[ayanamifan]

I've been suffering from depressions and frustration with art for a long time now and always considered it natural for someone who draws or paints to be overly self critique.
But it started to really affect my mood and made me pretty much unable to enjoy doing art at all.
I miss the time where i could sit down and draw, having fun.
I dont know what went wrong with me that i am not able to make a single line without feeling bad
The only thing that kept me at it is the hope that it might get better again and that its just another artblock i go through.
Unfortunately this state is lasting for over a quater of a year now which is starting to wear me down.
Im feeling uninspired and uncreative, i dont feel like anything i do in art is worth it.

Has anyone experienced something similar? And if yes, how did you get rid of it.

Im sick of this. I want it to end

[Tonus]

I don't get into a funk, but I get artist's block fairly frequently.  What I do is find other things to do, then occasionally return to the drawing board and try to draw.  If I'm still in a funk, I'll know within a few minutes and stop, and try again another time.  At some point inspiration will strike and I'll be back to drawing.  And yes, it can take months to snap out of it sometimes.  But since I do it strictly as a hobby and not for a living, I am probably much more laid back about it because I can afford to be.

[ayanamifan]

Well i try to do the same… but as a hobby it means quite much to me… i hate it when i dont draw or am not able to.
Dont know… maybe thats making things even worse

[Cowprobe]

Perhaps by appreciating art there may be some sort of communicated excitement that can jumpstart your feelings of enjoyment from creation.

I've seen some very cool art online and in a lot of places that aren't directly related to this board's focus.

It seems your main goal is to feel good, I would safely pursue that -without- drawing.

It may be painful and a pain in the ass to create things in your chosen medium but if you've experienced joy elsewhere you can at least conquer the dissatisfaction with the memory of happier times.

Also doing something else that you enjoy will allow you to recharge yourself before sitting down and beginning again.

Maybe a small sketchpad to take around with you and write down ideas as they occur whereever you are. That way you'll always have ideas when you're ready to sit down.

[soccermanager]

I don't know what to tell you… I usually just lie down for a while or watch some TV and maybe in a few days get back to the drawing. That, or I just throw it away and start a new one.

[ayanamifan]

Thanks for the advice.
I actually always carry a small A6 sketchbook around.
And im currently doing a lot of non-art related things. But i miss drawing so much. Its a paradox feeling.

[Reason]

Perhaps taking requests or commissions might help you feel good about creating art again. I often find that when I'm just creating for myself, I can lose motivation, so it's fun to collaborate with someone else and inspire each other. However, it can work both ways, and after doing jobs for others for a while, I eventually start to feel the need to want to create just for myself again.

There's also lots of different aspects to drawing, so if I'm getting frustrated with the creative side, I might spend some time improving my technical skills, by drawing from photographs, or playing around with new software, etc.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I believe it's natural for these things to happen in cycles. Instead of trying to fight the block or slump, go with it and use it to push onto a different creative area. You might find that you'll rediscover what first attracted you to drawing in the first place!

[10-4]

I've been suffering from depressions and frustration with art for a long time now and always considered it natural for someone who draws or paints to be overly self critique.
But it started to really affect my mood and made me pretty much unable to enjoy doing art at all.
I miss the time where i could sit down and draw, having fun.
I dont know what went wrong with me that i am not able to make a single line without feeling bad
The only thing that kept me at it is the hope that it might get better again and that its just another artblock i go through.
Unfortunately this state is lasting for over a quater of a year now which is starting to wear me down.
Im feeling uninspired and uncreative, i dont feel like anything i do in art is worth it.

Has anyone experienced something similar? And if yes, how did you get rid of it.

Im sick of this. I want it to end

What you have is noting new. I've been there many a time. A quarter of a year is getting off easy. Try half a decade, then you will know frustration.

These things usually go away on their own. You can be patient and wait, or you can quit art altogether, or you can try and force it to come out.

If you can, just try and accept whatever it is you produce as being the best you could do at the time you did it. It's only art. Until you're dead, or quit, you can always make more.

Also, don't be afraid to walk away for years at a time. Let the pros and the obsessive personalities worry about quotas and deadlines. Make art when you want to, and do something else when you don't want to. Otherwise If you try and force it, their is a good chance you'll turn a hobby into a job, and a job that doesn't pay a single penny to boot.

[Solarian, aka LordDaroth]

A massage. Get one:)

You'll feel much better, and maybe pushes you back into mood…

[ayanamifan]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, all of you. I'll think over it and try to sort a few things out. Will try to "go along" with it like Reason said.

[Author]

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