I don’t know about you but my creativity comes in waves. Sometimes I have a deep desire to create, almost an unstoppable urge that gets me to sit down and actually make things. There are also days when I don’t want to do any of that. Today is one of those days. 

My solution is to pick up a different tool – in this case my laptop, to write something of value for someone that’s looking for this kind of advice. I think one of the best ways of overcoming a creative block is to pick up a course on a topic that interests you. 

Courses are great because you’re always bound to learn something new, even if it doesn’t shake things up for you artistically. This was my case the past month. I took up a course (or two) and really sucked the juice out of it to blossom as an artist. 

The question is – does this work for everyone? Can courses on creativity help you find that spark back? I say yes, and by all means you should do it. 

The creative courses I took

When I was young, one of my favorite books was “The Creative License” which I would obsessively borrow from my friend to read. I finally got a copy of my own and started hauling all of Danny Gregory’s books. To my great surprise, I only recently discovered that he has a Sketchbook Skool that offers courses! All kinds of courses!

I jumped at the opportunity. For a fair price tag, you get hours of lessons from some of the most inspiring instructors. I started with watercolor rules (and how to break them). Which really did shove me in the right direction with exploring my creative potential. 

I picked up my sketchbook after a long time and finally put some lines on a page. I continued to do so for weeks, keeping strictly to a new habit I picked up from feeling inspired. I made paintings, sketches, collages..you name it. And it just kept flowing from me. 

My progress with creative courses

You guessed it, we’re back in the beginning one month later and I’m stuck. I think a common trap to fall into is to pick up new courses in the hopes of reviving something reminiscent. After buying every imaginable course you can think of related to my field of interest, I stopped. Enough was enough. 

The personal trap I fell into was going too fast. Rushing to get to more and more knowledge, tips, and advice on how to advance with my artistic pursuits. My best advice to you, if you do take up a course on creativity is to slow down and really embrace the knowledge that comes your way. 

The problem with all artistic pursuits

If you’re like me and you juggle a job aside from being an artist off work hours, it’s hard to stick to a habit. And that’s the important point here – all artistic endeavors must be made into daily habits in order to thrive and survive. 

Can I just say it? It’s TOUGH. It’s tough to find even that bit of time to devote to creativity. Then life gets to you and you forget a day, and another day goes by and you think ‘tomorrow’ and so on. 

Another thing I stumbled on was lack of inspiration. This is by far the most ironic statement considering where I live. But on cold winter days, going out urban sketching is the last thing you want to do. As it was my area of interest in the end, I ended up squandering countless opportunities to go out. 

We come back to the vicious cycle: lack of time – lack of motivation – lack of inspiration. And you’re back to square 1. This is my personal story and I don’t yet have a solution as to how to solve it. I’m just here waiting for my next wave of motivation and that spark or urge that tells me to get out of bed and pick up my favorite tools to create. 

My favorite courses on creativity

1. Watercolor rules – and how to break them (Sketchbook Skool)

I liked that the watercolor course introduced me to really inspiring people that make a living with their art. It’s true that you cover some really great rules and fundamentals, but the true value of the time you’ll spend watching this course is the ways in which different artists disregard all rules and pursue their own style. Through observing them create, you’re able to come up with pretty impressive pieces on your own.

2. Seeing (Sketchbook Skool)

This course taught me a lot! I was really fond of the ways in which different approaches to seeing as an artist were explored in detail. I loved the small assignments that were given out with each module, which was really inspiring and motivating for me.

3. Urban Sketching by Inma Serrano (Domestika)

Inma was introduced in one of the Sketchbook Skool courses. I love her personal style and techniques she uses in her urban sketches. This class made me relax and create in a more carefree way. This is quite the contrast to my very controlled paintings. I would say Inma helps you to let go, and create in a more genuine way.

4. Transforming your creative ideas into personal projects by Ji Lee (Domestika)

To be honest, there is little I remember from this course because it was heavily based on the examples Ji used from his personal archive. They were indeed fascinating but the value for me was really seeing how he pitched his projects, curated his social media, and made art a sensation across socials and media in general.

5. Creative writing for beginners by Shaun Levin (Domestika)

I didn’t know about Shaun before taking this course but I greatly appreciate him as an author after I was done with the modules. My favorite part about this course was that he made you sit down and write based on his prompts which really was a mind bending experience for me that opened up some kind of drawer in my mind that’s always been locked. Highly recommend for all writers.

6. Creative writing: The power of words in the modern world by Max Stossel (Domestika)

This is the one course that made me write pages and pages of my own poetry (again!). I had a bit of a unlucky streak with many poetry attempts but Max was able to show me that poetry can be so laid back. At the same time poetry can be powerful and move people. I sat down and wrote, alongside him which was lovely.

7. Urban sketching courses by Ian Fennelly 

Ian offers a range of courses, or workshops on urban sketching. I’ve only had time to do his free course so far. However, I do know him as one of the instructors from the “Watercolor rules” course. I’m endlessly fascinated by his style and find it very relateable to my own or the one that I aspire to one day adapt. He is masterfully skilled in what he does, also highly recommend to anyone that likes drawing or sketching.

Side note: See also – Masterclass

I keep getting ads for Masterclass and thought I should mention it because it’s worth looking into if you are a writer. I’ve seen some really inspiring personalities talk about the art of the written word. I did not look into it myself yet but plan to in the near future.

I never had to search far for really expensive courses. I think this is my personal list of affordable ones I really enjoyed that I can speak very highly of. I’m a big fan of bigger platforms where you can pay per course or a reasonable subscription fee and get access to oceans of knowledge. 

My only warning to you with artistic creative courses is that you might dash to the store to buy lots and lots of art supplies (like I did). But keep in mind that likely, if you already have some tools to add color, pens, and pencils, and a decent sketchbook – you’re all set. 

The best trick I learned to cling to inspiration

Although it seems like my muse has left me, I still have memories of better days on my phone. In fact, I carry it around with me all the time. I don’t yet have the confidence to sit down in a public place and sketch, but I can take photos to bring back home with me. 

As you’re walking around, I really encourage you to snap shots of things that caught your eye. Something you can create or recreate in a new light. With time, I managed to build up my own archive of visuals that I revisit on days like today. And maybe, just maybe something deep inside me will whisper reassuringly – you can try again another day. 

Lastly on creative courses

My stance is this – if you find a course you love, by all means take it. But continue to integrate artistic exploration as part of your daily routine. Go slow, and digest all the information you’re given in a way that all the knowledge sediments and becomes part of you. Only then you’ll be on the road to a better understanding of what you need.