268
Who should read this blog?
Artist or not, we could all use some creativity in our life. Think of a dog running through a field to catch a frisbee. Doesn't that make you smile when you're feeling down? That is the power of creativity.
But it doesn't stop there.
With a creatively intelligent mind, you can inspire others. I just inspired you to think of an adorable dog. Imagine what you could do. Write a short story or poem. Doodle on your homework. Create a Minecraft skin.
In short, this blog is for everyone. I will be focusing on the art of Minecraft skins, something we are all familiar with.
An introduction to discouragement.
There are many words that cause people to avoid creating art. Many of those words come in pairs.
Low popularity.
Few upvotes.
Discouraging comments.
"You suck."
But there is one phrase that tops the above.
Art block.
What is art block and what causes it?
Art block is, simply put, a combination of thoughts, emotions, and mentalities that block one from creating art.
A lack of creativity is rarely the cause of art block. Creative burnout is a more common cause. Creative burnout occurs when one has difficulty finding their creativity and executing creative tasks. Burnout can often be frustrating, which can lead to forced creativity. Forcing creativity can reduce the quality of artwork and motivation.
Stress can also cause art block. Artistic acts can reduce stress and provide an outlet, but when stress reaches a certain point, the opposite can occur. Creating works can become more stressful. This often causes one to avoid continuing or starting projects.
Mindsets also play a huge role in the development of art block. If good enough is not good enough, one is bound to avoid creating art at some point due to nothing ever satisfying them. If popularity is the driving force, one is bound to cease creating when popularity fluctuates negatively. If art is the basis of personal worth, one will find themselves discouraged more often
How can art block be fixed?
Art block is curable. If you are experiencing burnout, do not force creativity. Allow yourself to relax. Enjoy the creative works of others. Play a video game that does not involve creativity, such as a Minecraft server focused on in-game grinding, a game with a set storyline, or Dark Souls. Well, maybe not Dark Souls. You need your device to create skins once your art block is gone, and a broken laptop is unlikely to work well.
Yes, that is a joke. Dark Souls is fairly easy compared to common belief.
Reducing stress is always a good idea, but especially when your outlets become clogged due to it. Everyone has their own forms of coping, such as enjoying nature, playing with a pet, reducing or delegating stressful tasks, and living day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Once stress is reduced, attempt to create again. If you find yourself still blocked, take a break.
Your mindset can be hard to adjust, but it is possible. Good enough is good enough. Time spent is not time wasted if you enjoy spending it. Learn to create for yourself by focusing on what you enjoy most. Give yourself a small reward afterward to give yourself a response similar to the rush of getting diamonds, favorites, and encouraging comments. Art, while an important aspect of many people's lives, is not the defining value of anyone. What defines everyone's worth varies, but from personal experience, it should be based on a constant. Art is not constant. Your art will not always be the same quality. You will not always be able to create art. Other things relating to art, such as creative intelligence, can always be considered. Helping others is also a good starting point.
I'm feeling better, how do I get back into it?
A good start is to create something simple. Simple Minecraft skins can have a certain charm. I suggest starting with a very basic skin. Using only 3 main colors, you can create a skin that people may actually use in less than 30 minutes. Outline each body part with the darkest or lightest color. Fill it in with another color or two. Boom. Simple skin. Examples of skins I have created using this idea are below.
1. Incredibly simple.
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/void-entity/
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/vv-simple-vv/
2. Simple.
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/disease-boi/
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/no-title-no-brain/
3. Moving on.
[url=www.planetminecraft.com/skin/ginger-mild-femboy-with-hoodie/
]www.planetminecraft.com/skin/ginger-mild-femboy-with-hoodie/
[/url]https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/domino-oc/
As you can see, my three stages of getting back into the groove become progressively more complex. In stage one, the skins have three colors max. The designs are very simple, staying consistent minus the head. The head has eyes or a mouth, neither of which are detailed. If desired, you can add more details at this stage, such as ears or a second layer. You can also skip to the second stage.
In the second stage, the skins still have simple designs. In my disease boi skin, the outline is in two parts--a darker outline with more significant hue jitter, and a medium inner outline. The outline is also not a perfect rectangle or square. In my "no title no brain" skin, the outline is done as though it is stage one. The interior has more colors, though, to add interest.
Stage three is where you add more complexity. The skins are still simple but with more interesting details. Both skins use the second layer, have defined borders between body parts (such as the pants compared to the shirt), and use outlines sparingly.
Notice how none of these skins are shaded. If you'd like, feel free to shade them afterward and/or add more details. It may also be nice to go ahead and publish these skins. You can get a surprising amount of positive reception for such simple skins!
