How to Stay Inspired: Watercolor Painting Basics

1. How to Stay Inspired: Watercolor Painting Basics: Hi there. Welcome back. But if you don't know me yet, I'm Chris, a watercolor and creative skills teachers living in the desert. I have over 20 classes here on Skillshare, and I also have a YouTube channel plus more in depth courses available on my website. I've produced creative lessons for Guani Christine's flourish membership, Emily Jeffords the collective membership, Peggy Dean's art log, and I've also created tutorials for sustainable Pate brand Viviva Colors. I'm back on Skillshare with a series of shorter classes that will cover many of the watercolor basics like color theory, color mixing, sketching versus drawing, watercolor hand lettering, and more. This class series is designed to help you build your watercolor painting skills from the ground up. Even if you've been painting for a while, it's a great idea to go back to some basics every so often. In case you'd like to refine your process, break creative block with some new ideas, or up your painting game by going deeper. This class series will be perfect for beginner to intermediate watercolor students, and I'll be sharing examples with you along the way, as well as helpful PDF resources so you can stay on track. In the first class of the series, I show you how to create a functional and inspiring studio space where you will love to paint over and over again and repeat the process whenever you move studios. In this class, I'll be talking about inspiration, how you find it, how you hang onto it, and why it seems so elusive when you need it most. I'll share some fun facts, some scientific discoveries, and some heart centered ideas you can use for years to come to keep that creative spark ignited. I'll invite you to share images of things that inspire you, answer some basic questions on the class worksheet, and learn a bit more about what makes you tick creatively. My painting process has become more than just a fun hobby or diversion. It's a lifestyle, a stress reliever, when I'm feeling life's pressure, a dopamine booster, when I'm feeling down, and a form of meditation that I can take with me everywhere I go. That's why I decided to learn more about inspiration and how it works. And now I want to share everything I've learned with you. Ready to dive into inspiration and some of its inner workings. Join me in the next lesson and we'll get started. I'll see you there. 2. Your Project: As I mentioned, inspiration is crucial to the creative process. It's the GPS of your creative vehicle, if you will. It can be subtle or it can be overwhelming, and neither type is more important than the other. It's your inner call to be creative that matters. We talk about getting inspired, but we don't really talk much about inspiration in and of itself. Where does it come from? Where does it go when we can't find it, and how do we access it when we need it? In this class, we'll dive deep into those questions and make some discoveries about what inspires us as individuals and why. I hope to show you how inspiration works so you can work better in partnership with it. Your project will be to watch all the class videos, do the exercises on the class worksheet, and take photos of some of the things that inspire you. In the process, you'll learn a bit more about what makes you unique, your creative preferences, and how you see the world. But remember, inspiration doesn't have to be anything dramatic. It can be as simple as colors that make you happy. Artwork that you love to hang on your wall or a journal cover that pulls you in to write inside of it. Then again, there's nothing wrong with the dramatic. If something inspiring gives you chills, you most definitely want to lean into that. I highly encourage you to share any part of your project with us in the project gallery to get some feedback and to inspire someone else. You never know who needs to hear what you have to share. Then take a look at the projects from the other students to get ideas for what inspires them. You may find some new ways of seeing things, and you might find some common threads there, too. Either way, enjoy your fellow student projects as a way to learn about inspiration from someone else's perspective. If you need some help with how to upload your project, here's a step by step on how to do it. First, you'll go to the Projects and Resources tab under the class videos. Then click the Green Create Project button. From there, you'll want to upload your cover image for your project. Choose a file, Then click Submit. From here, if you want to replace your image, just click the button below, find an image, and below, you can make it larger or smaller with a slider, or you can drag it side to side to position it. When you're happy, just click Submit. Now your project needs a title. It can be funny, descriptive or whatever you like. Below is your personal project field. Click Image to add image files. Then position your cursor underneath the image to add descriptions. I'm adding a series of images to show my entire process for this project. You can do it anyway you like. Below, you can also add a video or links. When you're done, just click the Green Publish button. Once it's published, you can go below the videos and see your project on the right hand side. When you click on it, you can see that all your images have uploaded. On the right is where people can comment and like your project. I comment on every project, so I can't wait to see you in this space. If you need questions answered, please reach out to me in the discussions page of the class under the class videos, and I'll be happy he. Also, I'll be offering a one on one session through Skillshare to help you. So, if you'd like some extra help, by getting my eyes on your work to help you along, I'll leave a link where you can book a private session with me below in the project description. Here's what you need for this project. When you turn in your project, I will be honored to give you personal feedback and answer any questions you might have to help you along the way. Please keep in mind, there is no right or wrong way to do this project. This is merely an exploration and a discovery of how you see the world as a creative. So please don't be shy and I can't wait to see your project. Sharing is honestly the most effective way to grow your creative skills, and I can't wait to see your unique take on inspiration in the Project Gallery. 