Unblock the Blocked Artist!

Creative Techniques to Escape the Cage of Artistic Paralysis

Introduction

Let's Look in it!

Ah, the notorious creative block, that dreaded moment when the blank page looms larger than a tax inspector and your pencil weighs more than a guilty conscience. Fear not, brave scribbler! Here you’ll find a medley of art exercises, tricks and delightful nonsense to fool your brain, outwit your self-doubt, and get that stubborn hand moving again.

Some of these are games, others are mildly questionable experiments, all field-tested on desperate artists with varying degrees of success (but always with a decent laugh).

1. Continuous Line Drawing – Sink or Sketch

The rule: Pen on paper. Do. Not. Lift. Until. You're. Done.

Why it works: Perfectionism is off the table, because it’s going to look like a glorious mess anyway.

Pro tip: Try a self-portrait while crying over your creative block. Laughs guaranteed (eventually).

2. Blind Contour Drawing – Embrace the Disaster

The rule: Look only at your subject. NEVER at the page. Trust your hand (even though it’s clearly unreliable).

Why it works: It forces your brain to operate differently, ditching visual control in favour of instinct.

Pro tip: Sketch your cat. Show it to them. Marvel at the silent judgment in their eyes.

If you want to know more about go to my collectione Blind Drawing

3. Exquisite Corpse – Collaborative Chaos

The rule: Fold a piece of paper into sections. One person draws a head, another the torso, another the legs, without seeing the previous parts.

Why it works: Reminds you that art doesn’t have to make sense. Mistakes can be magic.

Pro tip: Do it with drunk friends. Results may be magnificent, horrifying, or magnificently horrifying.

4. Pass-the-Drawing – Surrender to Fate

The rule: Start a sketch, pass it to someone else to continue. Repeat until it resembles an alien relic.

Why it works: Letting go of control = unexpected brilliance.

Pro tip: Try it with strangers in a pub. You might make friends—or get weird looks. Either way, it’s a win.

5. Random Lines (a.k.a. Existential Doodling)

The rule: Draw random zig-zags, swirls, doodles without thinking. Then find something within and turn it into an image.

Why it works: Like life, it’s all chaos until you decide to make sense of it (or don’t).

Pro tip: If the result is disturbing, label it “deep abstract expressionism” and charge a fortune.

6. Wrong-Hand Drawing – Perfection Not Required

The rule: Use your non-dominant hand. Left if you're right-handed. Right if you're a leftie. Or a foot, if you're really bold.

Why it works: Removes the pressure to be good—because it won’t be.

Pro tip: Draw a portrait of someone and gift it to them. Their reaction becomes part of the artwork.

This is a challenge I did a while ago where I drew a drawing a day with my left hand.

7. Inspirational Collage – Cut, Paste, Surprise

The rule: Cut images from magazines, old books or your own sketches. Mash them together to make something new.

Why it works: Play with form, texture and randomness. No theme required—just follow your visual gut.

Pro tip: Combine unrelated elements. Create strange new narratives. Add hand-drawn details for bonus weirdness.

8. Blind Back Drawing – Confuse Your Senses

The rule: One person draws shapes on another’s back using a finger. That person tries to replicate it on paper, without looking.

Why it works: It builds sensory awareness and trust in instinct. The results are... unexpected.

Pro tip: Start with simple shapes. Work your way up to full surreal landscapes. Laugh a lot.

9. Coffee (or Wine) Painting – Taste the Creativity

The rule: Use a beverage to paint. Ignore all academic rules.

Why it works: Using unconventional materials breaks the routine and invites joyful chaos.

Pro tip: If you're using red wine, try not to finish the bottle before you start.

10. Automatic Drawing – Let the Hand Take the Wheel

The rule: Close your eyes, let the pencil move wherever it pleases. Then open your eyes and interpret the scribble.

Why it works: It’s a surrealist classic. It bypasses the thinking brain and opens the door to the weird.

Pro tip: If you summon a demon on the page, maybe take a nap. Or an exorcism.

11. Talk to Your Block (and Insult Its Ancestors)

The rule: Write a letter to your creative block. Berate it. Mock it. Threaten its ego.

Why it works: Externalising the enemy robs it of power.

Pro tip: Finish with a melodramatic “Farewell forever!” and set fire to the letter (safely). Drama = catharsis.

Conclusion: The Block is Not Your Boss

Art isn’t some holy monolith. It’s a game, an experiment, a glorious mess of a journey. Creative blocks arrive when we take ourselves too seriously. So if you’re stuck, remember this sacred mantra:

Stop waiting for the perfect moment and start doodling like a hyperactive toddler.

Your brain will eventually get the hint, and start making stuff again. Maybe with a glass of wine. Or after spilling coffee on your sketchbook. Either works.

A Not-So-Serious Bibliography for Creative Mischief

Some of these books exist. Some are wishful thinking. All are creativity-friendly and slightly odd, just like you.

Real Books Worth Reading

• Betty Edwards – Drawing on the Right Side of the BrainA classic for understanding how the brain sees and draws. Great for Blind Contour or Automatic Drawing.

• Austin Kleon – Steal Like an ArtistShort, sharp, brilliant. A manifesto for unapologetic inspiration theft.

• Kimon Nicolaïdes – The Natural Way to DrawExhausting but effective. A full-on bootcamp for line work and wild scribbles.

• Lynda Barry – What It IsPsychedelic creativity, mad exercises, surreal illustrations. Chaos with purpose.

• Bruno Munari – Fantasia & Design as ArtThe master of playful making. If you're blocked, read Munari and start gluing things together immediately.

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Books That Aren’t About Art Blocks But Might Help Anyway

• Italo Calvino – Six Memos for the Next MillenniumLightness, multiplicity, speed—perfect if your art feels like a concrete slab.

• John Berger – Ways of SeeingA reminder that how we look is how we make. Simple. Profound.

• Stefano Benni – Bar SportIrrelevant? Absolutely. Hilarious? Yes. And laughter is a great creative unlocker.

• André Breton – Manifesto of SurrealismFor those embracing the subconscious, automatic drawing, or just enjoy wearing black.

  
  

Books That (Probably) Don’t Exist—But Should

• “Draw Badly and Don’t Care” – by Some GuyA heartfelt ode to the joy of drawing terribly.

• “The Improvised Art Manual” – by Anonymous (changed their mind mid-writing)Paint with coffee. Sketch with your eyes shut. Make art while boiling pasta.

• “The Artist’s Block and Other Natural Disasters” – by Joe BloggsSolutions include yelling at your sketchbook until it gives in. (Surprisingly effective.)

  
  

Final Word

If you want to unlock your creativity, the solution isn’t just to draw, it’s to see differently. Any book, idea or joke that tickles your brain, stirs your curiosity, or gets your hand moving is the right tool.

Even a shopping list, if it's written with flair.

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