Maybe you feel like your old art is embarrassing, amateurish, or just plain bad. And sure, some of it might be. That’s part of the process. But there’s a lot of value in revisiting where you’ve been as an artist.
One of the biggest reasons? Perspective. When you’re in the middle of making something, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details. In the moment, each piece is like one of your children. You’re obsessing over whether a brushstroke is in the right place or if the color choices make sense. Your mind is wrapped up in the techniques and tools and mediums that you’re exploring. But when you step back—especially months or years later—you can see the bigger picture. You’re no longer caught up in the tiny decisions or whatever headspace you were in at the time. You can appreciate, and even get inspired by what worked and learn from what didn’t.
Looking back is also a great way to track progress and to get motivated. A lot of artists don’t realize how much they’ve improved until they go back and compare. What seemed like a masterpiece five years ago might look clunky now, but that’s not a bad thing—it just means you’ve grown. That’s proof that all the time and effort you’ve put in is actually paying off. It’ll feel like running into an old friend and realizing they’re telling some really great stories about the past, but you’ve moved on.
Sometimes, you find good ideas that you just weren’t ready to execute at the time. Maybe you had a concept that was solid, but your skills weren’t there yet. Or you abandoned a piece because you got bored, distracted or you just didn’t know how to finish it. Going back with fresh eyes—plus all the experience you’ve built since—can quickly lead to something new and exciting. Some of your old work might be a goldmine of half-finished thoughts waiting for a second chance. I know there have been many times that I’ve picked up a half-finished work that I abandoned and it quickly becomes something great. I’ve given it space. It’s no longer precious to me. I’m now able to be brave and take it to the next level, and that usually ends up generating something great.
In my case, I recently went back and reviewed my old work and I was inspired to head off in a whole new direction again. The piece shown above is one of the creations that I found really interesting and it made me head off in a whole new direction. I thought many of my older pieces were really interesting––far better than anything that I was working on now–– and it got me unstuck, energized, and excited to stand on the shoulders of my previous self and move forward.
Creative blocks and ruts are frustrating, and it happens to all of us. It’s easy to think you’ve got nothing left in the tank. But if you flip through your own archives, you might realize you’ve been through this before and you found your way out. Maybe you had an approach back then that you’ve drifted away from but could bring back in a new way. Inspiration isn’t always about chasing something new—it can be about reconnecting with something good that you forgot you already created. Something old could actually be the doorway that you need to tap into a whole new world of creativity.
The music producer Rick Rubin talks a lot about creativity as something beyond just skill or effort—it’s about taking the time to tune in. In The Creative Act, he describes the idea that inspiration isn’t something you force; it’s something you receive. Your own art can be that key that’s now ready to open the portal to something new if you can take the time to stop and explore. He believes that the universe is constantly transmitting ideas and opportunities, and as artists, our job is to be open enough to take advantage of the doors when they come. It’s like tuning a radio—if you’re on the right frequency, you pick up signals that feel almost like they were meant just for you.
Rick tells stories of musicians and artists who don’t see their work as something they make, but something they discover. Some of the best ideas, he suggests, don’t come from thinking harder or pushing through blocks—they come from quieting the noise, exploring with an open mind, and allowing yourself to receive. I’ve seen this work firsthand when I can stop and look back instead of forward. If you’re constantly filling your mind with distractions and new things, you might be missing out on an incredible doorway that’s been sitting right in front of you all along.
The trick is to look at old work with the right mindset. It’s not about beating yourself up over what’s not perfect and judging what’s good or bad. There’s a time and place for that. This is about recognizing where you were, how far you’ve come, and what ideas might still have value so you can take your work to the next level.
So, if you haven’t done it in a while, dig through your old sketchbooks, scroll through your own website, and social media feeds, or pull out that piece you stuffed in a drawer years ago. Explore what’s there. Look for portals to something new that may have opened up. You might surprise yourself.