Art is one of the pinnacles of a successful society. It may seem like I am exaggerating, but if you think about it, it has a greater impact than almost anything else. Whether it be written on paper, sung into a microphone, or created on a canvas, all forms of expression are important. The question is, how do people come up with concepts for pieces of art? It is really difficult to conceptualize. And even then, making the final product is harder than conceptualizing because it almost never comes out the way you want it to. I know the struggle, art is extremely difficult. That being said, here are some tips to start you out with coming up with a concept.

Listen To Music

One thing I find to be really helpful when I am trying to think of a concept to draw is listening to music. Often times, lyrics in songs have such imagery that you can actually see something, or they spark an idea.

Look at Other Art

There is nothing wrong with looking at other people’s art for inspiration, as long as you don’t copy what they’ve done. Other artists sometimes bring to life concepts that you have been struggling with trying to translate onto the page. Sometimes a drawing sparks an idea for a piece of writing or vice versa.

Look at Photographs

Good photographs evoke emotions and feelings, so check some out to see if they catch your eye. Photos can be especially inspirational for poems or other pieces of writing. Whenever there was the Poetry unit in English class, one assignment was always to use a photo as inspiration. Drawing or sketching with a photograph as a reference is an awesome way to hone in on your skills if what you want to be good at is drawing or painting realism.

Go Outside

What? Outside? Yes. Nature is always there, ready to be inspirational. You don’t have to do something complex, like a landscape, or a really detailed tree; you could draw an ant or a caterpillar. There are way too many options out there, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t draw the most complex thing at first.

Read a Book

Just like music, the words written on the pages can spark inspiration for artwork. You can make poems out of the words on the page by covering up unnecessary words. People even draw inside of books, which to some is blasphemy, but it is also really fun.

Just Go For It

Even if you don’t have an idea, sometimes just getting something on paper can help to get you started. Start with a few random lines or basic shapes and just see where it takes you. Art can be unpredictable, it does no harm to try something out. Sketch an idea you have, even if it doesn’t look the way you want it to the first time, if you decide to keep working on it; eventually, it will get the way you want it to look.

Important Issues

Think of an issue in your life or the world that inspires you. Write something about how dumb it is or about your anger. Draw something that will bring attention to it. Maybe you were meant to be a political cartoonist, who knows?

People take for granted the great art that they are presented with every day. Art surrounds us constantly, in TV shows, books, pictures, drawings, poems, posters, music. Almost everything can be seen as art, don’t be afraid of just trying. Art is really hard, and no one gets good without practice, so don’t be discouraged by all the amazing art you see every day. With practice, you can get to be a great writer, poet, painter, or whatever. Don’t give up!