Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

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Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you might want to check out!

• 
  Inspiration
  The 10 Best Motivational Royalty-Free Music Tracks
  Dacia Egurrola

• 
  Presentations
  15 Creative Presentation Ideas: That Will Inspire Your Audience to Action
  Julia Melymbrose

• 
  Graphic Design
  Smart vs. Stylish: How to Balance Design Principles With Design Trends
  Daisy Ein

• 
  Design Theory
  The Basic Elements of Design
  Laura Keung

• 
  International Women’s Day
  Press for Progress: 40 Inspiring Quotes for Women Entrepreneurs
  Andrew Blackman

Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you might want to check out!

• 
  Inspiration
  The 10 Best Motivational Royalty-Free Music Tracks
  Dacia Egurrola

• 
  Presentations
  15 Creative Presentation Ideas: That Will Inspire Your Audience to Action
  Julia Melymbrose

• 
  Graphic Design
  Smart vs. Stylish: How to Balance Design Principles With Design Trends
  Daisy Ein

• 
  Design Theory
  The Basic Elements of Design
  Laura Keung

• 
  International Women’s Day
  Press for Progress: 40 Inspiring Quotes for Women Entrepreneurs
  Andrew Blackman

Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you might want to check out!

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Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you might want to check out!

• 
  Inspiration
  The 10 Best Motivational Royalty-Free Music Tracks
  Dacia Egurrola

• 
  Presentations
  15 Creative Presentation Ideas: That Will Inspire Your Audience to Action
  Julia Melymbrose

• 
  Graphic Design
  Smart vs. Stylish: How to Balance Design Principles With Design Trends
  Daisy Ein

• 
  Design Theory
  The Basic Elements of Design
  Laura Keung

• 
  International Women’s Day
  Press for Progress: 40 Inspiring Quotes for Women Entrepreneurs
  Andrew Blackman

Post pobrano z: 10 Creative Pitfalls: How to Get Out of Art Block

So, your creative juices have stopped flowing. Try as you might, you just can’t seem to come up with a concept that inspires you. 

How do you get rid of art block, and how did it get here in the first place? Let’s take a look at ten creative pitfalls that can start up art block, and how we might be able to kick them to the curb.

Fatigue 

When Burnout Takes Over

Sometimes, I love to fool myself into thinking I can work forever—super long hours, without any real need to recharge. Imagine the amount of content we could put out, if we never had to take a breather! If I had as many hours in a day as I have ideas, I’d have a lot of hours freely at my disposal. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to do all the things I’d love to do, especially as a creative professional. 

I’m not a machine—and even if I were, machines need maintenance and a power supply.  Aside from physical and mental exhaustion, excessive work always seems to take a toll on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired and motivated when your body and your mind are just plain old tired. 

Let’s get real here—this is especially heart-breaking when professional commitments leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, with little room for passion projects or creative exploration. No one wants to feel burnt out, right? But bills need to get paid, and due dates need to be met. How do we feel inspired and creative under these circumstances?

The Value of Not Working

I get it—”take a break” is so easy to say, and „self-care” has become a popular phrase in recent years—but it’s so much easier said than done. Life is full of commitments, responsibilities, and obligations. Even if they are an important part of life, they can also be wildly draining, if not a damper on our creativity. 

So what do we do?

I’d like to propose the following—turning off work is essential, just as essential as working hard. Sometimes, we need to unplug and not think like a content creator. Just exist for a moment!

I used to think that „time off” meant „time for my other creative projects”, but no. I mean real, genuine time for rest. Just let your mind breathe a little. This can be as simple as giving yourself a little time, every day, to just unwind, rest, and „be”—without thinking about what you’re working on or what’s due.

What do you like to do to relax and let go? Do you have a go-to routine for resting your mind and allowing your creative juices to recharge? It might be just what you need to get rid of that art block and return to your work with fresh eyes. 

Boredom 

When Everything’s a Snore

Ever worked on a project and it just seems to go on forever? No matter what you do, the hours just slowly slink by, and everything starts to feel tedious. 

I’m a creative person, so I thrive when my mind is stimulated and curious. In a perfect world, I’d always be working on something that has my heart in a tizzy, wildly excited and curious. 

However, that’s not always reality. It’s not unusual to have a project that, while interesting and appreciated, isn’t exactly a whirlwind romance. 

Likewise, sometimes I just feel… bored, even with my own work. I’m a game developer, and after drawing thousands of sprites, it does get a little tedious, and, well… boring, sometimes. 

„Bored” goes hand in hand with „uninspired” for me, and it can make my creativity feel sluggish. So what do you do when boredom takes a toll on your creativity? 

Falling in Love Again

When I feel boredom setting in, I like to look at it as a red flag. It’s time to not only mix things up but check myself, too. 

I see my creative projects a lot like a relationship—sure, it’s easy to be involved in the beginning, when puppy love sets in. Things are a lot harder when you’re knee-deep in the development of a large project, and you’ve got to revise, troubleshoot, and rework content. That stuff can be stressful and a lot less exciting—but it’s a part of reaching the finish line.

However, that’s not to say I think the solution to boredom is „sucking it up”. Rather, I like to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing.

I think it’s important to continually fall in love with your work. Enjoy and feel pride in your progress, no matter how small. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this—and if there isn’t an inspiring reason, maybe something has to change. 

Perfectionism 

When Nothing’s Ever Just Right

I think most of us out there want our work to be good. When you’re a content creator, your work can feel especially personal. We pour our time and our hearts into making something, and then, in many cases, it’s put out into the world for others to enjoy, consume, and observe.

Honestly, that’s a little stressful, sometimes.

A friend and I were talking once, and we joked that 75% of an illustration is actually the last 1% of the entire drawing—when you stare, poke, adjust, observe, and tweak things to make sure it’s just right. Of course, this was said in good humor, but it was an interesting look at the perfectionism that often plagued us both. A lot of time is potentially spent (or even wasted) on debating if the work is „perfect”. 

Ever been there?

Aspiring to be the best you can be is admirable, but perfectionism can be immobilizing and frustrating—not something I typically associate with creative freedom. So what do we do when perfectionism starts to go beyond striving for our best and into excess?

