It’s rare that I find an art form that I’m not a fan of doing. Photography, painting, jewelry making, you name it, I usually love it. Unfortunately, my dream of making beautiful pottery was shattered when I took a pottery class a few years ago. Man, I don’t know how potters do it, but I found it so frustrating! What am I feeling for? When do I know the clay won’t collapse on itself? Don’t get me wrong, I still love the finish product of pottery. There’s some beautiful stuff out there. However, instead of making it myself, I’ll just buy it from those who love it and do it well.

Another thing that surprised me deals with selling art and other creative endeavors on line. I naively thought that for every holiday and event, my friends and family would purchase from me. Christmas! Birthdays! Insert what ever occasion I need a gift for here!

Don’t get me wrong, my friends and family overall are very supportive. There are other ways to show support besides making purchases, but a big thanks to my mom, sister, aunt and sister in law who have purchased at least one of my products! Big thanks!

So, I guess in short what I’m saying is don’t depend on your friends and family to be your main customer base. Ha ha! I had to learn to market and am surprise by how much marketing and business information a creative person actually has to learn! It’s over whelming sometimes.

I recently asked my fellow artist and creatives “What has been your biggest surprise as an artist/creative?” Here’s how some of them responded:

• Digital painting can be as high quality as traditional painting.

– Marian Cates of Marian Designs Gift Shop (www.zazzle.com/mariancatesdesigns)

• The creative uses that customers find for zazzle products with my designs. I recently heard from a mom who purchased a few different products with my “Honey Bees with Heart” design for a campaign to promote kindness among kids at a local elementary school. It warmed my heart to hear how she was using the products.

-Marieke of presentsoflove.com

So, what has been your biggest surprise as an artist and or creative person?

I decided to try something new here on the blog and am trying out a segment called Question of the Month. The way it will work is that I pose a question to my fellow creatives that deals with an issue that most creatives face and post their answers! Hopefully you will find their answers, perspectives and advice helpful and inspiring. Feel free to leave your comments, advice and input in the comment section.

This month’s question is How Do You Get Out of a Creative Rut?

To me, a creative rut could mean a couple of things:

• Dealing with a period of time where your creative juices just aren’t flowing

• Dealing with a period of time where you are bored with what you are creating because it feels like the same old, same old.

For me personally, I deal with creative ruts in a couple of different ways:

• Getting out of the house. Whether it’s for a walk, shopping or going to a bakery, a change of scenery usually helps give me a new perspective on things.

•  Look to things that you normally wouldn’t look to for inspiration. During my last creative rut, I looked to my sock drawer for inspiration. You can read about some the designs I came up with in the post The Story of…Bears Flying Planes, The Story of…Polar Bear Eating Ice Cream and The Story of…Stripes in Gray.

I asked my fellow creatives for their input and here’s what they had to say:

• When I find myself in a creative rut, I make time to flip through decor magazines, go for a walk with my camera as nature always inspires me and sometimes peruse Pinterest!

-Shelley, Designs by Shell

-SoloCrowd, App maker, http://about.me/solocrowd

• Here are a few ways I beat a creative rut:

– paging through an old sketchbook
– a trip to the art store
– reading a book on any art related topic (I especially like the studio space   concept books!)

-Marieke, www.presentsoflove.com

• For me to beat a creative rut I play in my sketchbook

jafabrit, http://www.redbubble.com/people/jafabrit/shop

• Depending on the type of artist you are

• Commercial artist – Flip through magazines and catalogs for styles, colors, trends and also note advertisements. Look at part of a page or designs as snapshots or vignettes. Single out a part that grabs you, and run with it. If abstract is your goal – architecture and nature will suggest form and colors.

• General art – Take a walk. Cruise through a museum for inspiration. Again, books or magazines are suggested. Look up images from famous artists. Also listen to some music that has good lyrics for creativity, influence, and setting a mood.

• Photography – Focus on small details of a subject. Try shooting during a different time of day than you usually do. Use your eye to crop the image you see, then reshoot. See the beauty from different angles.

• General:

Try a Google image search for various subjects.
See something with simplicity and then give it a twist.
When all else fails, take a break and do something different.
Try to write, draw, paint or take pictures almost every day, even if it’s not your best work.

-alleyshirts, http://www.zazzle.com/alleyshirts

• To beat my creative ruts…I turn to my Endometriosis, Ovarian Cancer and Hysterectomy Sister’s. Their strength, will and determination inspire’s me every time.

Madisyn Nicole, http://www.zazzle.com/madisynnicole

1. Start doing something completely different (like cleaning or cooking)
2. Look through my old image library.
3. Go to a book store and look through book covers.
4. Flea-market, antique store – thrift store.
6. Music.
7. Bicycle ride, walk with camera, gym workout.
8. Go to a place /part of the city where you have not been before, or at least for a long time.
9. put together random objects and take pictures (or sketch).
10. Start putting together a still -life
11. Change odf perspective – If you were making landscapes recently – do closeups, action or sports – still life. Both will benefit in the long run.
12. hit the stores and scout for current trends.
13. If you are aphotographer, try to sketch something, if you are an artist – photograph.
14. Help your kids with a crafts project.

Olga, http://www.zazzle.com/hutsul

When I get stuck in a rut, I take a step or two back and live my life for a day or two with my supportive husband, and inspiring daughter. Sometimes new inspiration is all it takes. from the little things in life like playing with bubbles and my 2 yr old to the big things that are life changing events. Other times just chatting with old fellow creative friends and my family and reminding myself who and what I am, helps me remember what it is I’am supposed to be creating.
~Hannah, Artist and Blogger behind Inspired Me Studio, www.zazzle.com/inspiredmestudio

So how do you beat a creative rut?