Intuition is important in art. Why? Because it ultimately guides us toward finding our own style as artists. However, there are things that can make artists stray from their creative gut feeling. At times, you might feel disconnected and rather listen to the opinions of others, instead to your inner voice. Why artists should follow their intuition and why they sometimes don’t—this is what we’re going to get into in this post!
We artists are sensitive creatures and we usually have a good intuition. This intuition is what led us to create art in the first place. Our artistic intuition also shows us what style of art we prefer, what kind of media we like to use, what subject matter we want to work with, and so on.
Altogether, our internal compass steers us pretty well. That’s why artists should follow their intuition.
However, there are things that can throw us off track. For some of us, this may be negative comments we receive on social media and other sites. Others may feel trapped in a creative rut that makes them doubt their artistic skills and achievements.
It is normal to feel lost as an artist at times. But it is important not to get stuck in that downward spiral of negative thoughts and start mistrusting your gut feeling.
Why is intuition important in art?
When we are losing touch with our inner guidance, we are more likely to seek outside opinions. While it is true that you can get inspiration from yourself, there is absolutely no problem to let other artists inspire you. However, if the feedback of outsiders makes you stray from your own artistic authenticity, this is where the problem begins.
You need to be wary of the opinions of others. Is their feedback well-meaning, with your best artistic growth in mind, or does it come from a place of envy and art jealousy?
That doesn’t mean that all artists who give you feedback are evil-minded. Everyone has their individual taste in art. Another artist’s preferences are not necessarily the same as your own.
But you also need to question your own motivation for creating the art you create. Are you really making the art that is dear to your heart or do you let yourself guide by what you think sells best or pleases people? Or are you maybe trying to emulate the work of an artist you admire?
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take in any outside feedback or consider selling your art. What I’m saying is that you should carefully weigh the opinions of others against your intrinsic motivation. Why did you start to make art in the first place? What do you genuinely want to express through your art?
It is important to be honest with yourself. Otherwise, you will only make it more difficult for yourself to make art that is meaningful to you and find fulfillment in your work. In other words, it is absolutely key to pay attention to your artistic intuition!
Here are 4 reasons why artists should follow their intuition and why they sometimes stray from their gut feeling!
Why Artists Should Follow Their Intuition
& Why They Sometimes Don’t
1. You lack confidence in your creative vision and abilities.
One reason why artists discard their intuition is because they don’t have the necessary confidence in their creative choices and abilities. We all have to start somewhere, and at the beginning, our creations don’t look like anything we imagined. I’m sure you know the feeling.
When I started with digital art in 2010, my very first creations were simply… awful. My subsequent creations were a bit less awful… Understandably, it is hard to trust in your creative vision and skills at that stage.
Of course, there are artists you admire and maybe you try to learn from copying their art. You crave validation from the outside and probably hope for some advice from artists who ‘have made it‘.
There is nothing bad about asking others for help—provided they know how to give constructive feedback and encourage you to move forward. But if you are asking the wrong person, you risk falling into that negative thought spiral I talked about above. That’s why it is so important to build creative confidence!
2. You are focused on selling your work and pleasing people more than creating the art you love.
Like anyone else, artists need to make a living, too. I get it. There’s nothing wrong with selling your art. On the contrary, you can even make people happy when you offer them the opportunity to have a work of yours in their home!
However, you should never trade ‘sellable‘ art for your genuine passion. It may be tempting to look at other artists who make a lot of sales and then conclude that you should follow the same vein. At first glance, it might sound like a good idea to simply copy what works. But in the long run, you must be happy with the art you make.
Check in with yourself and ask yourself honestly what you want to express through your art. And then go ahead and make the art you want to make—regardless of what others think. First you do you, and after that the rest will follow! (ᴖᴥᴖ)
3. You haven’t found your artistic voice yet.
Building creative confidence and taking the courage to create the art you love is one thing, finding your own artistic voice is another. Usually, it takes artists some time to know that kind of art they want to focus on.
How can you work towards developing your unique art style? Well, there is no one-fits-all solution. Some artists experiment with different media, others try out different techniques, and yet others explore different themes and subject matters.
Looking to others artists for inspiration and asking people which of your experiments they like best is okay, as long as the opinions and ideas of others don’t override your own preferences.
Another thing that artists often do to find their voice is delve deeper into the theoretical part of art, i.e. color theory, shading, proportions, perspective, and so on. Being familiar with those things can definitely help you along the way. However, if you stick too rigorously to prescribed structures and patterns, you might risk that your art becomes rigid and boring.
To get a good grasp of how to compose an artwork, you can download the Secrets of Good Composition in Art from the Freebie Library. Just head over there and get your free copy!
4. You haven't gained enough experience as an artist.
If you haven’t gained so much experience as an artist yet, one thing that can happen is that you mistake the memory of the artworks you have seen so far for your intuition. The moment you create something, it feels like you are following your intuition. But in reality, it’s more like you are creating a potpourri of the artworks that have inspired you.
While no artist is completely self-sustained, I believe this is a common thing to happen to beginners who haven’t found their true voice yet. No reason to worry, though. Your intuition will get better as you are gaining more experience in your field.
At the end of the day, what makes you an artist is both: your experience and your intuition. Both experience and intuition evolve as you are growing as an artist. Every growth process consists of trial and error. One artwork turns out great, the next one is a complete failure… I know you might not like it, but it’s totally normal. ´\_(ツ)_/`
In a previous post, I already spoke about why artists should embrace mistakes—because they ultimately help you make progress. Over time, your creative vision will get clearer, you will know exactly what stories you want to tell through your art, and obviously your artistic skillset will improve as well!
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If there are so many obstacles along the way, why should artists follow their intuition?
Well, the thing is when you are determined to find your own voice as an artist, outside input will likely just distract you from your goal. Other people cannot tell you what type of art you desire to make. They don’t know—and sometimes even you don’t know—where your creative journey is going to take you.
So, before you ask anybody else for guidance, it might be a good idea to just try out things on your own and see where it takes you. Your art doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s OK to make bad art, too. Just go ahead and make the art that you want to make!
Do you find it hard to follow your intuition? Please leave comments and questions below or reach out to me directly. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
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I’m just taking a break from being in the studio to have a cup of coffee and read your posts. I was happy to see this article about intuition. I’ve just started intuitive painting, and I’m having so much fun with it!
That’s fantastic, Lauren! Glad you found the right type of art for you that makes you happy!