Notes on the process, part 2: artist block (continued)

This primarily addresses painting, but may apply to others as well...

Artist block.... what to do?

• Don't focus on the whole project and the finished product, but break it down into steps/parts and develop a plan to complete one small step at a time. At the beginning just work on preparing a really nice surface stretching canvas, preparing a panel, applying a ground and the imprimatura, can't decide what color to start with blindly pick one from the paint box, flip a coin or assign each color a number and roll some dice, or just make several, each with a different starting point, this works at any stage of the process when decisions overwhelm and paralyze. Random chance is sometimes the best tonic. Also make a note about the various options and consider doing a series, choosing a different option at each point as a launching pad to different versions of an image. Many finished pieces are always better than one unfinished "masterpiece."

• Getting started can be really difficult sometimes especially as your expectations build, the most important thing is to remove expectations and approach the piece as one of a great many you will eventually produce and not to care about the finished product, but rather enjoy the process. The best way to learn is by making mistakes and trying new methods to resolve those mistakes, take photos or at least notes on your progress to be referred to later when you reach a similar dilemma. Often an initial mishap, turns into a happy accident that could not have been achieved if everything went as planned and your formula was foolproof. Besides formulas get old, tiring and tedious, Salvador Dali said there are no mistakes only opportunities.

• When stuck at any point take a break and do something else unrelated that you enjoy, for instance many artists play chess, its a right brain visual game with multiple option at every turn, its a great way to activate the visual cortex as well as a way to develop strategies and skills for making decisions when there is a plethora of options.

• When at real impasse, turn your piece to the wall for a few days or weeks, start something else and come back to it when you are not afraid of messing up your "masterpiece." Having other work going simultaneously has the effect of breaking the obsession with a single piece. Tunnel vision can paralyze you when you reach a point at which you begin to really care about your piece because of the wonderful progress you have made. Having other work allows the freedom to not be a slave to a single piece. Then when you reach the point of not really caring about the outcome (especially since you have some other great replacements if this one doesn't turn out as planned) you can move forward on the next step, free of expectations.

• Enjoy yourself and Happy Painting!!!