through bedsheets and regular plastic and your floors end up bearing the brunt of the consequences. So, to avoid your floors to come out looking awry, use canvas drop cloths to ensure no paint ruins your carpet or wooden floors.
Instead of taping the switch plates and going through the tedious task of removing the tape, you should just consider taking off the switch plates all together.
If you don’t stop to inspect your work, it is quite likely that you will end up missing a spot. So, purchase a light and examine whether there are any spots that are missing paint or not.
When you are done with the paintjob, be sure to wrap up all your brushes in plastic bags to ensure that they are airtight. Before you do that, however, wash the brushes so that they are ready to be used for your next painting job.
Even though the concept of once excessively talked about things gradually fade, industries are still rife with the talk of creativity. It has been this way for quite a while now, and for good reason. The hype surrounding creativity is anything but unnecessary. Our businesses could get an edge over the rest if we come up with more innovative solutions. However, sometimes it is quite challenging to let our imagination run free, especially when our minds are burdened with so many other thoughts. So, if unlocking your creative side is the need of the hour but you find yourself stuck in a rut then here are a few, seriously easy ways to spark your creativity.
Studies have shown that people come up with the most amazing and interesting workarounds when their resources are limited, even if the restriction is self-imposed. Think about the article you wrote when you were allowed to write merely 600 words, instead of your usual 1000 words.
Restrictions allow you to think outside of the box, enabling you to make the best use of ideas already at hand.
Research shows that the more relatable a problem is to you, the harder it is for you to come up with ideas to tackle it. So, one way to go about it, is to psychologically distance yourself from the issue. This in turn will enable you to overcome your creative block, resulting into more creative outcomes.
Even if writing is not your strongest suit, take out time to pen down your ideas. Having it all written down on paper will help you at least get somewhere. Not only will you be able to store your current ideas, you will also be able to generate new ones during this process.
This idea might seem questionable, but research shows that dreams are an amalgamation of our creativity. Keeping a track of your dreams will give your mind fodder to chew on and create something. Based on the diversity of dreams, you can stay ensured that you will end up creating something absolutely unheard of. Even if the first idea doesn’t work out, something definitely will stand out.
Travel does things to your mind no level of concentration can achieve. Not only is it conducive to learning, it refreshes you putting you in a completely positive mood which is they key ingredient to unlocking your creative side.
If traveling internationally is out of the question for you, then worry not because domestic travels can also help you immensely.
Painting is perhaps one of the most important arts and crafts activities every artist, young or old, would appreciate. One of the most exciting and beautiful things anyone can learn to paint is the sky. Though skies and clouds are often a great source of inspiration for art and craft enthusiast, the big question that exists is how does one paint them with oils?
When painting cityscapes and landscapes one should focus on achieving a convincing and homogenous result in terms of composition, tones, colors, and brushwork. That means the sky shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought but rather be painted in connection with everything else. Here are a few tips to help you when painting skies.
Study the Colors
Before beginning your painting, it’s crucial that you take as much time as possible to observe the sky and clouds. If possible, take some notes and reference photos. You might even consider sketching cloud formations. The idea is to paint the skies and clouds with your eyes, not your brain. Focus on the colors with your eyes so you can express them freely.
The sky is rarely pure blue as the brain makes you think. If you check closely with your eyes, you’ll see hues of green, pink, yellow, and blue. Rather than using pure colors in your painting, harmonize the entire scene by embracing the different mixes with pigments present in the rest of the work.
Paint confidently and be Bold with the Brushes
When it comes to painting skies, don’t be afraid to showcase your brushwork as well as personality as an artist. Even though you’re an adult, it’s not a bad idea to reconnect with the younger version of yourself that used to have fun with brushes. This is the part where you freely convey energy and drama with those big brushstrokes. Be as loose as you’d want to. Who said you have to paint and show everything as exactly as it is. Be free to make adjustments so you can convey the right mood and improve composition Be as convincing as you can.
Don’t forget to use a Ground Color
To bring in some of the highlights and achieve vibrant sunsets, consider using the ground color of the background. Using the flow of the sky and sunlight to move the viewers’ attention to the focal point is a great way to make your painting even more dramatic and interesting. Before adding the blues, greys, and clouds, consider priming your canvas with a bright yellow or orange color. Allow for this color show through in your painting to bring in some highlights.
Paint in Clouds
As mentioned, it’s quite hard to match the exact cloud you’re seeing in the sky. So, the idea is to try to capture the mood of the sky. View the clouds in the sky as three dimensional objects affected by the sun. When painting, make the sides closest to the sun lightest and the ones furthest away darkest. You can use strong brushstrokes with hard edges for whiter/thicker clouds and more subtle marks for paler/thinner clouds.
