How can you get motivated out of your creative rut?

     
       I often hear people talking about how they have a block or are stuck in a rut of some sort and can not seem to get their creative juices flowing again. Help! Well don't panic whatever you do. This is the opposite intuitive to creativity. There are many factors that cause us all to have that stuck feeling at times. I can not even cover them all in this one post. Sometimes you just have to get out of your normal element to find inspiration.
 When I find that I have come to a weird dry spell I see what other creatives are doing and talk to them. Whether it is about painting, dancing, writing, gardening, or even making dog clothes, you can learn something from everyone! Go to an art museum, a concert, take a walk, sit outside, go to a poetry reading, thumb through instagram or etsy, interview a complete stranger, sit in a park and people watch, do something extremely out of your comfort zone, write lists of things you enjoy, make a bucket list or vision board, read, read, read, watch a documentary. I take my journal and sketchbook with me everywhere. You never know what or who you will run into! It sounds weird but I actually come up with my best ideas while taking a shower. Sometimes we have to relax and just be  long enough to let the creative come to us instead of trying to force it to be captured and enslaved against it's own will. A book for all you creatives and even inspiring creatives out there that I recommend you read is called  "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is a great inspiration to just...stop beating yourself up and create! Don't be so hard on yourself. Enjoy your work and the journey and it will take care of you. Check the book out here! Relax. Get out and learn something new about anything and have a great day!

Do you love to sketch and paint? Check out this watercolor sketchbook!

Today I have been minimizing my things as much as possible and in hopes to have a yard sale soon. One box I came across was stuffed full of my old sketchbooks. I have had many more in the past but decided for some sad reason to chunk them. These are some I have kept and I continue the collection.

Out of all the sketchbooks I have gone through and enjoy using, my favorite ones are the Handbook watercolor journal sketchbooks. I prefer the long panoramic format because it pushes me to use the odd format to come up with more dynamic pieces. I like to challenge myself to fill as much of the space in the page as I possibly can. Another plus is the watercolor paper used for the pages which allows me to use paints, inks, and load it down with water and mixed media projects. The covers are made of canvas so you can even draw or paint on the outside if you wish! I highly recommend getting your hands on one if you decide to start doodling.