Perfectly Imperfect

It’s hard to see it sometimes, but imperfection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, even the biggest hiccups in a project can be very rewarding learning experiences. Sometimes, if I’m too focused on perfection, it can discourage me from taking risks, trying new things, and having fun with my work. 

It’s worth noting that „perfect” can also be wildly subjective. I was working on logo design concepts for a client once, and found myself very surprised when the client picked my least favorite concept—he actually didn’t like my favorite concept, at all! And you know what? That’s okay—it’s not always about being „perfect”. 

I like to think it’s more about doing your best. Do good work, enjoy doing it, and allow yourself to make mistakes. It’s one of the ways we learn and grow. Allowing yourself to be imperfect and enjoying the process can be a great way to help get your creative juices flowing again. 

Isolation 

When Your Eyes Are Closed Tight

Working alone can be a very rewarding experience. Sometimes, it’s nice to create without outside influences—to just create for yourself, by yourself. There’s something very refreshing about having that kind of personal relationship and time with your work.

However, when we completely cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, creatively, we potentially miss out on a lot of wonderful ideas and energy. For example, I would never have known about the principles of design if I hadn’t read and studied these ideas, crafted by designers that came before me. 

When I say „isolation”, I’m speaking of disconnecting from anything outside of your own creative headspace. This, of course, is a choice—but personally, I’ve found that it can be a big damper on my creativity. It’s hard to feel inspired, sometimes, when the only creative stimulus around me… is me. 

The Joy of Perspective

There is so much knowledge, so much community, and so much support out there to enrich our creative lives. If you’re feeling creatively apathetic, maybe some outside perspective and experience will help inspire you once again.

This could include getting involved with other artists or designers—consider joining a professional organization or participating in a creation event. I love themed design or development challenges because they usually involve multiple creatives, a specific time frame, and specific tools or focus. It’s awesome to see what others create! 

Or maybe it’s about expanding your personal library—read up on design topics or pick up a creative magazine. Take a class or make a list of tutorials you’d love to walk through! Learning about, observing, and appreciating the world around you—all the wonderful creative people and content in it—can be very inspiring.

Fear 

Wondering If It’ll Work Out

Sometimes, I have pretty nasty anxiety when it comes to my work—I don’t think I’m alone in that. Being an independent, creative professional isn’t easy, and there has been a lot of uncertainty, at times—especially early in my career. I knew I wanted my professional life to be a creative one, but could I pay the bills like that? 

Then there’s the logistics of how to do „everything”. What software do I need to know? How do I stay up to date? How do I afford it? Do I go to college—and which one? Do I want to freelance? Do I want to be an in-house designer, or maybe work at a firm? What type of art or design is right for me—and should I care how they pay, in comparison? What should I be paid—what is fair pay? What about copyright and ownership?

Whew. 

When I was teaching, I had a lot of students with similar fears and anxiety about working towards a creative career. It can be really difficult to feel inspired and creative when you’re bogged down with worry—worry if this will „work out” or if pursuing your creative passions is an idea you’ll regret.

You Will Make Mistakes, and That’s Okay

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, personally and professionally—but I like to think it’s an important part of continuing to grow as a person. For example, did I know how to handle my taxes perfectly, in my first year of being an independent artist? Well, I did my homework, but I still made mistakes—and when I made a mistake, I had to make it right. Lesson learned. 

Being immobilized by the fear of making mistakes or something going wrong doesn’t really help anything, in my opinion or experience—it just feels tense, which isn’t normally a creative space for me. 

Things are going to go wrong sometimes. Maybe you’ll experience art theft, one day. Maybe a due date will get messed up, or you’ll get burnt by a bad contract. All we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge and have confidence that we’ll continue to learn and grow, as long as we approach our work ethically and in good faith. 

If fear, confusion, and doubt are taking a toll on your creativity, consider speaking with another creative professional. We often go through a lot of the same growing pains. If there’s something you don’t know about, make a point to learn it. Empowering yourself is a great way to combat uncertainty. 

Hesitation

Waiting and Waiting, Then Waiting Some More

What are you waiting for?

No, seriously, what are you waiting for? This is something I have often asked myself, when it comes to a creative project I’ve been itching to work on—but hesitant to start. 

Starting a project, a piece, or even going after a big opportunity can be both daunting and intimidating. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have the time to do it? Do I have what I need to complete this? There’s such a circle of thought there that can feed into this hesitation. 

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious—in fact, it can be really intelligent to wait, weigh your options, and make an educated decision about your projects and professional life. However, there can come point where hesitation begins to turn waiting into… a lot of waiting. If we wait forever, life’s just going to pass us by. 

It can be really frustrating to look back on things we’ve really wanted to do—but haven’t. It’s not typically a creative space to be in. Rather, it can feel limiting, anxious, and filled with loss. 

Take the Initiative

Why not today?

Day one is often the hardest day of any project—it’s the starting line, so we don’t have any progress to look back on. We only have the path ahead to look at. Rather than looking at the distance ahead of us as daunting and scary, consider looking at it as a wonderful journey with bountiful rewards. It’s going to feel awesome, once you hit that finish line.

Is there something, creatively, that you’ve always wanted to do? What have you been waiting for? 

Maybe this is why art block has crept its way into your workflow—maybe it’s time to take the plunge and go after something you’ve always wanted to do!  Whether it’s an illustration you’ve always wanted to draw or an entirely new, creative business venture, chasing after what inspires you is a great way to give art block the boot. 

Rigidity 

When There’s No Flexibility

Many of us have a process—we know how we make our work, from start to finish. In my opinion, there’s a certain comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your process. You know how to start and finish your work, and this is generally a good thing.

However, there have been times that I’ve caught myself feeling really rigid, when it comes to my process. This rigidity, while I thought it was the stability that I needed to get work done, has actually ended up costing me both time and inspiration. Art and design are not always as simple as Step A + Step B = Step C. 

There are times when a project might need a different approach. Likewise, the same can be said for our inspiration and creativity. Doing the same thing, over and over again, without any flexibility can make for an environment that feels stiff, rather than a space that is curious and open to ideas. 

