Years of inspiration issues

Hello loves. My name is Arcade and I'm new to this site. A little background from me, I'm 24 years old and I took art classes in high school. I loved to draw. But then I graduated, got a job and real life got in the way of my art. Then inspiration was harder to get a hold of then the desire to draw at all disappeared. My mental state didn't help, I was recently diagnosed with Schizo-effective disorder.

Lately, after meeting my Partner, I have gotten that desire back but I'm still struggling with inspiration. I was hoping that with the combination of the tools on this site and more encouragement, I could find it again. I was wondering if anyone had any advice or had any stories they would like to share about losing and then regaining their inspiration to help those of us who are lost in an artists wasteland with no hope in sight.

Thank you kindly from your friendly neighborhood
Arcade.

Inspiration isn't what makes the artist its discipline. Inspiration is what motivates you to make the decision of pursuing a creative path and reminds you from time to time along the way. The key here is the words discipline its what separates the master from the novice. One does not always feel inspired during their creative journey it is during these times that practice and studies as well as exploration into knew techniques come into play to make you more skilled.

Inspiration is unpredictable and chaotic something as simple as a song with a simple sketch can inspire you to create a masterpiece. An artist knows to be attentive to these moments because its what sparks an idea a concept for an art piece. As you increase your mental portfolio and execution of translating your thoughts to visual you will also increase the triggers that will give you sparks of inspiration.

What makes an artist great is his or her ability to finish a work long after the initial high of inspiration has eluded them.

As far as your disorder is concerned it can be a bit overwhelming when our minds don't function as their intended to. But you can either see this as a burden or a strength the choice is yours. I have yet to meet another artist who is all their in their head so to speak it does take a bit of mental quirckyness to be creative to what extreme varies to the individual. And this includes myself. Im not exactly sane by the standards of the norm. Art can be an invaluable outlet for you to express yourself and may very well be somewhat theraputic.

Ive been in your shoes many times it feels like walking in a dry desert looking for a drop of creative spark to keep the motivation going.. but trust me keep working on your studies and you will find it.

Mental conditions can be quite draining. My ability to draw depends largely on my amount of energy and my ability to focus, which can often evaporate into thin air especially when I have stress in other areas of my life.

Demonarious is correct that discipline and keeping at it is what makes the real artists. Many people quit when they struggle, because they feel they're getting nowhere no matter how hard they try. The thing with art is that every amazing artist has gone through it - the only difference is he or she stuck to it and forced their way through the hard bits until they came out a better artist on the other end. Mastering artistic skills is not just about being talented and motivated, but it's about being persistent too.

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that a mental condition shouldn't be neglected, ignored or overruled recklessly. That can damage your well being. I didn't make art my career because it will be unhealthy for me to add that stress onto my shoulders, so it remains a hobby. If you have a therapist, talk to them about what art can do for you and what pursuing improvement has as effect on your health. It may bring a positive change into your life, or it may not - that's difficult for us to decide.

But if you feel you can do it without serious repercussions, I recommend trying to stick to it. :) Keep at it, push through the bad spots and you'll come out better and better.