What holds people back from starting a daily Art Practice.
On getting off the starting blocks.
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Consistency is a word that keeps coming up.
It’s the turtle and the hare story. Keep going and you’ll get there. For me making art daily transformed me from a general creative person into a career illustrator.
The answer was and is consistency, but for years I gave myself reasons not to start, reasons like…
1. Lack of Time
Many people feel they don't have enough free time in their busy schedules to dedicate to a daily art practice. They struggle to find even 10-15 minutes per day to commit to creative activities.
2. Feelings of Inadequacy
Some people are held back by a belief that they "aren't artistic" or lack the necessary skills to create art. They may feel intimidated or self-conscious about their abilities, leading to a reluctance to start.
3. Fear of Failure or Imperfection
The pressure to create "good" art every day can be paralyzing. People may avoid starting a daily practice out of a fear of not meeting their own high standards or producing work they deem unworthy.
4. Difficulty Forming New Habits
Establishing a consistent daily routine can be challenging, especially if someone has struggled to maintain habits in the past. The initial effort required to make art a regular part of the day can seem daunting.
5. Competing Priorities
With work, family responsibilities, and other commitments, daily art may not feel like a top priority for everyone. Other tasks and obligations can easily take precedence, pushing creative time to the side.
Overcoming these common roadblocks is key to successfully building and sustaining a daily art practice. Addressing the root causes - whether it's time management, mindset shifts, or lifestyle adjustments - can help people start and stick with a daily creative routine. Draw.
What holds you back from start a daily art practice?
Or if you have a practice what were the obstacles you had to overcome and how did you do it?
Creative Action:
Name The Enemy
Write or draw the thing that is holding you back, then write or draw how you overcome the obstacle.
Reply with a picture of your sketch or journaling.
Ten Minute Artists,is a Page-a-day guide that offers fun prompts, encouragement, and thoughtful perspective for every stage of the creative journey to help new and experienced creators alike build a Personal Daily Art Practice in 10 minute increments.
Award winning illustrator Adam Ming draws lessons from creative legends, industry experts, and his own experience of rapidly breaking into international publishing from a third world country.
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PS: Apart from my daily art practice, I put a monthly block of time aside to practice specific skills with my illustrator friend Katie Stack.
I'm a perfectionism and because of that I don't think I deserve to have a career in illustration (I know that's silly). I can't maintain a routine and seeing some of dreams flee away, to the point that I don't longer want to have dreams. I'm like a walking zombie trying to figure what can bring me back to life and try to make art.
I struggle with competiing priorities; my demanding architecture 9 to 5, and all my other interests. I also seem to set elaborate plans up, that I then don't follow up on. I do this because of the other problem of being good at/interested in many things that I want to express at once. An example is going for a book and elaborate worldbuilding because I want to write, draw, draw backgrounds, design characters and voice narrate some of the tales.
Most my excuses and challenges branch off from this point