New Can Be Wonderful

Flexibility can open a world of possibilities—whether your creative work is of a personal or professional nature. Sometimes, just stepping back and looking at the possibilities can reveal options that we may not have considered, given our „normal” process.

In my opinion, there are always options; it’s our job to step back and allow ourselves to see them. When we’re at a loss for creative concepts, we might be depriving ourselves of the opportunity to see things differently. 

If you’re feeling devoid of creative ideas and art block is taking a hold on you, maybe it’s time to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are you forcing yourself to create work in a rigid way? Are there other options, other solutions, and other processes that might better serve your work or your project?

Impatience

Hurry Up and Happen Already

Who wouldn’t want to get things done faster? I’d love to be able to create numerous projects and pieces, every single day—but that’s just not how things work. Art and design take time, as do different parts of our professional and personal lives.

However, that’s not to say that impatience isn’t still a struggle. For example, when you’re learning design software, it can be easy to slip into frustrating impatience. No one wants to futz around with software, trying to figure out how it works. We want to dig in and make wonderful things! We want a portfolio full of works that we’re proud of! 

These things, however, take time. It takes hours of practice and training to learn design software, to learn design theory, and to build a solid portfolio of work. 

Impatience can be a major downer and lead to frustration and disappointment. It can be really difficult to feel creative and excited about your work when you feel impatient with yourself and your progress. 

Slow and Steady

I know it’s easier said than done, but I think it’s important to be patient with ourselves and our work, as creative professionals. Set due dates and timelines that are both reasonable and realistic, so you don’t end up frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed. 

But sometimes, this happens on a smaller level, too. For example, sometimes I’ve worked on an illustration—for myself—and felt impatient with my process. Why can’t I finish this faster?

In those cases, I try to remind myself that the time and energy I’m putting into my work is precious. Enjoy the process. Learn from it! Art and design are not necessarily just about the finished product. As creatives, the process is the part we’re living for, right? It’s what we do—we don’t just enjoy art and design, we live it and we experience it.

I often feel impatient, for example, if I can’t come up with concepts fast enough. Instead, I try to reframe my thinking—of course conceptual work takes time. That time is precious and worth it. Be patient—give yourself the time to create work that you feel great about.

Disorganization 

When There’s No Beginning or End

When you don’t know where you’re going, and you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be a lot harder to make consistent, confident progress. Maybe that’s why a clear and organized desk feels so good—you know where everything is when you need it. 

I associate creativity with freedom, so talking about something like structure, as a means of combatting art block, feels a little backwards. Why would we want structure, especially after we just spoke about rigidity? 

Well, too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-good thing. For example, having no design process—just winging it, from start to finish—can make for an anxious experience. Who knows how long it will take, or how we’ll get to the finish line, with no map? 

Or imagine having no professional boundaries and just working haphazardly until bedtime. Or what if we want to make design our professional focus, but we have no plan of action to make it happen?

If you’re feeling discouraged, or your creativity is feeling drained, maybe it’s because you’re spread all over the place, without any structure. Do you create with a plan? What are you working towards, and how are you doing so? 

Know Where You’re Going

I think there’s a lot of value in clearly defining what you’re doing and how you plan to do it. This works on a large and small scale. 

So, for example, if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you should probably have a plan. This is more than „I’m going to school”—a degree isn’t a guaranteed pass straight to success. Your plan should potentially inspire and excite you! Actively engage with content and projects that support your goals.

This works with single projects too. For example, when I sit down to draw, and I have no idea what I’m going to draw, it’s easier for me to get discouraged. I don’t have any plan—it’s easy to end up with disjointed doodles, instead of a concept I love. Instead, it’s often more advantageous to draw thumbnail sketches, choose a concept, and then start to formally draw. Even the simplest of roadmaps can help clearly define where you’re going and what you’re doing—a focus that you love can be very inspiring!

The Unknown 

Who Knows What Might Happen?

All the research, classes, books, and conversations in the world can’t prepare and protect you from life—there are going to be unexpected twists and turns in your creative pursuits. Some of them might even knock the wind right out of you!

One of the unknowns that really hit me, earlier in my career, was the uncertainty of freelance life. Some months, my income would be great—but others, not so much. Sometimes, job offers wouldn’t pan out. Inquiries might go unanswered. 

Even the best of students aren’t going to know everything there is to know before entering the professional world. In fact, any professional who thinks they know everything is probably just a good actor—we all have something to learn, and life takes us all by surprise sometimes.

So when are you ready to create? When can you call yourself a professional? The unknown can be intimidating. It can leave you feeling less than ready to go after your creative goals. 

You’ve Got This

No, seriously—you’ve got this. We get one life. Even if your experience is limited, you can put yourself out there, handle yourself in a professional manner, and continually build a body of professional, quality work. 

One of the best counters to fearing the unknown, or „not knowing what to do”, is arming yourself with knowledge! Think outside of the creative side of art and design on this, too. For example, many of us have to deal with the business side of design—we can’t just ignore that vital part of being a creative professional. Educate yourself on topics like copyright concerns that pertain to your work. Research best practices, when it comes to practical, professional skills. Don’t wait—actively move forward.

Being proactive not only arms you with knowledge. I find it very empowering—and when I feel empowered, it’s a lot easier to sit down with a smile and create something awesome. 

Here’s to Staying Inspired and Creative!

Thanks for joining me in this conversation about the many things that can bring about art block—and how we can combat them! These are my two cents and experiences—what do you think? What helps you get inspired when you’re feeling out of sorts? 

Special thanks to PixelBuddha and their wonderful Watercolor Dry Brush Effects for Adobe Photoshop! I used this wonderful Photoshop effect in this article—it’s super easy to use and apply to your favorite photographs. Check it out! 

If you enjoyed this article, here are some others you might want to check out!

