Why does great art take so much time to make? We all wait for our favorite creatives to put out their next creation. I am constantly waiting for my favorite Instagram painters to post their newest work. I am constantly waiting for my favorite authors to share their latest books. I’m hoping my favorite YouTubers and bloggers will stick to their posting schedule and have no unfortunate events happen to them, and so on.
We all know that art takes time. And it never stops us from reaching out to the creatives we know and asking, When is the next creative project? Have you forgotten about us? Why is it taking you months or years to put out the next great thing?
So, when is the next project coming out?
We can’t help but look at creative people as either Gods or machines.
“You’re creative! So do the job and create”. If you don’t, it’s because you don’t want to or because you’re lazy.
And listen, I agree that a big share of us are procrastinating on our projects, or, as Steven Pressfield mentions in his book The War of Art, we are resisting the work and the growth that comes along with it. However, great art takes time.
Why does great art take time?
But why is it taking you so much time? Aren’t you talented enough? Isn’t it possible to make a painting in a day?
Creative endeavors depend on the creative person. Some of them take a month to finish, some take a year, some take a lifetime, and many were left unfinished and are loved for it. It is more about the creative process and less about the time put into it.
An artist/creative needs to sit and do nothing
You may not agree. I also do not agree to an extent. Inspiration finds you working, but it also finds you bored. I have had some of my greatest painting, business, and article ideas on a long, boring tram ride from school to home. One of the biggest dilemmas of our century is that we are never bored anymore. There are so many TikToks and reels to watch, a ton of YouTube videos out there, free platforms to learn from, and as many people to text, call, and virtually socialize with, which of course makes it harder for creativity to thrive.
Your ideas need a phase of incubation. You need to be bored and think about your own ideas and how to turn them into creative projects to make things make sense. You need a break because creativity is so consuming, and you’re probably an introvert who gets fed up with things easily and needs time to shut down.
Creatives need to experience life just like everyone else
In case we forgot, creative people need to experience life. Not through their work, and not through any creative lens. They need to live a real personal life, just like everyone else.
Art is a translation of life through the creative lens of an individual. Those artists we admire need to live in order to create.
They need to have breakfast, go to the beach for a walk on a Sunday evening, have a vacation away from their normal lives, etc. The time they are taking away from creating is also part of their creative process, if that makes any sense.
If you ever feel stuck or blocked, I would recommend you take time off of your creative endeavor and go out there and just experience life. You get to decide if you want it to be a year, a day, or an open period of time until it feels right to you.
Not everyone is making money from their creativity
When your job is to be creative and it’s your primary source of income, you are faced with the need to schedule a short period of time where you can turn off and let your ideas marinate. You can’t take a 5-year break, or else you’ll end up homeless.
It is the dream of every creative to have their creative endeavor as a full-time job that is their primary source of income. And that is one of the reasons why “famous creatives” start producing “not-so-great art,” as they now become limited by deadlines, corporate rules, a nagging manager, etc.
Creatives need space to fail
Looking at the creative people we admire, all we see is the successful version of an idea they came up with. No one sees the failures, the drafts, the scraps of thoughts, the mind dumps, etc. Having the space and time to create and fail is necessary to create great art. The last thing a creative needs is to experience pressure when experimenting, as it instills doubts, a lack of self-confidence, and a loss of hope in an idea that only needs tweaks here and there. A flow state never happens in anxiety.
Shortcuts lead to mediocre works of art
Never has an artist been successful by relying on shortcuts. If you’re not willing to put in the work, you’re going nowhere. Putting in actual, genuine work stemming from creative integrity takes time. I know you want to post consistently on social media to grow, and I know that it’s disappointing when you’re not producing as much art as people expect of you, but you cannot opt for shortcuts and make great art. Simply put, great art takes time.
Creatives need to feel safe and comfortable to create
You may have experienced people asking you to paint a portrait in one day, which is completely unrealistic but makes you feel less efficient as an artist. And as a creative, I understand deadlines. However, I need a far far deadline where I feel that I have a safe and comfortable amount of time to create and not be under pressure.
Conclusion
Next time your intrusive thoughts tell you to ask a creative person: When is the next creative project? Have you forgotten about us? why is it taking you months or years to put out the next great thing? Remember that great art takes time. On a second note, do not use this article as an excuse to procrastinate on making your art and finishing your projects (note to self), and enjoy creating <3