3. What is Inspiration?: So what is inspiration anyway? It can seem so mysterious and elusive, but there's actually a romance and a science behind it. Inspiration is the spark that moves you from idea into action. It's more than just thinking of something. It's an inner pull to create. Without that pull, ideas just stay ideas. Sometimes inspiration feels subtle. Maybe you notice the way the sun light falls across the page in your sketchbook or the small details that nudge you to pick up a brush. Other times, it's dramatic. Idea arrives so powerfully that you can't stop thinking about it until you paint. Both kinds of inspiration matter. We tend to glorify the big dramatic kind, but the quieter sparks are just as important. In fact, they often lead to more sustainable long term creativity. Psychologists Todd M Trash and Andrew J Elliott described inspiration as a motivational state that compels individuals to bring ideas into action, often sparked by something beyond the self. In other words, seeing, hearing, or experiencing something that gave you motivation to want to capture it in some way. Their research also showed three core qualities of inspiration evocation, which is inspiration triggered by something outside of you, like a sight, sound or memory. Transcendence helps you see new possibilities beyond your normal experience, and approach motivation gives you the energy to take action on that new vision. I snap a lot of photos on my iPhone, and it becomes a real problem for me when my eye cloud gets full. But it's really difficult for me to let most of them go because I feel something when I look at them. AKA, I'm inspired by them, most likely because they're tied to a happy memory of a color, sight or sound, which is evocation. It helps me see things in a new way, which is transcendence and makes me want to take action approach motivation. My Dropbox account is filled with these images that I use for special projects, classes like these, and of course, watercolor paintings. Why? Because I'm inspired. Other research shows that inspiration is closely tied to dopamine, the brain chemical linked to curiosity and reward. When you encounter something new or exciting, dopamine levels rise and you feel inspired to create. But when life feels repetitive or stressful, dopamine dips and inspiration feels scarce. So scientifically speaking, inspiration isn't random. It's a response to how your brain processes meaning, motivation, memories, and new things. Think of it as a signal from within you, a reminder that you're paying attention and that something around you matters. Now that we know some of the science, let's talk about why inspiration sometimes is hard to find. 4. SS Inpiration L4 Why Lacking : Inspiration is all around us, why does it sometimes feel like it's so elusive? Part of it has to do with stress and distraction. Our brains can only notice so much at once. When we're overwhelmed, we stop paying attention to details, and inspiration slips by unsced. Another reason is pressure. When you feel under pressure, you create tension, and tension shuts down curiosity, the very thing that fuels inspiration. As we discovered, inspiration is closely tied to dopamine, a brain chemical connected to curiosity and reward. When you encounter something new or exciting, dopamine levels rise and suddenly you feel inspired. When your environment feels repetitive or stressful, dopamine drops, and so does inspiration. So if you're struggling, it's not that you lost inspiration, it's that you need to change your environment or give yourself some breathing room. Inspiration hasn't disappeared. It's just waiting for you to mentally and emotionally step back so you can notice it again. Now you know why inspiration is lacking at times. Let's explore how to spark it. 5. SS Inpiration L5 Spark Inspiration: Now we know what causes inspiration to dim. But did you know that there are ways to intelltually spark inspiration? Here are some proven ways to do just that. Number one, take a walk. Getting outside and moving around can help spark ideas and increase dopamine. Listen to music. Music is powerful enough to change our moods and therefore it can help change our state of mind leading to inspiration. Rest. Sometimes our brains just need a break. Rest allows your mind to process past experiences and file them away, giving you space for new ideas and fresh perspectives. Exercise. Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain and which promotes neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections. Even a short walk can help you see things differently. Reading. This exposes you to new perspectives and builds new neural connections. Anything from novels, history to poetry can feed your creativity. Meditate. Meditation reduces anxiety, improves memory and boosts creativity by calming the mind and making space for new ideas to form. Experiencing new things, you can also spark inspiration by just doing something new, watching a movie, going to new places, driving a different way to the store, or experimenting with a new brush or colour palette. Look at art. Viewing artwork lowers the heart rate and raises the dopamine levels. It's the same effect as listening to music, but in a visual sense. I have been inspired by so much art over the years, and I'll bet you have, too. Painting. Sometimes the best way to get inspired is to simply start painting. The act of creating helps you relax, process emotions, and engage the problem solving parts of your brain. Inspiration often ignites when you're in motion. If you're experiencing creative block, painting can be difficult. In that case, that's when I break out my abstract painting skills and techniques. About any level Peter can do. You can learn more about those in my abstract watercolor painting class series here on Skillshare. I'll link it up for you below in the project section of this class. Also, be sure to make a note of