• 
  Inspiration
  The 10 Best Motivational Royalty-Free Music Tracks
  Dacia Egurrola

• 
  Presentations
  15 Creative Presentation Ideas: That Will Inspire Your Audience to Action
  Julia Melymbrose

• 
  Graphic Design
  Smart vs. Stylish: How to Balance Design Principles With Design Trends
  Daisy Ein

• 
  Design Theory
  The Basic Elements of Design
  Laura Keung

• 
  International Women’s Day
  Press for Progress: 40 Inspiring Quotes for Women Entrepreneurs
  Andrew Blackman

Post pobrano z: Introduction to Photoshop Layer Styles

Photoshop layer styles are a popular way to add effects, such as drop shadows and strokes, to layers in a non-destructive way. With the right knowledge and experience, any effect can be achieved. Whether it’s a Photoshop metal layer style, a Photoshop glass layer style, a Photoshop cartoon layer style, or even a Photoshop gold layer style, you can quickly bring your artwork to the next level in a matter of minutes.

To achieve these effects, however, you need to understand what each setting does and how they can be combined to achieve a certain look.

From working with different layer styles in Photoshop to how to add a layer style in Photoshop, or how to apply layer styles in Photoshop, I’m going to show you how easy the entire process is.

So no matter if you’re working with Photoshop CS5 layer styles or the newer version, you’ll follow the same steps, in the end achieving the same result.

Also, if you’re looking for the best Photoshop layer styles, I’ve included a quick selection at the end of the tutorial, which should get you started on building a custom library.

Follow along with us on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What Are Layer Styles and How Are They Used?

Photoshop introduced layer styles way back in version 6 as a way to add effects to a layer without having to manually create them. You add effects using an interface of easy-to-use checkboxes, sliders, and more, which can be saved as presets to be reused later on.

The „wow” factor quickly wore off as people grew tired of seeing the default presets used over and over again. It wasn’t until recently that the true power of layer styles was utilized, but it has quickly become a simple and effective way to instantly enhance your designs

Getting Started With Layer Styles

Photoshop comes with a plethora of layer style presets, all of which you should never use unless you are just learning to apply effects to your layers. Why? Because in addition to most of them just looking bad, they are instantly recognizable to other designers, and nothing screams „amateur” more than default program settings.

How to Apply Layer Styles

There are two main ways to apply layer styles, both of which are quick and easy.

Method 1: Using A Preset

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the main menu, click Window > Styles to open the Styles palette. With your text layer selected, simply click on one of the preset thumbnails within the Layers palette, and you will see it automatically applied to your layer. The first time you click through and load each preset, you should experience an overwhelming feeling of happiness as you begin to understand all of the potential that layer styles hold.

Method 2: Starting From Scratch

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the Layers palette, right-click the name of the layer you want to add effects to and click Blending Options… to bring up the Layer Style dialog box (you can also double-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette).

We will go over each section of the Layer Style dialog box in the latter parts of this guide; right now, we are just getting acquainted with how they are applied.

You will notice that once you add a layer style to your layer, a list of effects that are being used shows up in the Layers palette. You can show/hide each of the effects by clicking the eyeball icon next to the name of each effect. This allows you to quickly hide a specific effect, while keeping the settings intact in case you want to turn it back on.

How to Save/Load Presets

Loading Presets

As we mentioned above, we will get into creating your own custom layer styles in the following installments of our guide, but in the meantime I know you want to play around with layer styles while you wait. There are plenty of free and premium layer styles available for download (we will refrain from any bias recommendations), so we will look at how to load presets in Photoshop that you have downloaded online. See the end of the article for a bonus style that you can practice with.

When you have downloaded your layer style, save the included .ASL file to a known folder on your computer. Most downloadable styles will come in a zip file so you will need to extract the .ASL file first.

To add the presets to Photoshop, simply open up the Styles advanced menu and click on Load Styles, indicating the location of the file afterwards.

You may notice multiple styles appear in your Styles palette. Lucky you! Photoshop .ASL files can contain hundreds of different style presets, all within the same file, making it easy to share presets with others.

Saving Presets

If you have created your own presets or want to save a bunch that you have collected, you can save them easily from the Styles palette.

To save a preset (or group of presets), open the dropdown menu from the Styles palette and click Save Styles… You will be prompted to choose a name and location on your computer for your presets file, and then simply click Save.

Tips and Tricks for Beginners

There are a few tricks to learn when becoming proficient with layer styles that only come with experience, unless of course you are reading this guide.

1. Layer styles cannot be added to locked layers. You may have created a new document, selected the background layer, and clicked a layer style preset, only to see a whole bunch of nothing happening. It is because the background layer is locked. You cannot add new layer styles to locked layers. You can, however, add layer styles to a layer prior to locking it to prevent editing of that layer. You can then unlock it later if you decide to change the settings of your layer style later.
2. You can increase the size of the thumbnails in the Styles palette by opening the Styles palette dropdown menu and toggling the display type between Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small List, and Large List.
3. Most layer styles are created to look their best on bolder fonts and/or at larger sizes. If you apply a style you found online and are unhappy with how it looks, you might want to try a different font or a larger text size.
4. Layer styles themselves can be resized, so if you find a layer style that looks good at a certain size but want to shrink your text, you can resize the effect to match any size of text. Simply right click the list of effects that are applied to the layer in the Layers palette and click „Scale Effects”. You can then scale your effects using a percentage.
5. You can copy and paste styles between layers in the same document as well as between layers in different documents. Right-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette and click „Copy Layer Style”, and then on another layer, right-click again and select „Paste Layer Style”.
6. You can hide the layer contents while showing only the effects. Select the layer in the Layers palette and change the Fill, located at the top of the Layers palette, to 0%. You can then apply effects without the layer itself showing up. This is how many glass and other advanced effects are created.

Expand Your Layer Styles Preset Library

Want to build your own layer style preset library, but don’t quite know where to start?

Well, if that’s the case, then Envato Elements can prove to be a great source, since it offers a large selection of Photoshop Layer Style presets that you can download and use.

Halloween Horror Layer Style Preset

No matter what you intend to use it on, this Halloween Photoshop Layer Style is one of my all-time favorites as it looks incredible once applied to any text.

