Tackling Art Distractions: Finding Cozy Places

The cozy sunny window. The beanbag corner of your bedroom. The enthralling smells of the coffee shop. We’ve all got our cozy places, and some feel like they’re the ones we need to do our drawing. But what’s the secret?

Welcome to the next video in my distraction series! Previously we’ve covered the general idea of procrastination and distractions that prevent us from making art. Today we’re going to talk about one strategy for helping manage this: your environment. Where you draw and how to make the stars align. That secret? (The secret is that you don’t actually need the right environment.) BUT! That’s not really how a lot of our minds’ work. For many people, you can sit down and do any task anywhere, including drawing. We’re all different though, and if you’re watching this you might be someone who needs a little more than just anywhere.

It’s kinda silly sometimes, because you might even tell yourself that you don’t need a specific place to draw. You tell yourself, “it doesn’t matter, I can go draw whenever I want!” But when opportunities come up, you feel like you’re not in the right mood, need the right moment or place. There’s two ways to start tackling this:

Strategy number one: Actually do think about your favorite place to draw and set that up to make it easy. What do you like to have nearby? A nice warm light? A comfy hoodie? Start with that spot. What do you like to sit on? Is it comfy for a good period of time? Do you have any table, or board, or pillow that you like to use to prop up your sketchbook or tablet? Do you like the smells of nice candles? Some soft music in the background? All of these things! Think about them and write them down on a sticky note. Keep that with your sketchbook and read it out loud to yourself every day. Spending the time to openly remind yourself of what you like and how to use that to your benefit helps make that happen – and saying it out loud makes sure that you spend more than a quick glance thinking about it.

Strategy number two: Force yourself to draw in places you never have before, and keep changing the location intentionally so you don’t get used to it. Make sure you still have a good place to sit and draw on. Think again about where you haven’t been. What exciting places could you explore? The quiet creek outside? That unused corner of the garage? Your neighbor’s porch? …maybe?? Forcing yourself to do this in new places helps you break out of any moods you might be in that prevent you from doing what you want. Even just the idea of such an adventure can be fun to chase after. In the long run, this strategy can be more effective than the first option: it encourages you to break that association between getting things done and needing a specific place.

We’re all human and none of us are going to perfectly follow a plan, even if it sounds new and exciting. Jump back and forth between your cozy spot and someplace new. Every little bit helps. Be forgiving to yourself, be willing to try things out. If they don’t work for you right away, you’re not broken! You might need to keep at it a little bit, or you might need another kind of strategy. I’ve got plenty more in this distraction series to try. Stay tuned. Go think about your favorite places, and some new places too. Share a comment with some! Either way, go have some fun drawing in whatever way fits you best today.