Reply To: Any Artists out there?

[gianmaria]

Hallo.

Just registered.

Not diagnosed (yet). But from what I read about ADHD, I’m a likely candidate.

I’m not a full time artist. I have been a commercial artist for a couple of years but reverted to a “regular” job to pay the bills (and to my great regret I still haven’t quit).

I’ve done illustration and comics. I can share my experience.

I have never come up with strategies. That actually work, I mean.

I have an hard time getting started when it doesen’t seem “fun”, if it doesn’t “feel good”.

That is why I often put on a DVD, a podcast, YouTube (damn you!!!) or the radio as a background in order to get at it.

After years of low productivity I’m starting to understand that those things may be getting in the way rather then helping.

I’ve noticed that two things though make me less “scared” to get started and to keep at it:

1) Doodling on common paper (not a sketchbook, not a quality Bristol board) with a simple pencil, I can get rid of the stress of doing things right. the more disposable the medium or the drawing itself, the more conforable I feel.

I would go on for a while, sheet after sheet until I see I’ve got quite a stack of sketches. Looking back at them I can see where there’s something promising or actually good and then I work on that. It is a matter of “seeing” what I want to go for.

I think I see it even before starting, but more times than not, it is too blurry. So I let my hands go and only afterwards I review what is actually on the paper and that helps me a great deal.

2) A great way to “break ice” is drawing from life or copying stuff. This is good exercise anyway and actually release you of the burden of getting an idea. You make yourself in to a “medium”, a “drive belt” between the subject and the piece of paper (or clay if you are a scluptor) in front of you.

 

Hope this can help.

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