Chrome and Fire Layer Style Preset

Burn your fonts to a melting crisp with this amazing-looking chrome and fire Photoshop layer style that can come in handy in any future project from flyers to video games or posters.

Metal Layer Style Preset

Let’s be honest, gold is one of those things that nobody can say no to, so why not use this Photoshop layer style to your advantage and turn everything that you touch into gold the fast way.

80’s Retro Layer Style Preset

Still dreaming of the 80s? Why not give this retro-looking Photoshop Layer Style a go and bring back the good old days in style.

Ice Chrome Layer Style Preset 

Game of Thrones may have ended, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep winter here a little longer using this amazing Ice Chrome Layer Style preset. Using just a couple of clicks, you can freeze any given text in a manner of seconds and give your project a cool, icy look.

One for the Road

Until next time, this free, exclusive layer style and accompanying .PSD will help you practice your loading, applying, and resizing skills until we get to the really good stuff.

Download Dragonslayer Photoshop Layer Style

Expand Your Layer Style Skills!

Just starting out using Photoshop layer styles, and feel like learning more about them? Well, if that’s the case then you’re in luck since I took the time and put together this little list that should get you going!

• 

  What Are Layer Styles?

  In this tutorial, you’ll learn what Layer Styles are and how to use them to create special effects for layers.
• 

  How to Create a 3D Gold Text Effect With Photoshop Layer Styles

  In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a 3D metallic gold text effect using layer styles in Photoshop.
• 

  How to Create a 'Stranger Things’ Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Learn an easy way to create a Stranger Things series inspired text effect, using only layer styles and some simple adjustments.
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Embroidery Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a realistic embroidery text effect in Photoshop using stitch brushes and layer styles. The end result will be…
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Neon Light Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Use a brick texture, a couple of layer styles, and the Pen Tool to create a glowing, bright neon light text effect.

Post pobrano z: Introduction to Photoshop Layer Styles

Photoshop layer styles are a popular way to add effects, such as drop shadows and strokes, to layers in a non-destructive way. With the right knowledge and experience, any effect can be achieved. Whether it’s a Photoshop metal layer style, a Photoshop glass layer style, a Photoshop cartoon layer style, or even a Photoshop gold layer style, you can quickly bring your artwork to the next level in a matter of minutes.

To achieve these effects, however, you need to understand what each setting does and how they can be combined to achieve a certain look.

From working with different layer styles in Photoshop to how to add a layer style in Photoshop, or how to apply layer styles in Photoshop, I’m going to show you how easy the entire process is.

So no matter if you’re working with Photoshop CS5 layer styles or the newer version, you’ll follow the same steps, in the end achieving the same result.

Also, if you’re looking for the best Photoshop layer styles, I’ve included a quick selection at the end of the tutorial, which should get you started on building a custom library.

Follow along with us on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What Are Layer Styles and How Are They Used?

Photoshop introduced layer styles way back in version 6 as a way to add effects to a layer without having to manually create them. You add effects using an interface of easy-to-use checkboxes, sliders, and more, which can be saved as presets to be reused later on.

The „wow” factor quickly wore off as people grew tired of seeing the default presets used over and over again. It wasn’t until recently that the true power of layer styles was utilized, but it has quickly become a simple and effective way to instantly enhance your designs

Getting Started With Layer Styles

Photoshop comes with a plethora of layer style presets, all of which you should never use unless you are just learning to apply effects to your layers. Why? Because in addition to most of them just looking bad, they are instantly recognizable to other designers, and nothing screams „amateur” more than default program settings.

How to Apply Layer Styles

There are two main ways to apply layer styles, both of which are quick and easy.

Method 1: Using A Preset

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the main menu, click Window > Styles to open the Styles palette. With your text layer selected, simply click on one of the preset thumbnails within the Layers palette, and you will see it automatically applied to your layer. The first time you click through and load each preset, you should experience an overwhelming feeling of happiness as you begin to understand all of the potential that layer styles hold.

Method 2: Starting From Scratch

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the Layers palette, right-click the name of the layer you want to add effects to and click Blending Options… to bring up the Layer Style dialog box (you can also double-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette).

We will go over each section of the Layer Style dialog box in the latter parts of this guide; right now, we are just getting acquainted with how they are applied.

You will notice that once you add a layer style to your layer, a list of effects that are being used shows up in the Layers palette. You can show/hide each of the effects by clicking the eyeball icon next to the name of each effect. This allows you to quickly hide a specific effect, while keeping the settings intact in case you want to turn it back on.

How to Save/Load Presets

Loading Presets

As we mentioned above, we will get into creating your own custom layer styles in the following installments of our guide, but in the meantime I know you want to play around with layer styles while you wait. There are plenty of free and premium layer styles available for download (we will refrain from any bias recommendations), so we will look at how to load presets in Photoshop that you have downloaded online. See the end of the article for a bonus style that you can practice with.

When you have downloaded your layer style, save the included .ASL file to a known folder on your computer. Most downloadable styles will come in a zip file so you will need to extract the .ASL file first.

To add the presets to Photoshop, simply open up the Styles advanced menu and click on Load Styles, indicating the location of the file afterwards.

You may notice multiple styles appear in your Styles palette. Lucky you! Photoshop .ASL files can contain hundreds of different style presets, all within the same file, making it easy to share presets with others.

Saving Presets

If you have created your own presets or want to save a bunch that you have collected, you can save them easily from the Styles palette.

To save a preset (or group of presets), open the dropdown menu from the Styles palette and click Save Styles… You will be prompted to choose a name and location on your computer for your presets file, and then simply click Save.

Tips and Tricks for Beginners

There are a few tricks to learn when becoming proficient with layer styles that only come with experience, unless of course you are reading this guide.