times of day, locations, and other details that motivate you to create. This is also very important intel that will make finding inspiration easier in the future. Remember, you don't have to wait for inspiration to strike. You can cultivate it with small and tensional habits that keep your creative spark alive with these simple tips. And as someone who uses them often, I can tell you they really work for me. Next, let's talk about how to capture inspiration once you have it. So what does it just slip away? 6. SS Inpiration L6 Making it Last: Inspiration can be fleeting sometimes when you need it the most, but the good news is you can learn how to prolong it. And just to clarify, this isn't about controlling inspiration because it tends to take on a life of its own, and I find it best to work with it like a partnership of sorts. The prompts in the workbook are more of a way to step back and give inspiration a chance to recharge. So it's in that spirit that I'm sharing the following. You can do one of these for your project for all of them. The more of them you do, the deeper the understanding of your inspiration will be. Number one, take photos. As I mentioned, I can snap quick photos of anything that sparks me like textures, colors, or patterns, nature, et cetera. You can use existing photos as well. Keeping a sketchbook, Doodle, make notes, swatch colors, in your curret sketchbook or keep a separate sketchbook just to study and record your inspiration. It doesn't have to be fancy, just relatable. I like to use abstract strokes to capture emotions or shapes of what I'd like to paint next. Keep a journal. Write down a stream of consciousness, AKA trend of thought, words, poetry or memories, that's farkU. Go a bit deeper by joining down why something inspires you. For example, a blue that reminds me of a calm ocean in the morning. That kind of description can help you with reconnecting on a particular inspiration later on. Gather visuals. Use an analog folder of clippings or a digital album on your phone. Pintrs is also a great way to do this, too. The more often you practice capturing inspiration, no matter how you prefer to do it, the less you'll feel stuck. You'll build a personal library of ideas to pull from anytime you want to paint. Now, let's walk through some action steps so you can start putting this into practice. 7. SS Inpiration L7 Action Steps: Action steps are simple but powerful. Download the workbook and follow the worksheet prompts we talked about in Lesson six. These are impactful questions that will help you clarify what kinds of things spark your unique creativity. Upload your project, which can be your inspiration images, your sketchbook swatches, your journal pages, and or your worksheets to the project gallery so we can all share and learn from each other. You never know who you might inspire. See what I did there? Take the pressure off because there's no wrong way to do this project. Relax and have fun discovering more about your inspiration and how it works for you. Remember, inspiration doesn't have to be dramatic. A color palette that makes you happy is just as valid as a beautiful landscape or still life. Both are important because they reflect your unique perspective. Now, let's do a quick recap and go over everything we talked about. 8. SS Inpiration L8 Recap: Covered a lot of information in this class. Let's do a quick recap. Inspiration is the inner spark that moves you from idea to action. Science defines it as memories and triggers, processing new things, and the desire to capture them. Inspiration comes from nature, memory, art, and everyday life, literally anything that sparks you. It feels elusive when you're stressed, distracted, or under pressure. But you can use a series of simple tips to reignite it, and you can cultivate it through journaling, paint swatching, photography, and any other creative means. But this is just the beginning. You can keep adding to your inspiration collection over time and learning more and more about your creativity and how your inspiration affects it. Your project for this class will help you start building your own inspiration practice, and I can't wait to see and hear all about it. In the following lesson, let's discuss your next steps. 9. Next Steps: I hope you enjoy learning about inspiration, how it works, and how to get the most out of it for your creative journey. There is so much beauty in these simple steps that can easily lead to bigger things. So I hope you take some time to do this project about the what and the why that inspires your unique creativity. I can't wait to see images of what inspires you, your painted swatches, journal pages, or worksheet pages of what you learned about yourself in this process. Forget to post your project in the project gallery. If you need project uploading instructions, you can find them in lesson two of this class. Sharing your project not only helps you commit to what you've learned, but it also helps others. You never know your project might be the spark that reignites someone else's creativity. And remember that every artist works and thinks a little bit differently. So embrace what works best for you. If you enjoy this class, please follow me on Skillshare, so you'll be the first to know when I publish the next class in this series. Want to stay in touch? You can also find me on Instagram, YouTube, and on my website, octopus connection.com. Where I share fun watercolor related stuff. You can even take my new watercolor style quiz. I'll include all of these links for you in the about section of the class and in the project page. And I would so appreciate your review so other students can find the class more easily. Until next time, happy painting. 10. Bloopers: Oops. Stu you were exciting. Dopam levels rise. And suddenly you feel inspired. Oh, Whoops. You can learn B. You can learn project inspiration. Oops. Inspiration can be fleeting. Whoops. Doings. Oop. Oh, it's funny. I have to laugh, right? Okay. Okay. Ha, got to go time. So I hope you take some time. Oops. Ho So I hope you m. So I hope you take some time when I when I publish the next class. Until next time, happy painting. Until next time. Happy painting.