Trying to Get Back on Track

This week I haven’t been as creative as I wanted to be. I know the reason - last weekend I started sketches for the first illustration for my story, and as I wrote about here, it wasn’t that successful or encouraging, and I’ve been finding it hard to get back into the swing of things since. I’m used to having ideas that excite me, so that it’s hard to keep me away from the studio, but lately I’ve been feeling intimidated. Mainly, the intimidation revolves around illustrating my main character. Or I should say, the lack of illustration of my man character at the moment.

I have a sketch I want to try, I just need to get started. I have been telling myself all week that I need to get tracing paper in order to transfer the sketch to the wood and clay. This has actually been an affective avoidance technique so far (although it has been a pretty busy week). But I bought some today, so there’s no holding me back now *she says sarcastically*

I have a bad attitude about this now for some reason. But even despite that I have a sneaking suspicion that once I get started it will all turn out all right, so I’m not sure what’s really holding me back.

I try to look a lot at the Children’s Book Illustration Pool on Flickr to get me inspired. It helps to look at all the artists whose work is simple and uncomplicated, because I love their work, even if the characters are almost stick figures. That helps.