1. Layer styles cannot be added to locked layers. You may have created a new document, selected the background layer, and clicked a layer style preset, only to see a whole bunch of nothing happening. It is because the background layer is locked. You cannot add new layer styles to locked layers. You can, however, add layer styles to a layer prior to locking it to prevent editing of that layer. You can then unlock it later if you decide to change the settings of your layer style later.
2. You can increase the size of the thumbnails in the Styles palette by opening the Styles palette dropdown menu and toggling the display type between Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small List, and Large List.
3. Most layer styles are created to look their best on bolder fonts and/or at larger sizes. If you apply a style you found online and are unhappy with how it looks, you might want to try a different font or a larger text size.
4. Layer styles themselves can be resized, so if you find a layer style that looks good at a certain size but want to shrink your text, you can resize the effect to match any size of text. Simply right click the list of effects that are applied to the layer in the Layers palette and click „Scale Effects”. You can then scale your effects using a percentage.
5. You can copy and paste styles between layers in the same document as well as between layers in different documents. Right-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette and click „Copy Layer Style”, and then on another layer, right-click again and select „Paste Layer Style”.
6. You can hide the layer contents while showing only the effects. Select the layer in the Layers palette and change the Fill, located at the top of the Layers palette, to 0%. You can then apply effects without the layer itself showing up. This is how many glass and other advanced effects are created.

Expand Your Layer Styles Preset Library

Want to build your own layer style preset library, but don’t quite know where to start?

Well, if that’s the case, then Envato Elements can prove to be a great source, since it offers a large selection of Photoshop Layer Style presets that you can download and use.

Halloween Horror Layer Style Preset

No matter what you intend to use it on, this Halloween Photoshop Layer Style is one of my all-time favorites as it looks incredible once applied to any text.

Chrome and Fire Layer Style Preset

Burn your fonts to a melting crisp with this amazing-looking chrome and fire Photoshop layer style that can come in handy in any future project from flyers to video games or posters.

Metal Layer Style Preset

Let’s be honest, gold is one of those things that nobody can say no to, so why not use this Photoshop layer style to your advantage and turn everything that you touch into gold the fast way.

80’s Retro Layer Style Preset

Still dreaming of the 80s? Why not give this retro-looking Photoshop Layer Style a go and bring back the good old days in style.

Ice Chrome Layer Style Preset 

Game of Thrones may have ended, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep winter here a little longer using this amazing Ice Chrome Layer Style preset. Using just a couple of clicks, you can freeze any given text in a manner of seconds and give your project a cool, icy look.

One for the Road

Until next time, this free, exclusive layer style and accompanying .PSD will help you practice your loading, applying, and resizing skills until we get to the really good stuff.

Download Dragonslayer Photoshop Layer Style

Expand Your Layer Style Skills!

Just starting out using Photoshop layer styles, and feel like learning more about them? Well, if that’s the case then you’re in luck since I took the time and put together this little list that should get you going!

• 

  What Are Layer Styles?

  In this tutorial, you’ll learn what Layer Styles are and how to use them to create special effects for layers.
• 

  How to Create a 3D Gold Text Effect With Photoshop Layer Styles

  In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a 3D metallic gold text effect using layer styles in Photoshop.
• 

  How to Create a 'Stranger Things’ Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Learn an easy way to create a Stranger Things series inspired text effect, using only layer styles and some simple adjustments.
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Embroidery Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a realistic embroidery text effect in Photoshop using stitch brushes and layer styles. The end result will be…
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Neon Light Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Use a brick texture, a couple of layer styles, and the Pen Tool to create a glowing, bright neon light text effect.

Post pobrano z: Introduction to Photoshop Layer Styles

Photoshop layer styles are a popular way to add effects, such as drop shadows and strokes, to layers in a non-destructive way. With the right knowledge and experience, any effect can be achieved. Whether it’s a Photoshop metal layer style, a Photoshop glass layer style, a Photoshop cartoon layer style, or even a Photoshop gold layer style, you can quickly bring your artwork to the next level in a matter of minutes.

To achieve these effects, however, you need to understand what each setting does and how they can be combined to achieve a certain look.

From working with different layer styles in Photoshop to how to add a layer style in Photoshop, or how to apply layer styles in Photoshop, I’m going to show you how easy the entire process is.

So no matter if you’re working with Photoshop CS5 layer styles or the newer version, you’ll follow the same steps, in the end achieving the same result.

Also, if you’re looking for the best Photoshop layer styles, I’ve included a quick selection at the end of the tutorial, which should get you started on building a custom library.

Follow along with us on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What Are Layer Styles and How Are They Used?

Photoshop introduced layer styles way back in version 6 as a way to add effects to a layer without having to manually create them. You add effects using an interface of easy-to-use checkboxes, sliders, and more, which can be saved as presets to be reused later on.

The „wow” factor quickly wore off as people grew tired of seeing the default presets used over and over again. It wasn’t until recently that the true power of layer styles was utilized, but it has quickly become a simple and effective way to instantly enhance your designs

Getting Started With Layer Styles

Photoshop comes with a plethora of layer style presets, all of which you should never use unless you are just learning to apply effects to your layers. Why? Because in addition to most of them just looking bad, they are instantly recognizable to other designers, and nothing screams „amateur” more than default program settings.

How to Apply Layer Styles

There are two main ways to apply layer styles, both of which are quick and easy.

Method 1: Using A Preset

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the main menu, click Window > Styles to open the Styles palette. With your text layer selected, simply click on one of the preset thumbnails within the Layers palette, and you will see it automatically applied to your layer. The first time you click through and load each preset, you should experience an overwhelming feeling of happiness as you begin to understand all of the potential that layer styles hold.

Method 2: Starting From Scratch

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the Layers palette, right-click the name of the layer you want to add effects to and click Blending Options… to bring up the Layer Style dialog box (you can also double-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette).

We will go over each section of the Layer Style dialog box in the latter parts of this guide; right now, we are just getting acquainted with how they are applied.

You will notice that once you add a layer style to your layer, a list of effects that are being used shows up in the Layers palette. You can show/hide each of the effects by clicking the eyeball icon next to the name of each effect. This allows you to quickly hide a specific effect, while keeping the settings intact in case you want to turn it back on.

How to Save/Load Presets

Loading Presets

As we mentioned above, we will get into creating your own custom layer styles in the following installments of our guide, but in the meantime I know you want to play around with layer styles while you wait. There are plenty of free and premium layer styles available for download (we will refrain from any bias recommendations), so we will look at how to load presets in Photoshop that you have downloaded online. See the end of the article for a bonus style that you can practice with.

