1. Start small (and cheap)
Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a splurge on Jackson’s Art or Hobby Craft, but when you’re picking up a new creative hobby it's best to start with cheap materials. You’ll want to get a feel for something before you commit your hard-earned money. There are lots of starter kits in places like Hobby Craft or Etsy. Pick an easy way to start, and don’t get bogged down in what hue of paint to try. Pick up a starter kit to get you going quickly. You can really get bogged down with choosing materials so take it easy on yourself! As I’ve gained more experience and knowledge in painting I’ve upped the quality and cost of materials steadily, but that’s a good investment now I have years of experience behind me. The quality of equipment and materials doesn’t make a good piece of art or craft, but it certainly enhances your work once you have an established style.
2. Learn from others' experience
There are so many tutorials out there now for creative work, whatever creative hobby you pick up you’ll find a relevant video or blog out there to talk through step by step. I tend to use Pinterest and Skillshare, but you’ll also find loads of tutorials on YouTube. I find it useful and inspiring to listen to podcasts on painting, as it’s as much about the mindset and tools as the practice of painting that makes up an artistic practice. Of course, don’t forget traditional methods of learning like your local library or bookshop. Online courses are growing at an exponential rate, and are a great place to meet people with similar interests.
3. Hush the critic
It’s natural when you’re trying something new and creative for your logical brain to kick up a fuss and say unhelpful things like ‘what's that’ ‘OMG I’ll never be good at this’ and ‘why bother’. Just know this is a normal reaction to doing something different, as your brain is programmed to fear the unknown. Remember your creative practice is not life-threatening, talk nice to your inner critic and politely tell it to sod off. It's important to remember you don’t have to show anyone your early attempts. Do it for the fun of it! And the more you show up and get creative the quieter that inner critic gets.
4. Try lots of different things
When you’re starting out it’s normal not to take to the first thing you try. Keep going and the more you try the more you’ll figure out your specific creative spark. There are thousands of different creative practices to pick up. I recommend you keep a creative journal to work out the specific method you enjoy the most. Just remember the first tip, try small activities and on a budget when you’re in the early stages of exploration.
5. Make it part of your routine
To forge any habit, you need to set aside time and make it intentional. Think about when you want to spend time on your new creative practice. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Or maybe it’s a Sunday activity. Whatever suits you, keep it up on a regular basis and it will soon happen without thinking. It can be difficult putting ourselves first and finding time, but there’s lots of science that proves the positive impact creativity has on our health (read why mental health is essential to well-being blog here)
7. Don’t be a perfectionist
Or maybe I should say don’t expect to be the next Georgia O’Keefe the first time you pick up a paintbrush. Let me tell you a secret, artists aren’t born able to paint, it takes many hours and years of practice. You have to put the time in to get good at anything, and that goes for creativity. Just take the pressure off, and enjoy the process. There’s no need to share everything on social media, it can be your own personal journey. I do suggest keeping a visual journal of your progress so you can see how you develop and explore ideas as you go. There are no rules to creativity and there is no such thing as right and wrong, so it’s impossible to make mistakes.
8. Create just for you
Creative time is special for me, it’s a time for me to think about what inspires me and it energises me. When it comes to starting out the most useful guide for which creative practice to try and what method is your gut instinct. The creative process is very instinctive, and when you tune into your unconscious feelings it will make it much easier to know what to try. To tap into your inner creative, journaling helps uncover your true feelings. I write 2 pages every morning of free-flow thoughts, and all sorts of things pop up, I find journalling very therapeutic and revealing. At the very early stages, I recommend you keep your new practice or hobby private, you want time to nurture it and other people can have adverse reactions to people changing and putting themselves first. This negative reaction is down to their own limiting beliefs about what’s possible and their hang-ups on taking time out for themselves. A new creative practice is fragile and precious, keep it close to you until you’re ready to share. There’s also nothing wrong with not sharing the results in the longer term if you just want to keep it as a hobby or part of your mental health practice.
8. Get inspired
Purposefully make plans to get inspired, whether that’s an art gallery, a walk, or a weekend away. To be a creative person you need to fill up your cup and create experiences. Every artist takes ideas from other artists and experiences. Some people may glean inspiration from listening to music or reading, whatever gets you excited make plans to fill up your cup on a regular basis.
9. Connect with yourself
Creativity is a very personal expression of you, your beliefs, desires, and motivations. To draw what’s within you takes radical action. I use that word because contemporary society is wired up to distract us, make us buy things we don’t need and lose connection with ourselves. There are so many simple ways to tap into our inner creativity and find our voice. Meditation, walking, journaling and making a conscious effort to escape the velocity of contemporary life by switching off our phones and picking up a book instead.
10. Remember the value of creativity
It’s easy to think of creativity as a frivolous activity that achieves nothing, but it has an immense impact on our mental and physical health and can be a social activity. My art has helped people tap into their inner joy and uplift them on a daily basis. And that’s what motivates me to keep painting, it moves people into a happier place. Our society tends to value science over art because it’s easier to explain science. But I believe art runs deeper in people, has a profound effect and brings a lot of joy into lives, as well as provoking important questions.
Author:
Ruth Egon leads an online art membership, The Art Hub Community! We are an inspirational, nurturing and fun art community. We gather creative souls who are curious about developing their interest in art, through live workshops, forums and inspiring content.
Together we build confidence, express joy and create art that’s authentic to us.
At Art Hub we create art in live group workshops, engage in lively and informative chat forums, share inspiration and grow skills through group challenges. We offer a welcoming, supportive and fun membership, so that we can become an authentic, confident, vibrant, purposeful and connected group of artists.
You don't need any experience to join us, all you need is an interest in art and a willingness to give it a go. Designed to be fun, and engaging and to build your creative confidence, these are the perfect sessions to get you started.
Sign up here: https://ruthegon.com/pages/art-hub-community
