Artist block: How I get unstuck
Suffering from an art block is very real, and I’ve definitely felt a bit of a block the last few weeks. I find this time of year it is common for me to experience some sort of creative block. The days getting shorter and weather colder, coupled with managing work, parenting and unrelenting requests from the school, diaries filling up with Christmas around the corner, and all the additional admin that comes with being a parent of young children at Christmas! Reading all that back, it’s no real surprise that creative block has reared it head.
Artist block can manifest in a number of ways;
Finding it difficult to produce creative works regularly
Not feeling motivated to create something new
Struggling with how to bring ideas to life
Being unable to create anything although I’d like to
Feeling down, resulting in not creating anything new
For me, creative blocks may last for a couple of days, but while other times it might drag on for weeks, or months! Sometimes I can just “push through” the block and get moving again. But there are other times I feel far too weighed down with life and all that goes with it, and it just piles up like bricks forming a huge wall that blocks me from creating.
What causes artist block?
The most common trigger for artist block for most people is physical and mental exhaustion. It’s not uncommon to feel uninspired when you come home from a particularly stressful day at work, the kids are bickering and you have no food in the house as you’ve not been shopping for two weeks... Feeling worried or anxious about someone or something in particular can also have a big impact on creative focus.
Another huge cause of creative block is the fear of imperfection. Many artists consider themselves perfectionists (myself included!), and this can often prevent them from pursuing ideas or completing projects.
Also, we are all sometimes guilty of putting too much pressure on ourselves to create something fantastic, while comparing our work to other creators. This can have a massive impact on our self-esteem which only leaves us feeling even more vulnerable.
How to overcome artist block?
Different coping mechanisms will be more effective for different people, but here are a few of my coping mechanisms when the dreaded block appears!
Taking a break
The simplest thing you can do when facing artist block is to just step away and take a break. Spend some time doing something else enjoyable. I often do some yoga, go for a long walk or read a book to get some headspace and fresh air I find always helps with refocussing. Get involved in something that lifts you mood, but don’t stretch the break out for too long as you may end up procrastinating!
Tidy your studio space
Having a clean and organised environment to work in is a great way to keep your spirits lifted and your mind clear. I find if I am surrounded by clutter my mind feels cluttered and I can lack focus, which can easily block creativity and prevent me from painting. You need to evaluate the environment you are in and contemplate whether it is suited for you to create artwork in or if you need to clean it up.
Look to your favourite artists for inspiration
Spend some time looking at the work of other artists that you love and work out what it is exactly that you love so much about their work. It might be the colour palette, compositions or the way they make their marks. Looking at art that you love can really help to kickstart creativity. Maybe it’s the pinch of competitiveness that it inspires, or the internal desire to improve your own art practice. Perhaps its just seeing things that get other artists inspired that help to get your inspiration flowing again.
We artists often isolate ourselves, working away in our studios away from the rest of the community. Sometimes connecting with other artists and sharing ideas and passions can help you to reflect and find inspiration.
Experiment with your existing artwork
Recreating an existing artwork can be a great way to stick to a regular creative practice. If you get stuck while creating something new, explore the things you have already created; this way you can draw inspiration to cure your art block. You will also be able to improve your style and technique by redoing old artwork, and this, in turn, will fuel your creativity and inspire you by getting new ideas. You can also look at it as a way to just improve your old artwork.
Ditch perfectionism
This is a big one for me, as a recovering perfectionist… There are a lot of perfectionists out there. But something that I find interesting about perfectionism is that it generally stems from a fear of failure or Imposter Syndrome. Not starting a painting because you need to have everything just right, or scrapping something before it’s finished and getting down on yourself because you’re stuck in that messy middle stage where everything is just a bit shit. I frequently need to remind myself to embrace imperfection and keep going, as nothing is ever going to be perfect.
Keep on top of your health and wellbeing
Feeling under the weather physically or mentally can affect all aspects of your life, including your ability to produce quality works of art. If your mental and physical health is affected negatively, it can directly contribute towards experiencing artist block.
Your mind and body may be stressed out and filled with anxiety, you might be feeling overwhelmed, or you might be feeling burned out. Sometimes taking a step back and focusing on some self-care practices is what is needed to heal and get better.
Hormones can also play a huge role in how creative you feel, with female hormonal cycles having natural and predictable fluctuations that affect mood, energy and cognition. Estrogen and progesterone hormone levels are at their lowest at the beginning of the cycle during menstruation and its common to feel sluggish and uninspired during this time, but as the follicular phase begins these hormone levels begin to rise. It is during this phase that you have the most access to the creative energy within you. Studies have shown that creativity is greatly improved during this pre-ovulatory stage, when motor perseveration is notably decreased but estrogen levels are at their highest point, and remain high during ovulation. Estrogen levels start to deplete after ovulation during the luteal phase, and this can lower your mood, energy levels and productivity. This phase is generally a good time to slow down, embrace rest and pay attention to what your body is telling you that it needs.
Lastly, just do something!
Sometimes we just have to face our artist block head on. Of you just pick up a brush or a pencil you might just discover that the hardest part was getting started in the first place, and once that’s done it gets easier. Take the pressure off yourself, adopt a sense of playfulness and just create something, whether its a doodle, sketch or even just messing about with a new medium.
As Pablo Picasso famously quoted, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”. So if all else fails, just do something, and the rest should take care of itself.