Hey everyone, how’s it going?
Continuing our series about drawing, today we’re going to talk about staying motivated to draw.
Every artist goes through times when the desire to draw simply disappears.
That’s completely normal, and it doesn’t mean you’ve lost your talent or that your motivation will never come back.
The good news is that there are a few simple things you can do to help bring back your motivation and enjoy drawing again!
Now let’s get started! In this article, you’ll learn how to stay motivated to draw with 6 simple tips.
What is drawing motivation?
Drawing motivation is what makes someone want to draw and keep learning, even when they face challenges.
It can come from the desire to create beautiful drawings, express ideas, relax, or achieve a goal, such as drawing more realistically.
Although motivation is important, it naturally changes over time.
That’s why building a drawing habit is what truly helps you improve.
How to Get Motivated to Draw: 6 Tips
Building the habit of drawing every day isn’t easy at first. It’s completely normal to go through periods of discouragement, creative block, or even feel like you’re not improving.
The good news is that there are simple ways to regain your motivation and make drawing enjoyable again.
Take your time reading the tips below because this is one of the most important topics for anyone learning to draw.
1- Don’t Wait for Motivation to Come
One of the biggest mistakes is thinking you need to feel motivated before you start drawing.
In reality, the opposite is usually true.
Many times, motivation appears once you’ve already started drawing.
Just making a few first strokes is often enough for creativity to kick in and your motivation to grow.
So even on days when you don’t feel like drawing, try drawing for just 10 or 15 minutes.
Most of the time, you’ll realize that getting started was the hardest part.
2- Choose Projects You’re Excited About
Choose drawing projects that genuinely excite you.
It could be something related to your hobbies, favorite movie or TV characters, favorite celebrities, or even original ideas of your own.
When you have a personal connection to what you’re drawing, motivation comes naturally.
Drawing subjects you don’t really enjoy will usually drain your energy instead of inspiring you.
3- Set Small, Realistic Goals
When we set goals that are too big, it’s easy to become discouraged.
Instead of expecting to create a perfect drawing, set simple goals like:
- Draw for 20 minutes;
- Finish a simple drawing;
- Study just one drawing fundamental;
- Fill one page of your sketchbook.
Every small goal you accomplish creates a sense of achievement, making it much easier to stay motivated.
Instead of focusing on distant dreams, like becoming an amazing artist overnight, concentrate on small, achievable goals.
Later on, you can challenge yourself by drawing subjects you’re not used to. Have you ever tried drawing cats?
This approach helps prevent feeling overwhelmed and gives you a quicker sense of accomplishment, keeping your enthusiasm high.
The goal is to avoid burnout while making steady, achievable progress.
4- Compare Your Drawings the Right Way
Comparing your drawings to those of more experienced artists can be a great way to learn, but don’t expect to achieve the same results right away.
Instead of letting those drawings discourage you, use them as inspiration and study what you can learn from them.
At the same time, compare your current drawings to the ones you made a few months ago.
Doing this makes it much easier to notice your own improvement and understand that getting better at drawing is a gradual process.
Remember that every experienced artist started from scratch.
5- Try Different Subjects and Techniques
If you’re feeling unmotivated, don’t keep drawing the same things over and over.
Try drawing different subjects and experiment with new techniques.
Doing the same thing repeatedly can drain your motivation, while exploring new ideas keeps drawing fresh and exciting.
Stepping outside your comfort zone challenges your skills, prevents you from feeling stuck, and makes your drawing routine much more enjoyable.
So don’t be afraid to try something new.
Learning to draw faster and more efficiently can also be a huge source of motivation, so don’t put it off!
6- Join a Drawing Community
Being around people who also enjoy drawing can make a huge difference in your motivation.
You can:
- Join drawing communities, like ours;
- Share your drawings and follow other artists’ progress;
- Exchange tips, ask for feedback, and help other people;
- Participate in drawing challenges and meetups whenever possible.
Besides learning new things, you’ll realize that every artist experiences difficult moments and periods of low motivation.
Knowing you’re not alone makes it much easier to keep drawing without giving up.
Is It Worth Drawing Even When You’re Not Motivated?
Absolutely!
Waiting for motivation to appear can leave you without drawing for weeks or even months.
But once drawing becomes a habit, it’s much easier to stay consistent and keep improving, even on days when inspiration isn’t there.
The goal isn’t to create perfect drawings every day. It’s simply to keep drawing whenever you can.
Bonus Tip
Learn the step-by-step method to create realistic drawings once and for all, allowing you to possibly make a living from your art!
Keep in mind that if you want to work with realism, you need to be prepared because every commission can bring a new challenge…
👉 With that in mind, if you want to learn the right techniques and improve your skills faster, check out The Complete Guide to Realistic Drawing to achieve great results in a short time!
🎯 Conclusion
Staying motivated while learning realistic drawing can be challenging, but we hope these tips have helped you.
Remember, it’s completely normal to have ups and downs. The important thing is to keep going.
Everyone’s drawing journey is different, so don’t forget to enjoy the process.
Keep practicing, stay patient, and may inspiration always find its way back to you!
And if you want to see more content like this, visit the topic or click on Articles to pick what you want to learn next!
💬 So, everyone, let us know in the comments: What usually causes you to lose motivation when you’re drawing? 👊