When you have downloaded your layer style, save the included .ASL file to a known folder on your computer. Most downloadable styles will come in a zip file so you will need to extract the .ASL file first.

To add the presets to Photoshop, simply open up the Styles advanced menu and click on Load Styles, indicating the location of the file afterwards.

You may notice multiple styles appear in your Styles palette. Lucky you! Photoshop .ASL files can contain hundreds of different style presets, all within the same file, making it easy to share presets with others.

Saving Presets

If you have created your own presets or want to save a bunch that you have collected, you can save them easily from the Styles palette.

To save a preset (or group of presets), open the dropdown menu from the Styles palette and click Save Styles… You will be prompted to choose a name and location on your computer for your presets file, and then simply click Save.

Tips and Tricks for Beginners

There are a few tricks to learn when becoming proficient with layer styles that only come with experience, unless of course you are reading this guide.

1. Layer styles cannot be added to locked layers. You may have created a new document, selected the background layer, and clicked a layer style preset, only to see a whole bunch of nothing happening. It is because the background layer is locked. You cannot add new layer styles to locked layers. You can, however, add layer styles to a layer prior to locking it to prevent editing of that layer. You can then unlock it later if you decide to change the settings of your layer style later.
2. You can increase the size of the thumbnails in the Styles palette by opening the Styles palette dropdown menu and toggling the display type between Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small List, and Large List.
3. Most layer styles are created to look their best on bolder fonts and/or at larger sizes. If you apply a style you found online and are unhappy with how it looks, you might want to try a different font or a larger text size.
4. Layer styles themselves can be resized, so if you find a layer style that looks good at a certain size but want to shrink your text, you can resize the effect to match any size of text. Simply right click the list of effects that are applied to the layer in the Layers palette and click „Scale Effects”. You can then scale your effects using a percentage.
5. You can copy and paste styles between layers in the same document as well as between layers in different documents. Right-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette and click „Copy Layer Style”, and then on another layer, right-click again and select „Paste Layer Style”.
6. You can hide the layer contents while showing only the effects. Select the layer in the Layers palette and change the Fill, located at the top of the Layers palette, to 0%. You can then apply effects without the layer itself showing up. This is how many glass and other advanced effects are created.

Expand Your Layer Styles Preset Library

Want to build your own layer style preset library, but don’t quite know where to start?

Well, if that’s the case, then Envato Elements can prove to be a great source, since it offers a large selection of Photoshop Layer Style presets that you can download and use.

Halloween Horror Layer Style Preset

No matter what you intend to use it on, this Halloween Photoshop Layer Style is one of my all-time favorites as it looks incredible once applied to any text.

Chrome and Fire Layer Style Preset

Burn your fonts to a melting crisp with this amazing-looking chrome and fire Photoshop layer style that can come in handy in any future project from flyers to video games or posters.

Metal Layer Style Preset

Let’s be honest, gold is one of those things that nobody can say no to, so why not use this Photoshop layer style to your advantage and turn everything that you touch into gold the fast way.

80’s Retro Layer Style Preset

Still dreaming of the 80s? Why not give this retro-looking Photoshop Layer Style a go and bring back the good old days in style.

Ice Chrome Layer Style Preset 

Game of Thrones may have ended, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep winter here a little longer using this amazing Ice Chrome Layer Style preset. Using just a couple of clicks, you can freeze any given text in a manner of seconds and give your project a cool, icy look.

One for the Road

Until next time, this free, exclusive layer style and accompanying .PSD will help you practice your loading, applying, and resizing skills until we get to the really good stuff.

Download Dragonslayer Photoshop Layer Style

Expand Your Layer Style Skills!

Just starting out using Photoshop layer styles, and feel like learning more about them? Well, if that’s the case then you’re in luck since I took the time and put together this little list that should get you going!

• 

  What Are Layer Styles?

  In this tutorial, you’ll learn what Layer Styles are and how to use them to create special effects for layers.
• 

  How to Create a 3D Gold Text Effect With Photoshop Layer Styles

  In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a 3D metallic gold text effect using layer styles in Photoshop.
• 

  How to Create a 'Stranger Things’ Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Learn an easy way to create a Stranger Things series inspired text effect, using only layer styles and some simple adjustments.
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Embroidery Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a realistic embroidery text effect in Photoshop using stitch brushes and layer styles. The end result will be…
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Neon Light Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Use a brick texture, a couple of layer styles, and the Pen Tool to create a glowing, bright neon light text effect.

Post pobrano z: Introduction to Photoshop Layer Styles

Photoshop layer styles are a popular way to add effects, such as drop shadows and strokes, to layers in a non-destructive way. With the right knowledge and experience, any effect can be achieved. Whether it’s a Photoshop metal layer style, a Photoshop glass layer style, a Photoshop cartoon layer style, or even a Photoshop gold layer style, you can quickly bring your artwork to the next level in a matter of minutes.

To achieve these effects, however, you need to understand what each setting does and how they can be combined to achieve a certain look.

From working with different layer styles in Photoshop to how to add a layer style in Photoshop, or how to apply layer styles in Photoshop, I’m going to show you how easy the entire process is.

So no matter if you’re working with Photoshop CS5 layer styles or the newer version, you’ll follow the same steps, in the end achieving the same result.

Also, if you’re looking for the best Photoshop layer styles, I’ve included a quick selection at the end of the tutorial, which should get you started on building a custom library.

Follow along with us on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What Are Layer Styles and How Are They Used?

Photoshop introduced layer styles way back in version 6 as a way to add effects to a layer without having to manually create them. You add effects using an interface of easy-to-use checkboxes, sliders, and more, which can be saved as presets to be reused later on.

The „wow” factor quickly wore off as people grew tired of seeing the default presets used over and over again. It wasn’t until recently that the true power of layer styles was utilized, but it has quickly become a simple and effective way to instantly enhance your designs

Getting Started With Layer Styles

Photoshop comes with a plethora of layer style presets, all of which you should never use unless you are just learning to apply effects to your layers. Why? Because in addition to most of them just looking bad, they are instantly recognizable to other designers, and nothing screams „amateur” more than default program settings.

