Getting ReStarted in the Studio

Starting Over.

So it’s been awhile, maybe more than a while since you were in the studio.  You’ve gotten used to not making artwork.  You’ve been filling the time but the nagging thoughts don’t leave you…. 

START SMALL.  Baby steps, right?  Not 18” x 24”, not 11” x 14”, I mean small.  Tiny.  I used 3” x 5” file cards when I restarted, but you could cut that in half. 

START FAST.  This is low impact, low risk, and low investment.  This is production time.  Don’t get bogged down in details.  Fill the space and move on.  Do another.  Do five.  Let them be awful.  They’re miniscule anyway—who cares!?

START NOW.  Use what you have.  I had file cards.  If all you have is 11” x 14 paper, then cut it smaller.  Let that be a part of your process.  Don’t cut up tomorrow’s pieces today; let yourself have a place to start when you get back into the studio tomorrow.  I had to prime the next days 3” x 5” cards at the end of the session so that I didn’t bog down waiting for it to dry the next day.  It became a wind down activity as well as a wind up activity. 

I did 5 cards a night for many nights.  For many nights they were not good.  Don't allow yourself to be discouraged.  You're not looking for masterpieces or to put together an exhibition.  All you're doing is starting over in the studio.

These 5 little paintings took an hour to produce each night.  Eventually they would become models for larger works.

They became the start of a body of work which has been in production for 25 years. 


Do you have a restarting story or strategy?