Be Artsy

Being artsy is more than just wearing funky clothes and trying to stand out from the crowd. Sure, that might make you look artsy, but ultimately being artsy is about learning how to express yourself and interpret the world around you in your own creative way. Artsy people take time to stop and observe the world around them, and seek the deeper meanings in things.[1]

Steps

Boosting Your Creativity

  1. Get active. Spend less time in front of the TV and on social media. Go out for walks or find other ways to get some physical exercise. Being more physically active is a great way to boost your mood and your creativity.
    • There is growing research to suggest that we think and learn better when we exercise. This may be partly due to exercise increasing blood flow, which in turn boosts brain performance.[2]
    • If you go for runs or walks, try to do it in a park, the woods, along a seaside trail, or some other natural location. Studies have shown that nature walks can rejuvenate your brain and help you think more clearly; even looking at a nature scene can be helpful.[3]
  2. Keep a journal. Write or draw in it everyday, even if you feel like you have nothing to say. A journal with blank pages instead of lined ones might make you feel more inspired to be creative in your entries.
    • Studies have shown that writing with your hands (as opposed to typing) actually heightens brain activity, so if you’re feeling creatively blocked, brainstorming ideas with a pen and paper might help boost your creativity.[4]
    • If you use an unlined journal you might also consider treating it like a scrapbook. Scrapbooking lets you combine writing with other artistic practises such as photography and drawing. Through it you can explore different ways of expressing yourself.
  3. Do creativity exercises. Daily creativity exercises are a great way to get more in touch with your creative side. They don’t have to be long — even 15 minutes a day will be enough to get those creative juices flowing.
    • One expert recommends filling three notebook-sized pages with stream-of-consciousness writing each day. This is supposed to help clear your mind, opening it up for more creative thoughts.[5]
    • Look at a photograph and spend at least 15 minutes writing whatever the photograph inspires you to write. It can be a poem, a short story — whatever suits you.
      • To save yourself some time, consider printing out a bunch of photographs ahead of time, or cutting them out of magazines or newspapers, and putting them in a box, then blindly taking one out of the box (like a raffle ticket) each day.
  4. Constantly seek to learn new things. Read books, go to art shows, take classes, ask questions — learn as much as you can as you move through life. Learning new things may inspire you to create new things.
    • Great works of art don’t come from a vacuum. They are reflections of the artist’s world. If you have an interesting world, your art is more likely to be interesting.
    • The more you learn and experience, the more material you’ll have to draw from when creating your own work.
  5. Draw connections.[6] As you explore the world around you, work to draw connections between things — for example, books and movies, or visual art and musical compositions. As you learn to draw connections you’ll start to see that almost anything can be connected.
    • The context of art will always have an effect on it too, so keep an eye out for any historical and political connections you can draw.
    • Look at any famous artist and you’ll see that their works draw connections between multiple disciplines and concepts. Art films are a great example of this, since they combine methods from painting, photography, and writing to present ideas about the human experience.
    • Drawing connections between artistic styles and contexts will help you interpret art and communicate more effectively with your own art.
  6. Be adaptable. Trying out something new? If it doesn’t work, don’t see it as a personal failure, just accept that it didn’t work, and continue working toward finding something that does work. Persistence is key![6]
  7. Take risks.[6] As you explore your artistic side it’ll be important to step outside of your comfort zone and take some risks. When you take risks you boost your chances of failing, but you also increase your chances of learning — from your mistakes but also from your unexpected successes.
    • No good at writing? Try a writing workshop at the local community centre.
    • Terrible at drawing? Instead of writing in your journal, draw a picture each day instead for one month.
  8. Don’t give up. Studies have shown that persistence is key to successful creative performance.[7] Research has shown that not only does persistence pay off, but it actually results in more creative ideas.[8]
    • Often the first things that come to mind are the most obvious, so putting in more time can actually result in better, more creative ideas.
    • The popular idea of creativity striking like lightning is false. Don’t wait for when you’re feeling creative; be persistent even in the face of a mental block, and you’ll train yourself to be creative when you need to be, instead of only when you feel like it.[8]

Getting Involved With the Art Community

  1. Socialize with other creative people. Go to art shows, open mics, art classes, writing groups and other events that will get you in touch with other creative people.
    • Studies have shown that we are often a reflection of who we hang out with, so surround yourself with creative people, and you’re sure to boost your own creativity.[9]
    • In addition to spending time with creative people, learn about them. Read and watch interviews with artists you admire, for example.
  2. Build your knowledge of the arts. Get a book on art history, or learn about the history of cinema. Read a book on how writing has changed over the centuries. Pick your favorite period of art and spend 6 months learning everything you can about it.
    • The more you know about the arts, the better your vocabulary will be when discussing them with other people. This will help you better immerse yourself in the art world.
  3. Visit local cafes. These are not only fun places to work (at least if you’re a writer), but they also often host arts nights like open mics or small art exhibitions.
    • Being a regular at a local artsy cafe could help keep you up to date on the latest arts events in the area.
  4. Attend arts events. Go to open mics and gallery openings. Seek out book launches and author events in your community. Arts events are often advertised in the events pages of free newspapers.
    • If there are venues, artists or arts organizations that you particularly like, see if you can find them online and subscribe to their newsletter. That way you can keep up to date with their events.
  5. Volunteer at arts events. Literature and film festivals often seek volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to network with other artists and art lovers.
  6. Share your art. Sing a song or read one of your original poems at an open mic night, or research local cafes and galleries that offer opportunities to showcase your artwork.
    • By participating in the local art scene with your own work you’ll likely find it easier (or at least quicker) to build connections and a reputation.
  7. Collaborate with other artists. If you’re not confident enough to work on your own, consider asking other artists to collaborate with you. Maybe perform a duet at an open mic, or help a visual artist with a project they’re working on.
  8. Be supportive of others. Support artists by taking an interest in their work. This could mean buying a piece or, if you’re on a budget, discussing it with the artist and other people.
    • Key to being supportive of others is keeping an open and compassionate mind as you move through the art world. Maybe a work of art isn’t for you, but you’ll still benefit from trying to understand it.
    • As you work to build a name for yourself in the arts community, it’s important that you stay positive and supportive of others’ work. You should still express your opinions about someone’s work, but always try to do so in a supportive and positive way.
    • Even if you hate someone’s work, seek to understand why they created it. Ask questions about their work and try to understand it. It’s also okay to offer some constructive criticism.

