Finding My Spark Again — One Little Artwork at a Time
Have you ever hit a creative wall so hard that you start doubting whether you’ll ever get your spark back? That’s where I’ve found myself over the last few months. I’ve still been working—after 15 years as a professional artist, I know how to unlock the studio door and get on with what needs doing for deadlines and gallery requests—but it’s felt a little regimented, a little joyless.
The other day, I was tidying my studio, shuffling beautiful art materials into drawers and cupboards, and realized how rarely I touch most of them. I’m first and foremost an oil painter. I draw in graphite, I underpaint in acrylics—but somehow, I’ve ended up with just about every art material known to humanity in my studio.
Some I have bought with the best intentions but have never found the time to learn how to use. Others were gifted to me after a dear friend—a prolific and incredibly multi-talented artist—passed away from cancer. Her husband generously shared most of her art supplies with a few of her closest friends. It pains me to see them gathering dust instead of bringing art into the world.
So, I’m doing what’s worked for me before when I've had a lack of mojo: a daily art challenge.
I ran a similar one in 2023, without set themes, and it was a hit—both creatively and with collectors. There’s something about the rhythm of daily making that silences the inner critic and lets the magic sneak back in.
This time, though, I’m adding more intention. Each day, I pick one medium and one theme at random from a pot of written prompts—an artistic lucky dip. No overthinking. No paralysis by choice. Just two little slips of paper and a commitment to make something as lovely as I can.
It might be charcoal and birds one day, or markers and vintage objects the next. The point is to break the slump and bring joy back into the studio using whatever’s already here—charcoal, pencil, markers, acrylics, oils—and pairing them with themes like birds, still life, nature, small objects, or landscapes. Just enough structure to get me going, with room to play.
The goal? To reignite the joy of making without the pressure of perfection.
I’m uploading each piece daily to my socials (Instagram Mialaing_artist) (Facebook) and offering them for a small price, with the sale going through my secure Shopify website (mialaing.au) …affordable art for anyone who wants a little joy in their home, and a gentle push of accountability for me. After a huge year of exhibitions and deadlines in 2024, I’ve realised I need the satisfaction of finishing something regularly, even if its little. It’s also my job to get in the studio each day and create something, anything. Bonus, Im upskilling too!
So if you’re in a slump too—artistic or otherwise—maybe try something small, daily, and unique. You never know where it might take you.
Mia x
