What can you do when you don’t feel inspired to take an art break?

Transcript from Take an Art Break Podcast Episode

Lauren (00:02):

Okay, we’re here.

Lisa (00:04):

Hello. Hello. We’re back. Hi,

Lauren (00:05):

Everybody.

Lisa (00:06):

We’re back and we are, we are kind of in a mood or something, right? Lauren

Lauren (00:13):

<Laugh>. Yeah. We’re back with another, a live recording of our podcast. So welcome everybody. So, you know, generally speaking, we usually we kind of continue the conversation. The idea of the podcast is to have this ongoing conversation about art and all of its amazing aspects. Today, you know, Lisa in are feeling like a little so <laugh>, I thought of, I thought of the question, you know, like, what can you do when you’re feeling uninspired to take an art break? So it’s, it’s for folks out there who, like Lisa and myself know the power of an heartbreak and want to make it part of their daily life, but to have those days everybody does, where you’re just like, ugh. I just, yeah, no, I, I’m not into this. So, you know, what, what can someone do, Lisa, when they’re just not feeling inspired to take an art break? What would you, what would you suggest they do?

Lisa (01:19):

Yeah, well one thing comes up is like, you know, taking an outbreak is a, a practice. It’s a daily practice. So though all it’s okay that you’re not inspired, it’s okay, we’re not inspired. But you have to kind of push your way through it. I heard today that you don’t try it, you do it. You know what I mean? It’s almost like the word try should kind of get outta your, your vocabulary and just kind of do it and see what happens from there. I mean, I think what you’re also talking about on some level, if these are art breakers that have a daily practice and all of a sudden they have a creative burnout. Are you kind of talking about that in a way?

Lauren (01:58):

Yeah, I think so because mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, this is for this. Yeah. So it’s like when you’re, when, cuz this is how you can get out of that habit of taking an art break, is that it’s, you hit that wall. I mean, you know, if we’re talking about art breaks, being that part of your, part of a healthy lifestyle. So it’s very similar to taking the time to prepare a healthy meal and taking the time to exercise. How many people out there are like, no, I’m gonna get takeout tonight. And how many people are like, like, oh, I can skip, I can skip this, I can skip tonight. And I would say, sure, you can, you can definitely skip a night of you know, eating right and exercising and taking an heartbreak. But you know, like how can we get those folks to, to get back into that routine?

Lisa (02:52):

Well have some ideas. Make sure like you either have a station for your art or your art supplies are ready, like they’re available. Like, you know, so you see them <laugh>, so you kind of walk by ’em every day. Maybe it’s a special place. Or they’re accessible. I think also another cool one is, I remember this was an undergrad I think this was for design course, but choose was like collect images, meaning not pictures, but collect images from like, magazines and kind of have a, a shoebox full of them. So when you need inspiration, you kind of page through ’em and go, whoa. And that kind of can inspire what you wanna create. I thought that was a good one.

Lauren (03:33):

Oh, I like that. I, yeah, I, that’s what I was, that was sort of what came to mind for me, is the first thing that I would do. And, you know, it’s sort of like a, like I’m feeling lazy heartbreak, which would be, you know, essentially you would just look at art. And so you could have a, you could have an artwork that you go to that you sort of plan ahead, that you’re gonna have those days where you’re not feeling inspired to actually sit down at that space that you make for yourself. And you look at that painting, or you look at that photograph, or you look at that vase or, you know, whatever it is that sculpture. Or you could have a spot in your backyard that you go to. And that could be interesting cuz that will change for some people as, as seasons change, you know?

Lauren (04:24):

So you could, you could plan ahead for being an uninspired, which feels kind of funny to say, but you all, everybody knows that that happens mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. And so if it, if it kind of hits you by surprise, then what you could do instead is you could, I don’t know, Google a color and, and kind of look at, you know or Google the word feeling uninspired. I’ve done that before. Like, you know I’m feeling, you know, I don’t, you know, inspire me, you know, and, and just seeing like what other people have to offer, you know, and, and take an art break in that way and you’ll, you’ll leave with something, you know, you’re, you’re not gonna end up with nothing. You’ll have, you’ll have accomplished something.

Lisa (05:12):

But also I think that art, taking an heartbreak is an experiment, you know what I mean? It’s like, it’s not, of course it’s process. It’s not the end product. So if you feel uninspired, that means that’s kind of like a challenge or something to discover about yourself. Like, why am I feeling uninspired? And you can even do an art break around that. Like, even like kind of diving deep into the, well what, what is it? Are I tired? You know, is it the news? Is it my kids <laugh>? You know? Yeah. Is it you know, what’s loading up on me that I’m just kind of going blah, you know? Yeah. I mean, I mean, you can just go outside and look at the sky and that’s inspirational to shift your mind. You gotta shift state of what you’re in, but also accept the state of being uninspired. Like, today I’m gonna create an uninspired artwork. Wow. Think about that.

