Week Thirty-Nine

Trapped ideas die. When you get an idea, write it down!

When I started my first Art Everyday project back in 2016, the beginning was difficult, mostly because half the struggle was coming up with something to draw! Even inspiration was hard to find. After a couple of months, an interesting thing happened. I started seeing ideas everywhere, and I began to have more ideas than time to produce them. I knew if I only kept these ideas in my brain, I might forget them. So I started keeping a notebook of things to draw later! When you develop a daily art-making habit, you are not only getting better at drawing, you become more adept at collecting inspiration and generating ideas.

In fact, when I started the Making Art Everyday project at the beginning of the year, writing this section that you are reading right now was a struggle. Every week I’d stare at my computer wondering what to write. Usually, I draw upon something that happened to me recently, but it was still hard. Still, I persisted every week, pushed through the difficulty, and forced myself to write. Something recently shifted and I starting experiencing things or hearing things that made me think of writing ideas all the time! I started a notebook with writing ideas that is now filled with options. When I’m not sure what to write about, I look to the notebook. That’s literally what I did this week. I had written an idea that said, “trapped ideas die.” That became what you just read!

What to Do

  • The first step to getting better at generating ideas is to expose yourself to inspiration regularly. I love browsing Instagram and Pinterest and absorbing the visual styles of other artists. I use this plus my own life experiences as ideas for subject matter. 
  • Keep an idea notebook. I use the app Evernote to write down all my ideas. I keep a notebook called “Things to Art.” Anytime an idea strikes, write it down! Write down as little or as much detail as you have available at the time. Even a short phrase could trigger your imagination next time you read it.
  • ​Now you have a resource to look to whenever you need an idea!

September Prompts

Fashion

For the final week of Fashion month, we are pulling it all together. Time to draw some outfits! Each day this week, you’ll draw a complete outfit that reflects that time of year or occasion. Don’t forget the accessories! For a brisk fall day, think scarves, warm tops, and boots. For winter wear this could be a thick parka, gloves, or even ski wear! For awards season, think of something you might see on the red carpet. You get the idea! You can draw the pieces of clothing flat, as I have below, or on a person or character.

To help you out this week, I’ve curated some Pinterest boards full of outfit ideas.

Week 39 | Sept 23-29

Seasonal Outfits

Mon: brisk fall day
Tue: winter wear
Wed: awards season
Thu: rainy day
Fri: summertime casual
Sat: by the pool
Sun: warm and snuggly at home

You can access each week’s prompts at makingarteveryday.com

Week 39 progress Tracker

Track your Making Art Everyday progress! See at-a-glance all you’ve accomplished, and reflect on the work you’ve done at the end of the week. Visit bardotbrush.com/progress to download the monthly tracker and weekly reflection sheet. There are also instructions about how to use them.

Procreate Community: Learn // Draw // Share

We’ve got a Facebook Group full of amazingly supportive artists, from all skill levels.