let it die!

this post is for all you artists out there that have been working on a long term project that you are struggling to find inspiration to finish. if that's you, keep reading. if that's not you, keep reading anyway, maybe it'll help you out in the future.

sometimes you start a project with so many ideas and have a firm idea of what the finished piece will look like. by the end of the project i tend to lose steam a bit because it's not looking exactly how i imagined it at the beginning of its life. now, if this project is for a class and or has a strict deadline, unfortunately you probably should just grind your teeth and finish the damn thing whether you like how it turned out or not. but if this is a personal project, sometimes it's best to let it die!!! most of the time, i will start a painting or drawing and halfway through get tired of it and want to start something new already, so i'll put the unfinished piece in storage. some of my favorite pieces come from unfinished works that i go back and remaster after a few months of forgetting about it. on the other hand, a few pieces that i never finished are still in storage, dusty and haven't been touched or seen in two years. as i write this i am understanding that i have some hoarder tendencies, but let's be honest, I'm an artist. you never know when things come in handy.

so if there is a personal project that you are struggling to complete, take this advice and let it die in storage for a few months until you are ready to look at it again with fresh eyes. it usually does the trick for me.