Lauren (06:04):

Right? Yeah. So I love that. So you kind of have, I mean, it’s basically, it’s getting rid of that idea that you have to feel inspired in order to take an art break. You don’t have to feel inspired in order to take an art break. You know, you can still, you can still kind of take an art break. Right. And I, I, I like, I, I think that’s, that’s a great point to make that it’s, I think we do, we get stuck in this whole thing where you have to love, you have to love every minute of it. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, you know, and and I think people have this, that sense of art that it’s this like, like we all kumbaya, it’s like we hug and stuff all the time, and definitely that’s <laugh> that’s happening quite a bit, but it’s like, it’s not always about that, you know? And I think that a lot of it is about confronting those things that you’d rather push to the side, right? Or that you have been pushing to the side most of the time, not on purpose, you know? And so it, it brings that stuff forward and for, for you to sort of examine. So I love that, like, entering the heartbreak saying, why do I not feel like doing this today? Ask your yourself that question. Or like, what does, what does uninspired look like? Like what colors does uninspired

Lisa (07:29):

To you Yeah.

Lauren (07:30):

Tell you to use? What shapes does it tell you to use? I also would think if you, if you are someone who is regularly doing this and you have been doing this for a while and it’s just one of those, like, I really wanna do this, but I’m feeling uninspired. I would say just to change up your art materials that you’re using and maybe kind of challenge yourself a little bit. So if you’re like, regularly painting on a daily basis and you walk up to that canvas and you’re just like, not just, I just don’t feel like working on this, then you might wanna turn to stacking rocks outside or collecting you know collages or something. Opening that box of images and gluing them on a piece of paper. You know, something like that.

Lisa (08:17):

Yeah. Also, I think it’s important to have a community of some sort, maybe a couple friends or a bigger community. Like we have the Outbreak Day community something that maybe you can shoot out, even if it’s on social media that, you know, you can be like, you need inspiration <laugh> or you need energy. And then the one thing that I’ve noticed in my life is inspir or non inspiration. It’s very fleeting. Like, it’s rare that I have a day that I’m like, whole day is like, I’m so uninspired. You know what I mean? <Laugh>. I mean, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a day like that cuz it’s like you’re kind of in a funky mood and you’re like, I don’t, I don’t feel like doing this today or whatever. But something happens and then you shift, right? Mm-Hmm. And then you kind of, either you go through it or, you know, I always say that gratitude practice is amazing. You know, just write things. You’re grateful for nature. Yeah. You know, I mean, think about what does inspire you, like, like beyond making art and go towards those and almost use those as you know, like plugging into it like a electric vehicle <laugh> Yeah. Need to plug into whatever inspires you outside of the realm of art.

Lauren (09:35):

I love that. So you could just take an art break and write down things that do inspire you. Yeah. And that’s, that’s, that’s a perfect heartbreak to take when you’re feeling uninspired, you know? Yeah. So I, I think, yeah, I mean, I think that, I think the first step is to not so kind of understand that it’s, it’s going to happen and that it’s not something that no one else has ever experienced. That it, that it w that it happens to everybody and that it’s normal and that you just and you could just walk away for the day and that, that, you know, like don’t judge yourself. Right? cuz that, that’s definitely walking away with a negative effect, you know? But also if you do find yourself doing that thing where you push the heartbreak to the end of your list on a daily basis, and then you never get to the bottom of your list,

Lisa (10:32):

<Laugh>

Lauren (10:32):

Sort of need to reexamine your list. Because if you are adding, take an art break to your list, then you already know that it’s necessary. You know, you know you don’t need to listen to our other podcast or we’re trying to convince you to take an art break. You’ve already been convinced, you’ve already done it. You’ve gone through that transformation of the beauty of making art part of your daily life. But you also know how easy it is to push those things that take care of you so well to the bottom of your priority list. Yeah. And you just, you have to, you know, maybe spend spend 15 minutes rewriting your list, you know, like Lisa always says, you need to add it into your schedule. I mean, that’s just kind of how humans are right now, right? Is we live, we live by the schedule. And so if, if that’s the way it is and that’s the way it is, you just accept it and you add this self-care into the schedule or add this spontaneity into your schedule, which sounds so funny, but you can, you can actually do that, you know? Yeah, I think like, don’t judge yourself. Take it easy. But ref take the time to reflect, you know mm-hmm. <Affirmative>,

Lisa (11:49):

Learn, learn from it. Grow from it. And also like like I was thinking sometimes I’m like, ah, an heartbreak, like, I’m not doing it, but I am doing it. Like when I’m writing in my journal in the morning and I draw a star or I draw a spiral, that’s an heartbreak <laugh>, you know? So I think, like you said, I think humans always have like this big, we always have big ideas about what it is when our breaking is a very small step by step. It’s a very subtle process and it, you know, it, it leads up to bigger things. But this is, you know, I mean I think that’s what our breaking is. It’s, it’s a subtle activity that you do during the day that shifts you mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and

Lauren (12:32):

Yeah. I mean you can, you could take, that’s what so, you know since we align it with exercise and eating right, so often to try to get people into that mental state of what an heartbreak really is about, right? It’s about taking care of yourself mentally so you can do it. What, what they suggest for exercising when you’re starting to exercise for the first time is like, look, half an hour can be super daunting for someone who’s, who hasn’t kind of jumped on that and, and gotten used to that. So break it up. You know? And so that’s what you could do with your heartbreak, you know, just like Lisa said, you could journal for five minutes and then just be like, okay. And then, you know, a couple hours later, journal some more for five minutes. It doesn’t all have to be for that.

