Getting out of a creative rut (Part 1: Just Draw)

Several years ago, I decided to do some concept art just for fun, and to illustrate a story that I've been working on for almost a decade and a half. I was inspired by the works of artists like Doug Chiang and Ryan Church and their incredible work on Star Wars, among other projects. Unfortunately, try as I might, my concepts were anything but inspired. In fact, they looked downright pedestrian.

I've started drawing (and painting) again, after a very long time away from it, and I was disappointed (but not surprised) that my first attempt was rather plain (click image for larger version).

I've decided that the only way out of this rut is to force myself to think outside the box, and the only way to do that is draw more often. With that in mind, I hope to add at least 1-2 concepts on this website every week, with the goal of developing more and more bizarre and interesting designs with each passing week. Wish me luck.