How to Apply Layer Styles

There are two main ways to apply layer styles, both of which are quick and easy.

Method 1: Using A Preset

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the main menu, click Window > Styles to open the Styles palette. With your text layer selected, simply click on one of the preset thumbnails within the Layers palette, and you will see it automatically applied to your layer. The first time you click through and load each preset, you should experience an overwhelming feeling of happiness as you begin to understand all of the potential that layer styles hold.

Method 2: Starting From Scratch

Create a new Photoshop document and, in addition to the default background layer, create a new line of text.

In the Layers palette, right-click the name of the layer you want to add effects to and click Blending Options… to bring up the Layer Style dialog box (you can also double-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette).

We will go over each section of the Layer Style dialog box in the latter parts of this guide; right now, we are just getting acquainted with how they are applied.

You will notice that once you add a layer style to your layer, a list of effects that are being used shows up in the Layers palette. You can show/hide each of the effects by clicking the eyeball icon next to the name of each effect. This allows you to quickly hide a specific effect, while keeping the settings intact in case you want to turn it back on.

How to Save/Load Presets

Loading Presets

As we mentioned above, we will get into creating your own custom layer styles in the following installments of our guide, but in the meantime I know you want to play around with layer styles while you wait. There are plenty of free and premium layer styles available for download (we will refrain from any bias recommendations), so we will look at how to load presets in Photoshop that you have downloaded online. See the end of the article for a bonus style that you can practice with.

When you have downloaded your layer style, save the included .ASL file to a known folder on your computer. Most downloadable styles will come in a zip file so you will need to extract the .ASL file first.

To add the presets to Photoshop, simply open up the Styles advanced menu and click on Load Styles, indicating the location of the file afterwards.

You may notice multiple styles appear in your Styles palette. Lucky you! Photoshop .ASL files can contain hundreds of different style presets, all within the same file, making it easy to share presets with others.

Saving Presets

If you have created your own presets or want to save a bunch that you have collected, you can save them easily from the Styles palette.

To save a preset (or group of presets), open the dropdown menu from the Styles palette and click Save Styles… You will be prompted to choose a name and location on your computer for your presets file, and then simply click Save.

Tips and Tricks for Beginners

There are a few tricks to learn when becoming proficient with layer styles that only come with experience, unless of course you are reading this guide.

1. Layer styles cannot be added to locked layers. You may have created a new document, selected the background layer, and clicked a layer style preset, only to see a whole bunch of nothing happening. It is because the background layer is locked. You cannot add new layer styles to locked layers. You can, however, add layer styles to a layer prior to locking it to prevent editing of that layer. You can then unlock it later if you decide to change the settings of your layer style later.
2. You can increase the size of the thumbnails in the Styles palette by opening the Styles palette dropdown menu and toggling the display type between Text Only, Small Thumbnail, Large Thumbnail, Small List, and Large List.
3. Most layer styles are created to look their best on bolder fonts and/or at larger sizes. If you apply a style you found online and are unhappy with how it looks, you might want to try a different font or a larger text size.
4. Layer styles themselves can be resized, so if you find a layer style that looks good at a certain size but want to shrink your text, you can resize the effect to match any size of text. Simply right click the list of effects that are applied to the layer in the Layers palette and click „Scale Effects”. You can then scale your effects using a percentage.
5. You can copy and paste styles between layers in the same document as well as between layers in different documents. Right-click the name of the layer in the Layers palette and click „Copy Layer Style”, and then on another layer, right-click again and select „Paste Layer Style”.
6. You can hide the layer contents while showing only the effects. Select the layer in the Layers palette and change the Fill, located at the top of the Layers palette, to 0%. You can then apply effects without the layer itself showing up. This is how many glass and other advanced effects are created.

Expand Your Layer Styles Preset Library

Want to build your own layer style preset library, but don’t quite know where to start?

Well, if that’s the case, then Envato Elements can prove to be a great source, since it offers a large selection of Photoshop Layer Style presets that you can download and use.

Halloween Horror Layer Style Preset

No matter what you intend to use it on, this Halloween Photoshop Layer Style is one of my all-time favorites as it looks incredible once applied to any text.

Chrome and Fire Layer Style Preset

Burn your fonts to a melting crisp with this amazing-looking chrome and fire Photoshop layer style that can come in handy in any future project from flyers to video games or posters.

Metal Layer Style Preset

Let’s be honest, gold is one of those things that nobody can say no to, so why not use this Photoshop layer style to your advantage and turn everything that you touch into gold the fast way.

80’s Retro Layer Style Preset

Still dreaming of the 80s? Why not give this retro-looking Photoshop Layer Style a go and bring back the good old days in style.

Ice Chrome Layer Style Preset 

Game of Thrones may have ended, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep winter here a little longer using this amazing Ice Chrome Layer Style preset. Using just a couple of clicks, you can freeze any given text in a manner of seconds and give your project a cool, icy look.

One for the Road

Until next time, this free, exclusive layer style and accompanying .PSD will help you practice your loading, applying, and resizing skills until we get to the really good stuff.

Download Dragonslayer Photoshop Layer Style

Expand Your Layer Style Skills!

Just starting out using Photoshop layer styles, and feel like learning more about them? Well, if that’s the case then you’re in luck since I took the time and put together this little list that should get you going!

• 

  What Are Layer Styles?

  In this tutorial, you’ll learn what Layer Styles are and how to use them to create special effects for layers.
• 

  How to Create a 3D Gold Text Effect With Photoshop Layer Styles

  In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a 3D metallic gold text effect using layer styles in Photoshop.
• 

  How to Create a 'Stranger Things’ Inspired Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Learn an easy way to create a Stranger Things series inspired text effect, using only layer styles and some simple adjustments.
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Embroidery Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a realistic embroidery text effect in Photoshop using stitch brushes and layer styles. The end result will be…
• 

  How to Create a Realistic Neon Light Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop

  Use a brick texture, a couple of layer styles, and the Pen Tool to create a glowing, bright neon light text effect.