How To Manage A Creative Block So You Can Enjoy Making Art Again
Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.
5 Easy Ways To Overcome a Creative Block
I never really put too much thought into becoming an artist. It was just something creative I liked to do. Little did I know at age 14 my hobby would become my livelihood, and eventually my creative demise. I didn’t think that when I was skipping my online graduation I would still have a creative block six months later. But I do, and maybe you do too?
What is a creative block?
In short, Creative block – sometimes known as art block – is a period when an artist cannot harness their creativity; something that can feel quite menacing if your creativity is your source of income. Art block is something that can last a long time, people joke that it’s the kiss of death; If you’re fortunate, it might only take you for a few days, maybe weeks; but for some it can last months, or even last a few years. Fortunately, a creative block is a very normal thing to experience and there are many ways to get through it in order to continue your creative work.
Some people mistake creative block for burnout. So how do you determine whether you’re struggling creatively, or simply burnt out?
What is burnout?
Burnout, creative or not, can be a very serious thing. It is a major sign and symptom of being stressed or overworked.
At first, you may ignore it like I did when I started my third year of uni. I expected to be stressed, I expected the creative block, and the lack of sleep. But I didn’t expect the migraines and wavering on the edge of dropping out.
I had worked so hard in the first six months of the year that my body had completely shut down it’s creation station. I found myself severely tired, anything could trigger a bout of crying and I felt like a failure…even though I was succeeding. It’s safe to say that all artists and visionaries will have had or eventually experience creative block, but we’ve seen a rise in burnout, with at least 12 million people in the uk being recorded in 2020 to have suffered with it.
Defined by Mental Health UK, burnout is ‘a state of physical and emotional exhaustion’ which occurs ‘when you experience long-term stress‘. They continue by expressing that burnout is not something that can be left alone, and if left untreated can cause eventual harm to your physical and mental health.
Most common signs of burnout:
Feeling predominantly tired or drained
Feelings of helplessness, trapped and/or defeated
Feeling detached/alone in the world
Having a cynical/negative outlook
Self-doubt
Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
Feeling overwhelmed
Throughout the pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns, working from home was essential to survival, with most of us blurring the boundaries between work life and home living. When overworked, a lot of people tend to work harder than before. The stress of the unknown and the vulnerability added to that pressure, so to compensate work became the only stable thing in the lives of many.
In my research, I have also found that a lot of websites will tell you to just keep pushing and work harder. That the work will change things for the better, and you’ll eventually wake up fine. But that often is not the case. If you feel or connect with any of the symptoms above please talk to a health care or wellness professional, and do your best to take time for yourself.
5 ways to shake your creative blocks for good
Although I still find myself stressed (like I’m losing my eyebrow hair, please help). I have managed to make my way through a creative block. I feel much better for it and my creative work has thrived as a result.
They say creativity comes in waves. Days can be still and smooth, others a war of the gods. There will be hours of high tide, and some that look like we’re experiencing drought. But not everyday is a hurricane and most of us struggle to feel inspired. With a creative block comes anxiety, if you feel like you’re underperforming or are working yourself to the bone, then it’s time to take a break and recharge your mind and influences.
Like I mentioned earlier, creative blocks are normal. Albeit frustrating, feeling creatively blocked now and again, can be a good thing. It can feel impossible to sit down and create, but this first tip can hopefully give you a new perspective.
1. Change things up
Creative blocks can come from repetitive strain. Very simply, DO NOT sit at your work desk and wait for inspiration to strike, because you’re restarting the process. It can be tempting, but inspiration, like a rebellious child, doesn’t always come when called. Sometimes you have to just move on and it will appear when it’s ready.
Whether it’s cooking something you love or binge watching a bit of telly. Doing something to distract yourself can help you get out of the creative rut you’re in. Something big to do is change how you go about creating, reorganise your process or go for a different material. Something as small as using a different type of pencil can completely dislodge that creative stone. And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. Get outside, move your work spot, go for a socially distanced coffee. As long as you give yourself a change of scenery, you’ll eventually find a change.
2. Get Physical
Physical exercise is a great way to let your mind wander. From outside activities such as; walking, to running, and swimming- to things you can do inside; Step ups, dancing, even water bottle squats! There are many ways to exercise, and most of them don’t require human contact.
No matter what you do, as long as you get your blood pumping, you’re on your way to changing your mindset! Personally, I hate the idea of exercising outside a gym, so find something that works for you and push yourself for 30-60 minutes!
Finding an activity that you enjoy doing and gets your energy flowing will be something that impacts your life for the better overall. And remember it doesn’t just have to be cardio!
Deep stretching, Yoga, Pilates, and Weight lifting are all great and low cortisol activities – Cortisol being your body’s main stress hormone! