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MM 13 - Experimentation!
The Art of Experimentation – Stop Playing It Safe!
Listen, if you’ve been doing the same thing over and over and expecting some grand artistic breakthrough, I’ve got news for you: IT’S NOT COMING. You’re just drawing the same stale, predictable stuff, like a baker who only knows how to make plain white bread. You need to throw some jalapeños in there, swirl in some chocolate—GET WEIRD.
This week on the podcast, we’re diving into The Art of Experimentation—breaking out of your artistic rut, trying new mediums, and embracing the glorious mess of creativity. Because if you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.
Because safe is boring. Safe is a creative dead end. The best artists? They took RISKS. Picasso didn’t stay in his Blue Period forever, and neither should you.
Trying new styles or mediums unlocks parts of your brain that have been asleep at the wheel. You’re going to discover new ways to express yourself, new ideas, and maybe even a little bit of that long-lost joy in creating. Remember joy?
Here are some simple ways to punch fear in the face and start experimenting:
Draw with your non-dominant hand – It’ll be terrible, but it’ll teach you to let go of perfection.
Limit yourself to three colors – Forces you to think differently about shading and composition.
Make an ugly drawing ON PURPOSE – See what happens when you’re not worried about making it “good.”
Use a tool you’ve never touched before – Charcoal, digital, ink wash, finger painting, crayons, whatever. Just break out of your default.
Now, if you’re bringing this to someone who’s set in their ways (cough your mom cough), you’ve got to make it fun and low-pressure. Here’s how:
Make it a game – Timed drawings, absurd prompts, blind contour drawing. People forget they’re “bad” at something when they’re laughing.
Use nostalgia – “Remember doodling in the margins of your high school notebooks? Let’s do that again.”
Destroy the idea of perfection – Tell them to make something ugly on purpose. Takes the fear right out of it.
Sneak attack – Leave some markers and a sketchbook on the table. Watch curiosity do its thing.
At the end of the day, creativity is about exploration. So stop playing it safe, grab a weird-ass medium, and make something ridiculous. You might just surprise yourself.
LINKS:
Michael Zulli and his amazing run on TMNT back in the Miarage days, great article
https://youtu.be/dLSzmcA2sNA
https://youtu.be/aIq9h0JnzcM
Website for poses, with timers and everything, a great warm up tool!
Why Experiment?Exercises to Loosen UpHow to Get Older Adults to Join the ChaosGO MAKE SOME SHIT!BE GOOD
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By FWACATAThe Art of Experimentation – Stop Playing It Safe!
Listen, if you’ve been doing the same thing over and over and expecting some grand artistic breakthrough, I’ve got news for you: IT’S NOT COMING. You’re just drawing the same stale, predictable stuff, like a baker who only knows how to make plain white bread. You need to throw some jalapeños in there, swirl in some chocolate—GET WEIRD.
This week on the podcast, we’re diving into The Art of Experimentation—breaking out of your artistic rut, trying new mediums, and embracing the glorious mess of creativity. Because if you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough.
Because safe is boring. Safe is a creative dead end. The best artists? They took RISKS. Picasso didn’t stay in his Blue Period forever, and neither should you.
Trying new styles or mediums unlocks parts of your brain that have been asleep at the wheel. You’re going to discover new ways to express yourself, new ideas, and maybe even a little bit of that long-lost joy in creating. Remember joy?
Here are some simple ways to punch fear in the face and start experimenting:
Draw with your non-dominant hand – It’ll be terrible, but it’ll teach you to let go of perfection.
Limit yourself to three colors – Forces you to think differently about shading and composition.
Make an ugly drawing ON PURPOSE – See what happens when you’re not worried about making it “good.”
Use a tool you’ve never touched before – Charcoal, digital, ink wash, finger painting, crayons, whatever. Just break out of your default.
Now, if you’re bringing this to someone who’s set in their ways (cough your mom cough), you’ve got to make it fun and low-pressure. Here’s how:
Make it a game – Timed drawings, absurd prompts, blind contour drawing. People forget they’re “bad” at something when they’re laughing.
Use nostalgia – “Remember doodling in the margins of your high school notebooks? Let’s do that again.”
Destroy the idea of perfection – Tell them to make something ugly on purpose. Takes the fear right out of it.
Sneak attack – Leave some markers and a sketchbook on the table. Watch curiosity do its thing.
At the end of the day, creativity is about exploration. So stop playing it safe, grab a weird-ass medium, and make something ridiculous. You might just surprise yourself.
LINKS:
Michael Zulli and his amazing run on TMNT back in the Miarage days, great article
https://youtu.be/dLSzmcA2sNA
https://youtu.be/aIq9h0JnzcM
Website for poses, with timers and everything, a great warm up tool!
Why Experiment?Exercises to Loosen UpHow to Get Older Adults to Join the ChaosGO MAKE SOME SHIT!BE GOOD