Getting back to art after a break.

I’ve been unlucky enough to have to move house, for the second year in a row. It’s not my favourite activity – the amount of time that it takes upends all plans for weeks. The last six weeks have been full of rental hunting, packing, moving, unpacking . . . if you’ve been there too, you understand.

But in the midst of all this, there’s the fresh start of a new beginning. A blank page. I have a new space for making art, a new rhythm of daily life to learn, a new pattern of light through the windows, a new view of the skies.

My new studio space is a full room to myself, a luxury I’ve never had before. I can stretch out, physically, but also artistically – larger canvases, more supplies, more space to set up still-life arrangements or get people to sit for portraits.

It’s exciting! But there’s also hesitation. I haven’t opened my sketchbook in weeks. The muscle-memory of setting up my paint palette and mixing colours has gone a bit rusty. There’s so much unpacking still to do . . . can I really justify spending a day painting yet?

Whatever the reason for a break, it’s always to start a habit back up again afterwards. In the gap left by a lack of practise, doubts creep in.

So what to do? Here’s a little collection of tactics that I have found have been helping me. I hope they help you too.

How to get back into an art habit after a break.

Make Time

Set aside regular, consistent intervals of time, no matter what else is on your plate. If you’re super busy, or life is just all over the place, make it easy and start with 10 minutes of art practice a day. Just make sure you turn up, and don’t make excuses!

Keep It Sketchy

Try not to worry about making finished work, not at at first. Relearn the patterns of your creative process with sketches, studies, contour drawing, or value studies. Get comfortable with calling a piece done, even it it is not finished. The goal is to keep moving.

Observe The Space Around You

Observational drawing is great for skill-building, but it is also a great way to spend some time with a sketchbook and a pencil without having to do too much creative thinking. Pick something you can see from where you are sitting, and draw. This sort of exercise is great, because it doesn’t require much work from you in deciding what to draw, or arranging a composition that is ‘perfect’.

Keep A Journal

Artist journals are something I’ll always champion! Keep note of all your artistic thoughts, even if you don’t have the time or space or inclination to do anything with them yet.

Be Gentle With Yourself

Your work might not be up to your usual standards after a break. Or perhaps things have changed somehow, and your style is suddenly taking a new direction! After an extended break, our art can remerge in surprising ways. If a new medium or practise has caught your fancy, then allow yourself to explore it.

Let Old Work Go

After a break, you might be returning to studio to see old projects stacked up, in various unfinished states. If they make you feel despairing, if the idea has faded, or the motivation is gone, don’t weigh yourself down by trying to return to them. Sometimes it’s best to take a fresh canvas and start something new. It’s okay to not finish everything.

Returning to art after a break can be a little difficult at first, but it won’t take long before things feel just as comfortable and easy as they did before. Good luck!