How do I find inspiration?
Ah, yes. The final step in returning to your cycle of skin-making. Inspiration is everywhere, but it can only be spotted by an active mind. I have found inspiration from many places. I would like to share some of those!
One day, I came across a birch tree. I examined the words and symbols people carved into the bark. There were sayings such as "Lily for life" that had xoxo underneath. A heart had also been imprinted in the bark. The heart was very off-looking, with shaky lines and almost no symmetry. That got me thinking. What if I created a skin with little symmetry? I thought about things that had two sides, such as werewolves. My earbuds were connected to my phone, which was on shuffle in my music app. The song Coming Undone by Korn began to play, and I was set. This skin resulted.
That birch tree inspired more than just a skin. It also inspired a quick venture into drawing eyes. One of the patterns on the bark vaguely resembled an eye. To learn more about birch trees and see the varieties, check out this website. The varieties of these trees are sure to inspire the active mind.
In 2022, my family went out to see the lighthouses in my state. I was heavily inspired to write by their histories, but I didn't stop there. Taking note of my favorite aspects of each lighthouse, I went home and sketched a drawing that combined these aspects.
Take advantage of already-known subjects! Got a celebrity crush? I hope it's not Ryan Reynolds, but if it is...so be it. You can always make a skin of them either as themselves or as a different form! Genderbent, zombified, fashion style swap...the possibilities are endless!
Finally, you can take requests. Detail your skills and provide examples in a forum post. Take on a limited number of requests at a time and feel free to decline requests!
Whew! Feels good to create again. How can I avoid art block in the future?
Do not use all of your ideas in one sitting. Jot down your inspirations and limit yourself to a certain number of skins per day. Don't pressure yourself to post skins every day or post three skins every day that you post any. When you feel art block begin to creep in, step back and refer to the section of this blog How can art block be fixed? Taking action before you are fully blocked will reduce the intensity and duration of your struggle.
Final thoughts.
Creating art of any kind is rewarding. Art block is inevitable, but this blog has hopefully provided some insight. With time, you will find the methods that work the best for you. Good luck and happy skinning, y'all!
Artist or not, we could all use some creativity in our life. Think of a dog running through a field to catch a frisbee. Doesn't that make you smile when you're feeling down? That is the power of creativity.
But it doesn't stop there.
With a creatively intelligent mind, you can inspire others. I just inspired you to think of an adorable dog. Imagine what you could do. Write a short story or poem. Doodle on your homework. Create a Minecraft skin.
In short, this blog is for everyone. I will be focusing on the art of Minecraft skins, something we are all familiar with.
An introduction to discouragement.
There are many words that cause people to avoid creating art. Many of those words come in pairs.
Low popularity.
Few upvotes.
Discouraging comments.
"You suck."
But there is one phrase that tops the above.
Art block.
What is art block and what causes it?
Art block is, simply put, a combination of thoughts, emotions, and mentalities that block one from creating art.
A lack of creativity is rarely the cause of art block. Creative burnout is a more common cause. Creative burnout occurs when one has difficulty finding their creativity and executing creative tasks. Burnout can often be frustrating, which can lead to forced creativity. Forcing creativity can reduce the quality of artwork and motivation.
Stress can also cause art block. Artistic acts can reduce stress and provide an outlet, but when stress reaches a certain point, the opposite can occur. Creating works can become more stressful. This often causes one to avoid continuing or starting projects.
Mindsets also play a huge role in the development of art block. If good enough is not good enough, one is bound to avoid creating art at some point due to nothing ever satisfying them. If popularity is the driving force, one is bound to cease creating when popularity fluctuates negatively. If art is the basis of personal worth, one will find themselves discouraged more often
How can art block be fixed?
Art block is curable. If you are experiencing burnout, do not force creativity. Allow yourself to relax. Enjoy the creative works of others. Play a video game that does not involve creativity, such as a Minecraft server focused on in-game grinding, a game with a set storyline, or Dark Souls. Well, maybe not Dark Souls. You need your device to create skins once your art block is gone, and a broken laptop is unlikely to work well.
Yes, that is a joke. Dark Souls is fairly easy compared to common belief.
Reducing stress is always a good idea, but especially when your outlets become clogged due to it. Everyone has their own forms of coping, such as enjoying nature, playing with a pet, reducing or delegating stressful tasks, and living day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Once stress is reduced, attempt to create again. If you find yourself still blocked, take a break.
