Creative Hack #1: Make a Mentor Tree

About six weeks ago, I wrote about how resistance is a form of creative block because I had been experiencing a lot of it. Since then, however, things had been flowing pretty well. That was until this week. With the end of Inktober I’m back to the drawing board and I’ve been resisting the task of generating new ideas. Today I want to share with you just one of the few hacks I use to get myself out of a creative slump.

It’s called a Mentor Tree.

This is something I created as part of a Skillshare class by Elle Luna, so I certainly don’t want to take credit for this idea. If you’re on Skillshare check out her class here. A Mentor Tree is essentially a board of advisors. As creatives, how often do we get stuck on a creative problem, or need a critique of our work, or just need a boost in confidence? Unless you work in a shared studio space, it’s likely that you are working in solitude a lot of the time and maybe you don’t have anyone around when you need to bounce some ideas off someone. This is especially true for work that you are unsure about where it’s all going yet. Finding a group of trusted artists to share your work with can be hard to find. This is what the mentor tree can give you.

Step 1: Identify your mentors

First you need to make a list of your mentors. I want you to think: ‘If time, money and distance were no object, who would I want to be connecting with about my work?’ This list is allowed to be ridiculous – they may no longer be living, maybe you don’t speak the same language – that’s fine. Whose work do you respect? Whose work do you see being a few years ahead of yours? Whose insight and opinions would you want on your work? Give yourself about 10 minutes to do this.

Step 2: Find their faces

Now that you have your list, you need to find a photo or image of this person, if possible. Having a picture of the artist’s face rather than their work is going to make it more personable. Cut out or print out an image of each artist.

Step 3: Make the Mentor Tree

Now that you have your stack of images, think about the location for your mentor tree. It needs to be in a spot so that you can interact with these different voices. I don’t have a studio in my house so mine is sort of tucked away in my spare room, but at least this gives me a space to go and talk to them in quiet. Elle Luna hung hers in her studio bathroom. I have had a student make the equivalent of a mentor tree in his journal which included quotes from the artist too which I thought was a nice touch. You can keep them in a bundle so that you can take them with you and look at them throughout the day. There’s no wrong way to do this. Just put them wherever you want to encounter them.

Step 4: Talk to your mentors

Now, this may seem a little kooky but the whole aim of this activity is to talk to your mentors and gain their advice. This relies on the power of your imagination, but also other information that you already know about these artists. I have only met one person on my Mentor Tree, but I am still able to have conversations with these people based on what I know of them – and surely you know something about them otherwise they wouldn’t be on the tree in the first place!

Here’s mine:

1)    On top of my Mentor Tree is Elizabeth Gilbert, for her encouragement to all creatives everywhere through her book Big Magic and her podcast magic lessons. She has broken down all sorts of myths I held about creative living.

2)    Frida Kahlo makes the cut for her bravery, persistence and feminine power. I look to her when I need a kick up the butt.

3)    David Hockney, for his bright use of colour and commitment to making art every day. He’s made art his life, studying the traditional categories of painting: landscape, portrait and still life. And he’s evolved to use new technologies in his old age! What a dude!

4)    Jennifer Hawkyard is a recent mentor after taking her class as my first Skillshare class. She uses beautiful colours and patterns to create animal totems. Also, she has only recently made art her day job, and shares her struggles and joys on social media.

5)    Graeme Base, for his use of colour pencil in his beautiful story books. I loved his books as a child for their detail and animal themes. I wanted to be an illustrator of children’s books when I was young and it’s still on my bucket list.

6)    Leonardo Da Vinci, for his relentless investigation and invention. His curiosity and continuous practice of keeping a sketchbook are what I take from this legend.

7)    Vincent Van Gogh, for his use of colour and love of beauty in the natural world.

8)    Henri Matisse for his wild use of colour and expressiveness.

9)    Alec Cimera, my high school art teacher and then colleague. For his passion to create things out of whatever he had in the time he had.

10) Pablo Picasso, for pure experience and volume! He has SO MUCH WORK it’s a bit unbelievable. And some of it is amazing and some of it is a bit underwhelming for me. But the message is: just keep going. Keep making things.

11) Australian artist Del Katheryn Barton, for her use of bright colour and intricate pattern. She explores themes of female power and her vivid dreaming life.

When I’m having a creative slump like I am this week, I will go and sit with these folk. It’s not long before they give me an idea and tell me to get back to work.

Try it for yourself,

Until next time.

Erin

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