Inktober is not easy, and I somehow forget every year how tough it can be until I am in the middle of the whole thing. It’s easy to forget how difficult it is since so many incredible artists around the world are creating pristine pieces of artwork on the daily: making this month-long challenge seem like a breeze!
This year is my 4th year participating in Inktober, and every year has been TOUGH. Although I have learned some tips and tricks throughout the years that have helped me get through it, they still don’t make this challenge easy.
This October, I started feeling strong and motivated, then sometime around the middle of the month, I began to lose my drive. I started feeling stuck and frankly lost the desire to complete the challenge altogether. This is exactly what we want to avoid!
Let’s start with a little reminder: Inktober should be fun! Improving our inking and drawing skills is definitely the main goal, but don’t we all enjoy participating in these challenges because we love making art? But I totally get it. It’s easy to get stuck on focusing solely on completing the challenge, making us forget that it should be fun!
So here are a few tips that have helped me get out of my lack-of-motivation-hole and to get us back to HAVING FUN!
Draw something purely for yourself!
As great as the prompts are for helping us get started and giving us direction, they can also make us feel restricted. Try going prompt-free for the day and just draw whatever feels fun at that moment!
Switch It Up!
Choose a prompt from a completely different prompt list that feels inspiring or exciting! There are so many awesome prompt lists out there; we might as well take advantage of them!
Take a Break!
If you want to be real hard-core, consider taking a day or two off! You can always come back to the prompt(s) you missed at the end of the month if you like! When I’m feeling burnt-out, nothing does the trick like stepping away for a couple of days. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break!
Be Kind!
Be patient and kind to yourself. It’s natural to lose your drive when you’re trying to finish a drawing every day for a month!
Inktober is a challenge for a reason. No matter how many days you get through, be proud of yourself for what you accomplish. Push yourself through the tough times if you can, but always make sure you’re still having fun!