Your mindset can be hard to adjust, but it is possible. Good enough is good enough. Time spent is not time wasted if you enjoy spending it. Learn to create for yourself by focusing on what you enjoy most. Give yourself a small reward afterward to give yourself a response similar to the rush of getting diamonds, favorites, and encouraging comments. Art, while an important aspect of many people's lives, is not the defining value of anyone. What defines everyone's worth varies, but from personal experience, it should be based on a constant. Art is not constant. Your art will not always be the same quality. You will not always be able to create art. Other things relating to art, such as creative intelligence, can always be considered. Helping others is also a good starting point.
I'm feeling better, how do I get back into it?
A good start is to create something simple. Simple Minecraft skins can have a certain charm. I suggest starting with a very basic skin. Using only 3 main colors, you can create a skin that people may actually use in less than 30 minutes. Outline each body part with the darkest or lightest color. Fill it in with another color or two. Boom. Simple skin. Examples of skins I have created using this idea are below.
1. Incredibly simple.
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/void-entity/
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/vv-simple-vv/
2. Simple.
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/disease-boi/
https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/no-title-no-brain/
3. Moving on.
[url=www.planetminecraft.com/skin/ginger-mild-femboy-with-hoodie/
]www.planetminecraft.com/skin/ginger-mild-femboy-with-hoodie/
[/url]https://www.planetminecraft.com/skin/domino-oc/
As you can see, my three stages of getting back into the groove become progressively more complex. In stage one, the skins have three colors max. The designs are very simple, staying consistent minus the head. The head has eyes or a mouth, neither of which are detailed. If desired, you can add more details at this stage, such as ears or a second layer. You can also skip to the second stage.
In the second stage, the skins still have simple designs. In my disease boi skin, the outline is in two parts--a darker outline with more significant hue jitter, and a medium inner outline. The outline is also not a perfect rectangle or square. In my "no title no brain" skin, the outline is done as though it is stage one. The interior has more colors, though, to add interest.
Stage three is where you add more complexity. The skins are still simple but with more interesting details. Both skins use the second layer, have defined borders between body parts (such as the pants compared to the shirt), and use outlines sparingly.
Notice how none of these skins are shaded. If you'd like, feel free to shade them afterward and/or add more details. It may also be nice to go ahead and publish these skins. You can get a surprising amount of positive reception for such simple skins!
How do I find inspiration?
Ah, yes. The final step in returning to your cycle of skin-making. Inspiration is everywhere, but it can only be spotted by an active mind. I have found inspiration from many places. I would like to share some of those!
One day, I came across a birch tree. I examined the words and symbols people carved into the bark. There were sayings such as "Lily for life" that had xoxo underneath. A heart had also been imprinted in the bark. The heart was very off-looking, with shaky lines and almost no symmetry. That got me thinking. What if I created a skin with little symmetry? I thought about things that had two sides, such as werewolves. My earbuds were connected to my phone, which was on shuffle in my music app. The song Coming Undone by Korn began to play, and I was set. This skin resulted.
That birch tree inspired more than just a skin. It also inspired a quick venture into drawing eyes. One of the patterns on the bark vaguely resembled an eye. To learn more about birch trees and see the varieties, check out this website. The varieties of these trees are sure to inspire the active mind.
In 2022, my family went out to see the lighthouses in my state. I was heavily inspired to write by their histories, but I didn't stop there. Taking note of my favorite aspects of each lighthouse, I went home and sketched a drawing that combined these aspects.
Take advantage of already-known subjects! Got a celebrity crush? I hope it's not Ryan Reynolds, but if it is...so be it. You can always make a skin of them either as themselves or as a different form! Genderbent, zombified, fashion style swap...the possibilities are endless!
Finally, you can take requests. Detail your skills and provide examples in a forum post. Take on a limited number of requests at a time and feel free to decline requests!
Whew! Feels good to create again. How can I avoid art block in the future?
Do not use all of your ideas in one sitting. Jot down your inspirations and limit yourself to a certain number of skins per day. Don't pressure yourself to post skins every day or post three skins every day that you post any. When you feel art block begin to creep in, step back and refer to the section of this blog How can art block be fixed? Taking action before you are fully blocked will reduce the intensity and duration of your struggle.
Final thoughts.
Creating art of any kind is rewarding. Art block is inevitable, but this blog has hopefully provided some insight. With time, you will find the methods that work the best for you. Good luck and happy skinning, y'all!
| Tags |
tools/tracking
5960946
6
cultivating-creativity-how-to-find-artistic-inspiration-anywhere-anytime
StalkerNugget
Escapazition
Silabear
MaximusPrime23
sniffercraft34
ScotsMiser
Panda_Wolfe
Aissel
WYHA-Storm
Create an account or sign in to comment.