Rec
šļø
(cause perfection is overrated)
For the motivation piece, I think a universal rule that encourages me to keep up my journaling habit and do it consistently is that I know whatever I put on the page is enough. Sometimes I dedicate 10 minutes to updatingĀ Ā my journal, or I might have 2 hours to kill and make my pages cute and fun. Sometimes I writeā¦ but I also draw, or collage, or write down a song lyric thatās stuck in my head, talk about something new I tried, etc ābut Iām always putting something on the page. Another big motivator for me is the idea that Iām serving as an archivist of my own life. I love going back to see what I was interested in, what was taking up space in my brain, and what my life looked like at this specific moment in time.
For the aesthetic part, I would just throw that whole notion away. Get messy like you did as a kid. Color outside the lines. Do your own thing. Youāll find your style the more you do it, and sometimes you're going to put something on that page that is just god awful uglyābut thatās okay! Youāre refining your taste. I would say use references as your starting point, but donāt forget your journal is yours and yours alone, so if you like it, thatās really all there is to it. Have fun and most importantly, play!
For the motivation piece, I think a universal rule that encourages me to keep up my journaling habit and do it consistently is that I know whatever I put on the page is enough. Sometimes I dedicate 10 minutes to updatingĀ Ā my journal, or I might have 2 hours to kill and make my pages cute and fun. Sometimes I writeā¦ but I also draw, or collage, or write down a song lyric thatās stuck in my head, talk about something new I tried, etc ābut Iām always putting something on the page. Another big motivator for me is the idea that Iām serving as an archivist of my own life. I love going back to see what I was interested in, what was taking up space in my brain, and what my life looked like at this specific moment in time.
For the aesthetic part, I would just throw that whole notion away. Get messy like you did as a kid. Color outside the lines. Do your own thing. Youāll find your style the more you do it, and sometimes you're going to put something on that page that is just god awful uglyābut thatās okay! Youāre refining your taste. I would say use references as your starting point, but donāt forget your journal is yours and yours alone, so if you like it, thatās really all there is to it. Have fun and most importantly, play!
Jul 14, 2025
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Rec
šØFirst things first: it doesn't matter the quality, the quantity, or the end result. If you create, you're a creative, full stop! Don't tell yourself you're a copier, think of it as adopting little pieces of the things you love and using them as inspiration to drive you. As long as you're not straight-up plagiarizing, there's nothing wrong with using something you love as a stepping stool to grow your own abilities, or as a palette with which you paint your own world.
Also, it's totally normal to feel stuck in a rut, or unoriginal, or to fall out of love with something you've made, or to feel doubt start seeping in. And it sucks! I'm often stricken with the realization that I'm one voice in a sea of millions, and I feel insecure that people will see me as lesser. Or worse: overlook my creations entirely. It makes me lose momentum in my creative process, and makes me feel more disheartened and nervous to put my stuff out there in the first place. "What if I put my heart and soul into this and nobody sees it?" "What if I bleed onto the pages and the consensus is "it's mid"???" "What if I'm wasting my time, and come back in two weeks and think this is utter garbage?" "What if people think it's too close to <other person's work>?"
But then I remember... we're kind of ALL out here, putting our hearts into stuff, trying new things, throwing around ideas, and hoping something sticks. And that's how pretty much EVERY work of art is made! And while it's awesome to get outpourings of support on the things you make, and recognition makes your work feel worthwhile... nothing is going to make you feel more fulfilled than putting your heart and soul into something you're passionate about, and seeing it through to YOUR satisfaction. Ultimately it's not about what other people think, it's about keeping that passion alive in you, and cultivating it so that it never dies.
So what can we do about burnout? Or lack of inspiration? Or when the hope levels are too low? Unfortunately all my "tips" are more abstract than practical step-by-step fixes.
Personally, I recommend steadily and eagerly engaging in the things that you tend to "copy" in the first place. Stop for a moment, and picture the word "enthusiasm." What comes to your mind? What makes you feel that way? Chase that feeling down like it's your most treasured keepsake floating away in wild rapids! Watch shows with artstyles you aspire to. Listen to songs that get you daydreaming. Get out in nature during the sunrise/sunset. Go see animals in a zoo/aquarium, or go people-watching in a mall/park. All the while, don't stop THINKING and MAKING THINGS. Doesn't have to be cute, or fleshed-out, because the beauty is in the moment. Snap candid photos, sketch freehand vignettes of what you see, jot down prose inspired by your surroundings, do whatever you can to keep your momentum without losing the joy associated with it.
