We Asked the Artists: What Motivates You?

Motivation is a complicated thing. When we are trying to create, sometimes it feels like the muse is trying to break down the door to help us, but other times the muse might not appear at all. Before we throw in the towel and quit, let’s hear from our fellow artists about how they are motivated to work and what they struggle with. We asked the artists:

What motivates you? When you find yourself in an artistic rut, what inspires you to get going again?

~Artwork by Renee Zarate

“I am generally motivated by something I see in print or online.  If I’m in a rut I will answer a challenge of some sort either online or in a magazine.  There are challenge calls that go out daily online; these can lead to all sorts of new ideas.”Renee Zarate has been featured in Art Journaling, The Stampers’ Sampler, Somerset Studio, Take Ten, Somerset Studio Gallery, and HandCrafted.

~Artwork by Lynne Moncrieff	“Working predominantly with rubber stamps, it is the stamps themselves which motivate me and inspire me. I am on a few DTs:- Oxford Impressions, Darkroom Door, Crafty Individuals, That’s Crafty and also working with PaperArtsy and Redlead Paperworks  so there is plenty to keep me motivated!For those times I find myself in a rut, I simply play, either making backgrounds or tea staining tags, lace, etc or prepping substrates, working with supplies without feeling any pressure to create. I also keep a journal where I note ideas and thumbnail sketches; this is a useful resource for me.  Of course, Stampington & co publications will always inspire and I always re-read back issues time and again.”Lynne Moncrieff is an artist living in Perth, Scotland, and has been published in Somerset Studio, Somerset Studio Gallery, Take Ten, Haute Handbags, Somerset Life, Somerset Holidays & Celebrations, Sew Somerset, and The Stampers’ Sampler.
~Artwork by Anna Corba	“I am material-driven.  Returning from a flea market with an aged spool of ribbon, water-stained ledger book, or cache of vintage postcards will elicit a need to transform them into something new, perhaps something prettier, or something with a fresh, layered meaning. I will be seduced into arranging them in a format that respects their individual characteristics yet takes them a step further than they ever knew they wanted to go!”Anna Corba has been published in Mingle, Somerset Studio, and HandCrafted, as well as publishing her own book, Doodling in French: How to Draw with Joie de Vivre. Her book and stamp line are available at The Shoppe.
~Artwork by Seth Apter	“I am one of the lucky ones in that I never feel as though I am in a creative rut. Part of that comes from working on multiple projects at a time. There is always something to do that is calling my name.”Seth Apter is the author of The Pulse of Mixed Media and his work has appeared in Somerset Memories, Somerset Studio, and Somerset Apprentice.
~Artwork by Claudine Hellmuth	“I try very hard to take the weekends off now. I didn’t used to and that quickly led to burn out. So for me, the weekends are relax and recharge time. I take lots of naps, hang out with friends, and read. My husband and I will go to a movie, etc. That’s a perfect weekend in my book — naps and a movie!”Claudine Hellmuth is an artist and illustrator whose work has appeared in Where Women Create, Stuffed Magazine, Somerset Studio, and Artful Blogging. She has also produced a line of stamps available in The Shoppe.
~Artwork by Michelle E. Black	“My life really.  I have always been rather reflective, determined to learn from my life as it presented itself to me.  I wrote in journals, took visual notes with my camera and planned adventures for me to experience the most out of this crazy adventure called life.  Then when I had children, they were my greatest adventure.  With them I celebrated the details of their lives much in the same way.  Art is infused in my everyday living and nature is my greatest reprieve and most inspirational canvas from which I draw the most inspiration from.”Michelle E. Black is a photographer and artist that has been published in Somerset Studio Gallery, Somerset Home, Somerset Holidays & Celebrations, Somerset Apprentice, and Somerset Studio.
~Artwork by Sandra Evertson	“That’s such an interesting question, and one that is really very hard to answer… Does anyone really know what that stimulating source is? What lamp their muse escaped from?! Truthfully I’m not quite sure exactly what that white-hot spark is but I know it’s there! It’s burning all the time. My muse is apparently a restless little thing. It doesn’t let me sleep; it whispers all sorts of ideas to me.  I am flooded with so many sometimes I can’t keep up with it. I haven’t ever wandered into a rut. I don’t think I could find one if I wanted to, my muse hides those ruts from me!”Sandra Evertson’s work has appeared in Somerset Home, Somerset Studio Gallery, Somerset Studio, Artful Blogging, Somerset Workshop, and Altered Couture. She has also produced five, whimsical stamp collections that are exclusively available in  The Shoppe.

The next time you’re in an artistic rut, follow these artists’ advice and pull from a new material, a new project, or life in general. Find inspiration and get back to working on your masterpiece.

Have a creative idea for getting out of an artistic rut or finding inspiration? Leave a comment below.