Technique

I have been reading a book titled, The Artist's Mentor written by Ian Jackman. The book is filled with quotes from famous artists about creativity. I just finished the chapter about technique and Jackman posed an interesting question: "How does technique affect creativity? I started thinking about my own technique with different projects and how my technique changes with how I am feeling at the very moment. If I am not happy with my material or the way I placed it on the canvas or how I used a different photography technique I lose interest and my creative momentum. Sometimes just for an hour or two, sometimes for a week or longer. I have to find a technique that works for me or what I am trying to express. Some artists can work through this, but I find that I just stop and need to re-group. During these times I wonder if I am a real artist and if I really know what I am doing. Maybe I should just quit. I found out that I am not alone in this thinking.

"Around 1883 a sort of break occurred in my work. I had gone to the end of impressionism and I was reaching the conclusion that I didn't know how either to paint of draw. In a word, I was at a dead end." - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Instead of doubting myself, I am trying to realize that this is part of the process and that I need to work through it. I have found that if I keep working through a technique that might not be working for me I discover new things even if the final result is a disaster. Technique plays a huge part of my creative process. It is part of my experimentation. What about you? How does technique affect your creative process?