Do You Know How To Think Like An Artist?

Many people say they can’t create art because they don’t know how to think like an artist.

You may be thinking like an artist already and not even realize it.

If you’re not sure, take a look at the following list.

As you go through the list, try to determine which ones you’re doing already, and which ones you want to add to your repertoire.

Embrace Ambiguity and The State of Not-Knowing. When you let go of trying to control everything, and become comfortable with the unknown, you are free to have creative breakthroughs. Set your desire to plan everything aside, and allow things to evolve.

Use Old Ideas to Create New Ones. The best ideas come from connecting together a combination of old ideas. Take what you know. Connect it with other things that may not relate. Put it in a different order. Add to it. Maybe you want to turn the new combination on its side. Before you know it, you’ll come up with a new idea.

Allow Your Inner Child to Play. As adults, we forget how to let go and be adventurous. When you allow yourself to ‘color outside the lines,’ you can come up with crazy ideas and creations that your responsible adult side might have overlooked. Just have fun as you dream and create playfully.

Give Yourself Permission to Take Risks. It is logical to focus on outcomes and consequences of whatever you endeavor. But when you’re trying to unlock your creativity, you need to follow your curiosity. Start by asking silly questions. Mix together different colors, textures, and mediums. Realize that the act of discovery requires experimenting, taking risks, and being okay with failure.

Fight Your Inner Perfectionist. Striving for perfectionism when you’re creating anything can cause stress and block your creativity. Realize that things don’t have to be “just right” for you to do or share them with others. The more you allow yourself to create without boundaries, the more confident you can become. Take whatever you create and put it out there so others can look at it and admire your work.

Don’t Limit Yourself. Block out a set amount of time to come up with as many ideas as possible. Focus on volume instead of quality. Just like a brainstorming session with colleagues in the workplace, give yourself a similar block of time to throw out as many different ways to create something as possible. From “normal” ideas to crazy ones – get them all out. You’ll find that your most interesting ideas will start to surface the more you do this.

Take a moment to learn one—or all—of these simple concepts so you can channel your inner artist in no time.

The bonus of thinking like an artist is you can apply the same processes to the things you do everyday life.

When you do, you are certain to experience a more joyous life.

I challenge you to try this for yourself today.

Want to learn more about how to think like an artist? Sign up for my new online art class, Art with Adele. This interactive art course allows you to watch me paint as I explain everything I am doing and the thinking behind it. Also included are interviews with gallery owners and artists, a monthly book review, resources to help get you started, and a private Facebook group where you can ask questions or post your artwork for critique. To find out more and sign up, click here.

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