20 Artistic Prompts to Get You Through a Creative Slump

Artwork Archive | February 15, 2017 (Updated April 12, 2021)

You tumble over a handful of ideas, even sketch out a few and nothing you create feels right.

That is if you can come up with something to create at all. When you depend on your creativity day after day, it's not uncommon to hit a wall in your inspiration.

This constant repetition can be mentally exhausting.

There’s good news, though: creativity is never lost, just hiding. You just need some way to jumpstart it. 

That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of twenty artistic prompts that can help spark your imagination and get you back on your feet after a creative slump.

1.

Pick one subject and illustrate that thing an entirely different way every day for thirty days.

 

2.

 Repurpose trash and junk mail as project material to make a sculpture or collage.

 

3.

Pick a color or material you normally avoid and use it in excess.

 

4.

Illustrate a cause or current event that you are passionate about.

 

5.

Create something memorable from your childhood.

 

6.

Have someone draw a random shape then complete the drawing.

 

7.

Illustrate the same thing four times using monochromatic, complementary, achromatic, and analogous color schemes.

 

8.

Turn a picture upside down and illustrate it that way suggests Lori McNee.

 

9.

Practice continuous line drawings where your pencil can’t leave the paper while you draw.

 

10.

Brainstorm a list of random phrases then create an illustration based on the phrase.

 

11.

Cut out images from a magazine then combine those images by tone to create a new image.

 

12.

Find a still-life subject, and using a viewfinder, draw or paint three images while zooming in closer every time.

 

13.

Create a piece using a distorted grid.

 

14.

Create something based on the word or phrase from this art prompt generator.

 

15.

Try to recreate a work by your favorite artist. Then make it your own.

 

16.

Illustrate a scene or character from your favorite book.

 

17.

Follow a weekly art prompt from Pinterest, like this one from the Paper Mama.

 

18.

Go for a walk and photograph ten random things, then choose one to illustrate.

 

19.

Create something inspired by your favorite song.

 

20.

Illustrate an object in detail, then illustrate it two more times, making it more abstract each time.

 

Looking for more ways to get inspired? Join our mailing list for weekly inspiration, art business tips, and art news.

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