The more you let yourself create freely, the more comfortable you'll be in the future when faced with the dreaded Block, the bumps, the discouragement, or anything else that may try to slow you down. And honestly? If you still find yourself stuck, good news: you're still a creative! And that will hold true as long as you desire to be.
TLDR: Don't stop making beautiful things, and if you get to a point where you feel you can no longer make beautiful things, make "ugly" things and surround yourself with things you see as beautiful.
Also, it's totally normal to feel stuck in a rut, or unoriginal, or to fall out of love with something you've made, or to feel doubt start seeping in. And it sucks! I'm often stricken with the realization that I'm one voice in a sea of millions, and I feel insecure that people will see me as lesser. Or worse: overlook my creations entirely. It makes me lose momentum in my creative process, and makes me feel more disheartened and nervous to put my stuff out there in the first place. "What if I put my heart and soul into this and nobody sees it?" "What if I bleed onto the pages and the consensus is "it's mid"???" "What if I'm wasting my time, and come back in two weeks and think this is utter garbage?" "What if people think it's too close to <other person's work>?"
But then I remember... we're kind of ALL out here, putting our hearts into stuff, trying new things, throwing around ideas, and hoping something sticks. And that's how pretty much EVERY work of art is made! And while it's awesome to get outpourings of support on the things you make, and recognition makes your work feel worthwhile... nothing is going to make you feel more fulfilled than putting your heart and soul into something you're passionate about, and seeing it through to YOUR satisfaction. Ultimately it's not about what other people think, it's about keeping that passion alive in you, and cultivating it so that it never dies.
So what can we do about burnout? Or lack of inspiration? Or when the hope levels are too low? Unfortunately all my "tips" are more abstract than practical step-by-step fixes.
Personally, I recommend steadily and eagerly engaging in the things that you tend to "copy" in the first place. Stop for a moment, and picture the word "enthusiasm." What comes to your mind? What makes you feel that way? Chase that feeling down like it's your most treasured keepsake floating away in wild rapids! Watch shows with artstyles you aspire to. Listen to songs that get you daydreaming. Get out in nature during the sunrise/sunset. Go see animals in a zoo/aquarium, or go people-watching in a mall/park. All the while, don't stop THINKING and MAKING THINGS. Doesn't have to be cute, or fleshed-out, because the beauty is in the moment. Snap candid photos, sketch freehand vignettes of what you see, jot down prose inspired by your surroundings, do whatever you can to keep your momentum without losing the joy associated with it.
The more you let yourself create freely, the more comfortable you'll be in the future when faced with the dreaded Block, the bumps, the discouragement, or anything else that may try to slow you down. And honestly? If you still find yourself stuck, good news: you're still a creative! And that will hold true as long as you desire to be.
TLDR: Don't stop making beautiful things, and if you get to a point where you feel you can no longer make beautiful things, make "ugly" things and surround yourself with things you see as beautiful.
Jul 19, 2025
Rec
š¤¹If you are making art for yourself, you are playing, not working.
I like to really lean into this and do something completely unstructured either as a warm up or as a break while Iām working on a project. I like to do what I call āshit canvasesā where I use up old supplies and garbage and what not. I layer things onto the canvas, building up some parts as I go, covering parts I donāt care about as much, maybe even ripping things off of it. I also so something on a smaller scale in my journal. Maybe Iāll start with a scribbled rant, or writing a few phrases down, and then I start to cover it with more words, or stickers, or I paint a little thing, or a sticky note, then more paint, then take the sticky note off. I have no end goal in mind, Iām just playing and seeing how things work together.
Make yourself let loose
Jul 21, 2025
Rec
āļøNeed to take my own advice on this one.
I'll scroll and scroll and scroll but I actually feel good when I get the journal/sketchbook out and learn something about myself.
I'll scroll and scroll and scroll but I actually feel good when I get the journal/sketchbook out and learn something about myself.
May 18, 2025
Top Recs from @artificialintrovert
Apr 28, 2025
Rec
šgot me giddy as hell packing my bags and picking up my sweet little treats
weāre gonna spend the night exchanging hot goss and our silly little secrets
iām over here kicking and swinging my little feet in anticipation
this really this is a love letter to my girls. i love you and iāll see you sooonnnnnn
{\_/} (>.<) />ā¤<\
weāre gonna spend the night exchanging hot goss and our silly little secrets
iām over here kicking and swinging my little feet in anticipation
this really this is a love letter to my girls. i love you and iāll see you sooonnnnnn
{\_/} (>.<) />ā¤<\
Dec 14, 2024
Rec
šgod sometimes, in the moment, it sucks. but 99.99% of the time i feel so much better after the fact. inspired by me having to recently take my own advice i give to my students about how to get more comfortable being uncomfortable.
Dec 18, 2024