Developing Your Tastes

  1. Be mindful. Being mindful means paying attention to each moment as you live it. Living each moment mindfully means slowing down — for example, really tasting that piece of chocolate or noticing every color in that sunrise.
    • Really pay attention to things — not just their appearance, but their taste, smell, sound etc. This will not only give you more to work with in your art, but it will help you know yourself and your own tastes better.
  2. Find role models. As you explore the art world keep track of the people who you look up for whatever reason. Maybe you love someone’s writing style or an artist’s use of colors, or maybe you just love someone’s open-minded approach to life.
    • Keeping track of your role models, including their tastes, their works, and even their behaviour, will help guide you through the art world and help you discover your own artistic personality.
    • Remember that you don’t have to — or even want to — be exactly like your role models. View them as guides rather than as people you want to be. Also know that it’s okay to change your role models as you change your tastes!
  3. Experiment. As you figure out what kind of artsy person you are, it’s important to experiment with different styles and behaviours. Maybe this month you’re trying to write like Vladimir Nabokov; maybe next month you’re trying to paint like an Impressionist.
    • Try to challenge yourself by exploring styles that you dislike, too. You never know, you might learn something about yourself that you didn't expect!
  4. Develop a unique personal appearance. It may seem shallow, but studies on “embodied cognition” show that how we dress really does affect our self-perception.[10] In short, dressing artsy might actually make you feel more creative.
    • A lot of artists are known for their individual style — not only their clothes, but their shoes and hair, and peripheral things like accessories and makeup:
      • The musician Tom Waits is known for his vintage style, wild hair, and unconventional voice.
      • The artist Salvador Dali is easy to recognize with his signature curly moustache.
      • The actress Katharine Hepburn was well known for wearing pants and suits when women were generally expected to wear dresses and skirts.[11]

Tips

  • Never change yourself to fit in. If the only reason you're on this page is because you want to fit in with your artsy friends, you shouldn't have to Change yourself to make people like you. Be yourself, and if your friends don't accept your style they aren't real friends.
  • Keep something inspirational within your heart at all times. Or in your coat pocket. Which ever works best.
  • Work to feel comfortable with yourself and confident in your ideas.
  • It’s important to keep an open mind and try new things, but if you really don’t like something, or if it really bores you even after you’ve given it an honest try, it’s okay to move on to something else. Life is too short to be spent on things that don’t inspire and delight you!
  • Listen to what others have to say about creativity. Watch Ted Talks and other videos where people talk about creativity, or listen to interviews and/or podcasts to do with the arts.[12]
  • Your art should excite you. If it starts to bore you, take a break, and if it still bores you after that, ask yourself why, and try to find ways to change it so that you’re excited about it again.[6]
  • You don't have to be a professional artist or have amazing drawing skills to be artsy. Just be creative and be yourself! Art is about enjoying the process of creation, so test your abilities, challenge yourself and enjoy the finished project.
  • Try actually drawing or learning technical skills like Depth of Field, Rule of Thirds or Color Composition in your free time.
  • Studies have shown that engagement with artistic activities, either as an observer or an artist, can make us physically and psychologically healthier.[13]

Warnings

  • Never be rude to others or pretentious because other people don't "get you”.
  • Don’t limit yourself. Do you want to be a creative writer? Don’t limit yourself to only reading and writing. Take an art class or a dance class, or at least study artistic works that are outside of your primary focus.
  • Stay true to yourself as you explore your artsy side. Avoid doing things you may regret just to impress someone or fit into a certain crowd.
  • Keep an open mind and try not to judge others for the art that they choose to make. As long as they’re not hurting anyone, they should be free to express themselves in their own creative way.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.creativitypost.com/psychology/18_things_highly_creative_people_do_differently1
  2. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-you-think-better-after-walk-exercise/
  3. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/06/29/fixating-or-brooding-on-things-take-a-walk-in-the-woods-for-real/
  4. ↑ http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518
  5. ↑ http://writetodone.com/how-to-journal-boost-creativity-writing-skills/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hot-thought/201005/how-be-creative
  7. ↑ http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/109/2/232/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-trust/201508/if-you-want-be-creative-keep-trying
  9. ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/jim-rohn-youre-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-spend-the-most-time-with-2012-7?IR=T
  10. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=0
  11. ↑ http://time.com/3842230/katharine-hepburn/
  12. ↑ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/05/16/over-40-playful-yet-practical-ways-to-cultivate-creativity/
  13. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804629/
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