I am sorry, this must be a question that you get all the time but: What kind of tips or advice do you have for someone just starting writing or drawing? How do you get inspired or manage to keep on? Is creativity something natural for you?
I'll try to keep this short because I'm sure you're not looking for a TEDtalk!
In my opinion, motivation is different from creativity. Creativity is the eye - it's the ability to look at something and see other possibilities. Motivation is more like a muscle - it needs fuel to function, but it can get better at flexing over time, with practice.
The FIRST thing I recommend for a beginner artist and author or ANY sort of creator is - EGO BOOSTING.
You NEED to feel good about your work to keep going. Early on, you should look, first and foremost, for people who will SUPPORT you. Whether that's your parents, your friends, or an online community of like-minded individuals ... find that support and DRINK THAT FEEL-GOOD JUICE. It's the best nutrition to feed your growing art skills.
Many artists that started and KEPT drawing through their childhood are either stubborn as fuck or had strong moral support - someone who looked at their drawing and said 'Wow, that's so good!' and gave them the inspiration to keep drawing, keep writing, keep practicing!
Whatever you do, you will NOT be good at it at first. That's just a reality of life. You need to find an environment that allows you to GROW through that stage. You need people around you who will see not only your mistakes, but also see the seeds of talent and uniqueness in your artform that you should be proud of, and will say "Wow, I REALLY love how you did the eyes here!" instead of "Uhhh where is her nose...."
The SECOND thing is - you can lead an artist to a canvas, but you cannot make them paint
Creativity is NOT something that you just 'have' or 'don't have'. What IS inherent is different KINDS of creativity. Some people have a natural inclination with color. Some are REALLY excellent and creative with shapes. Some are REALLY good character-makers, and some are great at narrative, or suspense, or atmosphere.
But even with all that, creativity is NOT something that you wait at a bus stop for.
I've seen so many beginner artists get boggled down with not feeling 'creative'. When in fact, not being 'creative' and having a down-time is PART of being an artist! You can't just wait for it to strike - creativity is borne of experience! Stand up, go for a walk, experience new art, read new books, and talk to new people! Your personal brand of creativity will resonate with whatever new things you discover.
Third... don't believe in 'talent'.
Look, does talent exist? Probably, I don't know. But it's complicated. Talent alone isn't enough. Plenty of people are talented - but far fewer are patient enough to see their talent through to development.
The best way to learn how to do something is doing it LOTS. And Lots. And lots more.
Best of luck on your artistic journey!
