Bright Ideas
A
s beginning artists, we often
struggle with drawing,
values, color temperature
and edges, but after many hours of
practice, our skills and understand-
ing improve. Unfortunately, that’s
when a new frustration may set in:
Our work seems competent but
boring. We envy our peers who seem
to have a boundless wellspring of
creativity while we’re slaves to the
literal, unable to break free from
the subject before us. Many artists
think, “You’ve either got it, or you
don’t. Creativity can’t be taught.”
I dispute that. Of course, not
everyone will develop a paradigm-
shifting discovery like Caravaggio’s
chiaroscuro or Monet’s broken
color; however, each of us can
grow and nurture our own creative
energies. What we refer to as creativ-
ity is a mind-set characterized by
fearlessness, a seemingly bound-
less repertoire of ideas, an ability
to improvise, a clear concept for
direction and a sense of playful
experimentation.
Here are three exercises I use—
and share with my workshop
attendees—to approach the creative
practice from a fresh perspective
when inspiration is waning and
things are feeling stale.Exercise 1:
Copy From the Best
While visual artists often are left to
figure these tenets out on their own,Reignite Your Creativity
Feeling stuck and uninspired? Try these three exercises
to jump-start your painting practice.
By William A. Schneider
After Fechin (18x12) is a pastel copy of Nicolai
Fechin’s Portrait of Eya. The act of copying
gave me a better understanding of Fechin’s
handling of edges.60 Pastel Journal OCTOBER 2019