Lauren (13:15):

Sit down for 15 minutes cuz like, honestly, something is better than nothing. Right. You know a five minute heartbreak is, is so much more beneficial than a zero minute heartbreak, you know? And so it’s like, you know, if if you have a day where you can only put in five minutes, then then put in the five minutes. If you have a day where you can’t do it for 30 minutes straight, then break it up into three 10 minute sessions and then by the end of the day you have your, your 30 minutes of heartbreaking to, you know, kind of reflect on and you’ll be the better for it, you know? So. Yeah.

Lisa (13:54):

Yeah. And I, to reiterate, we always say this, but you know, like, okay, you, you, you op you open into the heartbreak like, man, I’m uninspired, I don’t wanna do this. Right. But you decide to forge through it <laugh>. And then when you get to the other side, really, really, really check into yourself and go like, I did that last night. I haven’t painted for a while. Right. And then it’s like quarter to 10 and I’m like, I really wanna get that paint bro shot and just paint. And after it I was like, I was, I like breathed in a relief going, oh yeah, it’s almost, you go, oh yeah, that’s, that’s what it is. You know,

Lauren (14:26):

<Laugh> Right, right. You, well, it’s really easy to forget how much, how much it actually takes care of you. Right. Until, you know, that’s the difficulty you and I often run into is that it’s not something that you can just talk about with someone. Right. They, they have to experience it. Right. And even someone who has experienced it before will easily forget how wonderful it feels. I mean, mean like, you and I talk about this every single year after our break day is like, oh yeah, we’re so hard up to our break day and we’re just like, you know, like, so tired <laugh>. And then our break day comes and we realize that’s what we’re doing it for. That’s, again, we’re reminded of how magical it is to, you know, have all these people come together and connect to this act of making art. And then it’s that, it’s that reminder and that that like pushes us in for the 364 following days.

Lauren (15:20):

Right? Yeah. And you, you just have to sometimes, yeah, sometimes you just have to push through and do it. Sometimes you have to take a break from it and come back the next day or you can break it up into segments or use other people as inspiration. Like if you have a favorite artist, I would say just like go and look at their work. If you have a, or like a book or songs. I love to listen to music when I mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, you know, you could listen to music based on mood. Like if you, you could look for music that does inspire you or music for when you’re just feeling uninspired. That melancholy music, sometimes I just do that. Yeah. There’s, you know, hopefully that gives people some, some quick kind of things they can do when they’re feeling uninspired about taking an art break

Lisa (16:04):

Just to end with that. I love that because I do that in some of my workshops. I play like a real upbeat music and then I play like the Lord of the Rings, like in the fight scene music. And then I play like, kind of like an angelic music. And then that’s a really easy heartbreak cuz you’re listening to music, you’re kind of moving your body, you’re moving your pencil or you’re moving your paintbrush, but you’re really not thinking you’re going with the music. And I think that is like, it just opens up to, oh yeah, I can breathe now I feel inspired. So yeah.

Lauren (16:35):

Totally. I love it. I wanna just say a quick kai to Beth Benson. She said that visible ready art supplies is a definite inspiration for me. So she does that. She leaves out her art supplies to kind of remind herself, oh yeah, take that art break, take care of yourself. So just a big, a quick hey to her and thanks for listening and I hope that, that, I hope that was inspiring <laugh> <laugh> for folks who are looking for an inspiration on those days that they’re just kind of shrugging along. Right? I mean, we all have those days. Lisa and I are having one of those days right now, but now I feel a lot better after going through all those reasons or those easy kind of, you know, ways to work around your uninspired feelings or just kind of be in ’em, right? There’s so many choices. That’s what’s, you know, again, what’s so wonderful about art is you have so many choices. You can be in the in, in unins inspir and kind of work through that. You can just push through it or you can wait, wait it out. You know, a lot of people do that with their own own art. Right. You just like you know, if you’re, you just wait out, come back to it the next day. You can look for inspiration. There’s just so many things you can do. So yeah,

Lisa (17:51):

I I love it. And just to add the last thing. I love that what Beth kind of underlined, you know, leaving the art supplies out, which I kind of said, but it’s really, it’s calling to you, you know what I mean? There’s something to, you know, when you have your art supplies around, they’re like, Hey <laugh>, come play with me. Right? Yeah. Yeah. So I think that’s really part of it is like, have things available and you know, try not to get stuck into excuses. Right,

Lauren (18:21):

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz that’s an easy pattern to get into. And then, you know, well, if anybody else has any ideas of what you can do on those days, you’re not feeling inspired, you know leave a comment or send us an email or, or you know, whatever. And we’ll talk to you soon.

Lisa (18:38):

All right. Be inspired.

Lauren (18:39):

Yeah.

Lisa (18:40):

<Laugh>.

Lauren (18:41):

Thanks everyone.

Lisa (18:43):

Thank you.