I got all my painting supplies, I have a canvas that is 24" x 36" so a fair size. I am supposed to get started on this now that Easter is over. I'm just staring at the Canvas, feeling very intimadated.

I am trying to get back into this. My bf thinks I need too, and he thinks I need extra money. Cause I really do need extra money haha. He says he will get it sold for me no matter what. And while I believe in his ability to get that done, he's good at it. I feel so intimadated and unconfident. I've created a lot of art over the years, I have had people ask to buy, or make custom stuff but I have it stuck in my head that they are just being nice.

I did not go to art school or anything. I have created my own techniques, and they are not efficient ones. Look good, but are so time consuming. I known just need to start. I'm am totally letting fear of failure get in my way. That and my perfectionist OCD problems. It's bad. I am not sure what I should be tring to do to overcome this. If I don't tho, I'll keep doing nothing.

What do you do to get past stuff like this? I have faith in myself with a lot of things, but not this.

Since I am on disability and I really do need money sometimes, and I just need to do something, holding even a part time job outside my home probably isn't going to work. I am not underestimating myself there. I am good with my hands and it's what I enjoy, I knit, paint, refinish furniture ect, anything I can do with my hands. So I feel like I should put it to use somehow, but I can't get past the feeling of unconfident. Plus paintings, well they say something, and I'm always afraid of being judged when it comes to that. I just don't show many my work.

Oh. I'm not on cloud 9 here or anything. Art is a tough tough sell. Not like I'm setting myself up to be Picasso or anything. I'm pretty realistic about that. The problem is I am a too self defeating about this to feel like I should try it all.

[bowhunt72]

Good for you to be able to use your talent like that. I have always wanted to be able to do something artistic. I just don't have the talent or skill. I can see what I want, but I can't make it come out my hands. I do a little woodcarving but I'm not very good at it. I'm an ok nature photographer, but my camera was stolen. The only thing I can really do well is design and build furniture, and my shop and all my equipment are back at my real house where I don't have access to them.

I hope you are able to find the confidence in yourself that others have in you. Having someone else want to buy something you created that expresses you is really something to be proud of.

[Confusedinomicon]

It's like getting ready to see your mom. Once you start, the feeling and comfort should come back but starting is what is most intimidating. Regardless if your art does sell, you can use it to release both negative and positive emotions to create a complex art piece.

If it's unnerving you that much, you could try sketching on paper until you feel the art come back to you.

I've wanted to write again for a while, but psyched myself out like this. I think I will try to do something later today.<3

[BuggsBunny]

I'm not an artist, but I am a writer, and I know how daunting that blank sheet of paper can be. I assume the canvas is the same. It's the blankness that is getting to you. You need to put a stroke on there, somewhere - anywhere - even if you have to paint over it later. That will get rid of the daunting white canvas. Maybe a pencil line or two to give you an idea of what you want to paint. Light lines that you can paint over. I forgot to ask what medium you were using? Acrylic, oil, or that stuff with water? Or any other medium I don't know about.

You know, you could get a smaller canvas and just have fun with it. Then your can get back in the swing of things and not have the sell pressure on you...

I agree. Just start out 'just for fun'! I know for me, if I start something with the intention of making it perfect I will never get very far. You might give yourself one or two 'throw away' canvases, just to mess around with, with no intention of them becoming anything. Just for fun! I don't paint at all... but that really does sound like fun. I'm ready to go do it too! lol!

[Nixi]

That's exactly what I was going to say - do some painting for you first- no pressure- that way you can get back into the feeling of painting that you need to feel. You can do it hun x

[Anneinside]

I have a friend who has an art degree... and she spends weeks to months on a painting. Actually she keeps several going all the time and moves from one to the next and back again.

[~Christina]

Getting started is the hard part ..I wish I had some great advice but im feeling so low I cant seem to do anything productive ....

I agree with the others tho ... just start with a line or a dot or a swirl

(((((Hugs)))))))

[grandmaof3]

Just do it for fun first and if your bf can sell it ..thats wonderful..but do it to please yourself

[nacht]

Anika, I do watercolors so what I do is keep a cheap sketchbook around at all times. That way I can plan out whatever picture I want to paint, and that way if it doesn't come out like I'd intended, no harm done (I know canvas is expensive).

Basically I agree with everyone, don't stress over it. Start small and elaborate. Do something you want to do, and don't worry about opinions. The thing about art is that it's entirely subjective, and for every person that might dislike the outcome, there is someone who will like it. It's hard not to be self-conscious, but I think if you go into the project without any major expectations, and just paint something for fun, it'll help your confidence.

I hope that helps and good luck with your creative endeavor. *hugs*

Okay, thank you very much everyone. I really didn't expect too much response. So the general theme is start small and for fun. I can do that. I focus to much on the end results sometimes.

If I make it into a chore it's not going to get done, i already have a lot of chores. I came down with a flu yesterday afternoon and I am still quite sick today. I'll try to use my sick time to think of ideas.

I'll heed the advice and start with some drawings first. Ya canvases are not cheap at all, neither is paint. I would be upset if I ruined a large canvas from not going slow.

Anneinside, it takes me a long time to finish a painting too. Months sometimes, I've never completed one quickly. That's the thing, I need my mood to remain steady or I may never finish it.

Confused, did you get any writing done? I wish I could write, I get to sentence two and am ahh what was I talking about? Exactly.

Landskaperdan, do you have any hobbies? Painting is really fun, we did it in group therapy at the hospital. We also tried painting with our dominant hand first, and then a painting with our non dominant hand. The results were really interesting, the subject matter was quite different between the two, thought, logic, emotion. Give it a try maybe and just see what happens. Even just with pencil.

[touchingsaturn]

whatever you create, before your bf sells it... consider looking into having a digital "copy" done (not sure how that works... but i'm sure there's info online about it.. i'd check ehow.com) so you can have prints made of it that you can sell for what would cost less than an "original"... check out etsy.com - there are lots of artists who sell both originals and prints of their unique paintings... best of luck to you!! i'd love to see whatever you come up with

also, i happen to work for a home improvement store, and i have a regular customer who comes in to buy supplies to make/stretch his own canvases for his painting... he says it's well worth the little bit of time & work to make them & saves SO much money... might be worth checking out