What to Paint when you Lack Inspiration

[@meb3369]

February is the shortest month yet it's also the longest in a sense.

[@manishamalhotra4067]

Chelsea you are my inspiration. Your advice has been completely life changing. It’s changed the way I put brush to canvas and the way I plan paintings. Thank you so much :)

[@lukecarey613]

I’ve been so lost without a teacher I just realised I was already subscribed. My painting is frozen and it hurts. Chelsea’s voice is thawing me out.

[@dikagajic2714]

Everyone in my family finds October or the summer months to be the hardest. For me it's February, so thank you for that intro 😊 I love the way you talk about inspiration valleys in a kind and positive manner. I have an oil canvas sitting on the easel since this summer and I have had moments of thinking I would end up just abandoning this one. A few days ago, I thought that printing the photo, which I am working from in a large poster format and framing it in front of the easel might rekindle the motivation. It did: I am back to it and I find it so much easier to work on it now that I can see better the light and the many details in the photo. Thank you for this inspirational video👏

[@edkaempf906]

You provide such great suggestions for painting exercises to do (8:05): Doing value studies, color charts, color studies, time-limited sketches, master copies (what you're doing in this video). Thank you so much for your focus on the need for doing exercises, which is a critical need to improve in any endeavor, no matter your skill level (just look at the "basic" exercises Steph Curry goes through in his warmups before every game).

[@ChantelleArts]

Spoken so well, I particularly like what you said about how taking time to find inspiration will help you grow as an artist 😊

[@leonahenderson6191]

I have been in a slump of i want to paint, but currently don't have the privacy needed or space to work the way i enjoy to get into the zone. I can paint around people, but i get way too distracted by questions or of course ideas others have for the painting I'm doing. I'm not a known artist this is my hobby. Something i just enjoy doing. Idk if im just talking or if im actually asking a question right now. I have done the same thing thinking i dont have to go back to fundamentals because i know it. Lol this is a reminder of when i was learning and excited to see what i could even do. I havent painted much in the past 4 years due to being a mom and supporter of my working husband. So even finding time is a huge struggle. I miss the house we lived in when i had a room all to myself just for painting and thats when i produced the most finished artwork i have in my life. I dont have anything close to that now.

[@lukecarey613]

I’m so glad you’re still posting I need a nurturing mentor even if it’s through KZbin 🙏 By the way this is a beautiful painting.

[@francesfitzgerald5460]

I am so happy to have stumbled across your channel. I love watching you paint and listening to what you are saying. So much of it is exactly what I experience in my "becoming an artist" journey. Thank you for so freely sharing your painting process and tips. One big one...only by watching one of your videos on restoring paint brushes was i able to bring a ton of my 20 year old brushes back to life. I never threw them out bc always wondered if they could be restored. I acquired them back in the days when i was rich..hahaha...or they were gifts from people. So thank you for that. I am now retired and have much time to devote to painting...its not all easy, having this much time on my hands. So again, trying to be easy on myself, thank you for that also.

[@davidveliz5132]

I absolutely love the style of video/art you're creating. It's so inspiring and motivative. Glad I found you, you're a gem!

[@petraavicienna6646]

Thank you so much for this ... feel so burnt out and unappreciated lately ... thanks for inspiration !!!

[@jplum7708]

Excellent information. Thank you, Chelsea. I've been trying to shake off the winter doldrums. This is very timely. Your videos are inspiring. One other suggestion that I need to implement. Watch these videos at the beginning of a block of free time so when the video is finished, I can go right into my studio and paint while I feel motivated to do so. So many times I watch a video when I have just enough free time too. Then I have to get back to work and the motivation fades.

[@Palatinate-o5d]

The best thing for me when I'm out of ideas is to paint around on the iPad. I can experiment with it without wasting material. Greetings from Germany!

[@ExtremeNeoclassical]

Thank you so much for these videos. You are such a big inspiration and I love your insights.

[@brianivory405]

One reason your paintings are beautiful. Because you are beautiful. I heard that artist reflect their image in there work. Everybody is beautiful but artist and people sometimes are hard on themselves and the beautiful work they created. You should share yourself with camera along with your work.

[@cyborgzulu2011]

I'm getting back into painting because of you. Thank you.

[@WeblightDreams]

Found this video and topic highly helpful.

[@kpannabecker]

I've been painting less and playing with welding more lately and having so much fun. Problem is it's hard for me to re-visit that portrait I'm supposed to be working on, which is weighing on me. I'm so ready for spring. Good video.

[@Stank-Mania]

I adore your artwork and these discussion videos, you paint with beauty.

[@sadiaawanartist]

Your work is good..and the teaching method is also very good..I have watched all your videos..I like your work very much.❤️

[@amietobin672]

This was so needed right now. Thank you.

[@ChorizoCentauri]

Oddly my best and most creative seasons are the coldest and cloudiest. I can't function during hot weather... I also get migraines, maybe that's the reason. During the sunny or warmest days I tend to stay up most of the night and go from there, with my thoughts and sleeping dogs. The weather is a factor in my creative life which contributes to the momentary stillness of life, that gives way to my most productive moments.

[@chriscallen6897]

Going to car shows helps me when I’m out of ideas. I also build model cars as a hobby.

[@Kathysart]

Well said! Thank you. Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, “Big Magic”, really hits the mark in regards to finding that spark again too.

[@johnpaul2285]

Pure beauty and knowledge inspiring awesome talents

[@valerieaprahamian4112]

Love your work Chelsea....I would love for you to show us the picture you are painting from- it would be very helpful. Keep up the great videos!

[@coffeesnob100]

Thanks Chelsea, I needed that!

[@jumanas4012]

thank you for your advice 😊

[@travisnobleart]

I love the point about going back. Charcoal, graphite, and especially line work. It's so hard to hide yourself when you're using more primitive tools. And as artists, what we're really trying to do is find that individual form of expression that says I. Nothing says it faster than when our artwork is stripped of its garishness. Of course the danger is being hard on ourselves. We are all beginners in some areas. In that case, it is helpful to know that even Hokusai found he was only beginning to learn at age 90...

[@DesArtandInk]

You sound so thoughtful, I went to your profile looking for videos

[@travisnobleart]

@Des Armstrong Thank you. Probably soon or sooner if my workflow weren't so chaotic.

[@joywall9106]

Awesome talent.

[@meleecraft]

Dear Chelsea Lang, ♥😄

[@dara555]

thank you for not saying; 'artistic juices flowing'

[@JCarrera_ll]

👏🖤

[@maxrenderer2011]

I finished two for the Portrait Society and didn't paint for almost a week. Totally burnt.

[@voyagerlast]

have you ever thought that sun is affecting inspiration? i paint too sunny days i paint more. creative a mean.

[@rociorizo8469]

I do that I think for a very long time what I want to produce! That is something I wanted to share! That is a secret Very interesting!

[@ArtyMartyD]

I'll be lucky if I can force myself to paint something once a month. I feel utterly dried up. I don't know what's wrong.

[@funny3272]

Go Abstract Painting. You'll find some image out of it.

[@fuzzydragons]

masters studies are great when inspiration is lacking, copy someone else's inspiration