How To Get Back Into Drawing After A Long Break

Are you planning to get back into drawing after a long break but don't know where to begin? Well, by being here, you have already taken one of the essential steps towards it; you have acknowledged your desire to pursue art and permitted yourself to start finding ways to make it fit into your life again. And since you are already well on your way, let's explore some of the next steps you can take to embrace creativity and get past possible hurdles that you might be facing.

• Forgive Yourself

• Start Calling Yourself an Artist

• Find Inspiration

• Allocate Time for Creating

• Refresh The Basics

• Make it Enjoyable

Forgive yourself

When quitting something you care about, there is a chance that with it came a certain amount of guilt, even when it was of no fault to your own. And coming to terms with what happened and forgiving yourself for stopping is the first step you can take towards reconnecting with your creative practice.

When I started getting a bit better, I was continually beating myself up because the quality and quantity of work I created in two years did not meet the expectations I placed on myself. Then one day, while scrolling through my phone, I found this one photo that I had quickly snapped while laying in a hospital bed; canular in my right hand, holding my pencil and iPad. And it didn't matter if the drawing I was working on wasn't something outstanding because I felt a rare sense of empathy towards me from the past; scrolling through the pictures, I could see she tried her best.

We get taught that we all deserve empathy and forgiveness, but rarely do we practise it and gift that love to ourselves. Look back as if you were your best friend and allow yourself to understand, see your struggles, and permit yourself to be moved by what you have endured or had to contend with, empowering yourself to move past them.

Start Calling Yourself an Artist

Becoming an artist again is not just about drawing, painting or making, but also about shifting your identity to one of an artist. And bringing about this change, challenging how you perceive yourself, will yield the most benefit to both your creative output and satisfaction.

As James Clear writes in his book Atomic Habits, lasting change has to come from within. Our values and the way we see ourselves are the most influential factors in how we act and the choices we make every day.

So, if you identify yourself as an artist and have some free time, you are more likely to influence yourself into action and choose to get out your art supplies, working on an art piece, instead of scrolling on the phone or binging the next new series on Netflix.  

Find Inspiration

Creativity never truly dies but hides inside us, asleep, waiting for the moment to bloom again and to be welcomed back into our lives.

If you feel like your creativity has dried up, try thinking about a moment in your life where inspiration was easy for you and when that creative itch wouldn't leave you alone. What was different? Did you have any hobbies or interests? Did you take walks in the park? Or did you sit in the silence of nature with its smells and textures filling your senses?

Everyone has their muse. 

For some, it could be reading fiction. For others, it could be nature, movies, music, looking at the work of favourite artists, and so on. And finding out what helps you get into that creative space is what's going to help nurture your creativity. It will give it what it needs to grow strong and flourish again.

But with that said, inspiration always fluctuates. Everyone has creative highs and slumps, and a maker will inevitably run low on it from time to time. But one thing they shouldn't do is run out of things to do. 

When you start exploring ways to nurture your inspiration and start feeling that flood of ideas coming back, make sure to take note of them right away! Keep a journal on you at all times and write down anything interesting that comes to mind. This way, when you do hit those creative slumps, you will have ideas that are always waiting for you to work on without having first to wait for inspiration to strike.

Make time

Allow yourself to have some time just for yourself and your art; put it on your calendar, set your phone to do not disturb and don't allow others to schedule events over this time. Protect it at all costs; to people around you, you are effectively "at work" right now. 

When you are working, no-one should be able to burst into your workplace to ask you a favour or where their socks are. Unless it is an emergency, boundaries should be in place to protect your creative time; explain to people around you that you won't be available in advance if necessary. And remember that having some time for yourself is not selfish–we all need a chance to grow and nurture ourselves. 

If you feel there is too much to do during the day to carve out some time and create art, try to allocate a time outside your current schedule. Do it first thing in the morning; wake up early and get your drawing done while the world is still asleep and before any chores or responsibilities start. And according to studies, we are also more creative and imaginative in the morning, so it is perfect for developing new ideas. 

Refresh the basics

Every skill gets rusty after it's stopped for a while, and like all rusty things, it needs a good polish before it can start to shine again.

Getting an inspiring art book or a self-paced class to follow is a great way to ease back in, reestablishing your skills and building up your confidence again. And having a course to follow along also gives you direction and helps you against feeling lost and overwhelmed. 

Make it Fun

At this stage, you can keep it light, and even if you are pursuing art as a career, it is important to start with allowing yourself to play and let things fall into their place naturally.

Experience the joy of making art again and allow yourself to get back in tune with your artistic voice that's been hiding away. Try new styles, mediums you have never tried before, rediscover old ones, mix them, experiment, and see what happens just for the joy of it, but most importantly, allow yourself to make mistakes. You will get to find what you like and what doesn't work for you now, so later on, if you decide to pursue art as a career, you will have a clearer vision of how you want to move forward.

Take the Next Step

Finding my way back into creating art after my break has brought me so much joy, and although I know that the going may be tough at times, I can assure you that the effort is well worth it. 

It can be a challenge reconnecting with your creative side and relighting the artists' flame inside again. It takes courage to claim some time for yourself, self-discipline to rediscover, and empathy to face what has brought you off the creative path. However, embarking on this new journey can bring more than art back into your life; it might even change it. 

It has the potential to help you reclaim lost-time and to look inward while creating something that can reach out far and wide—creating opportunities for new friendships, fun and career paths that allow you to thrive while giving back your creative freedom. 

Make an effort to open your calendar right now and schedule a time to work on these steps every day. Use this time in any way most useful to you, whether it is journaling to work through your feelings, listening to music to get inspired or working on an art piece. Be proud of yourself for where you are now and know more good is still to come along the way. 

What spectacular things are you yet to create?

I, for one, can't wait to see.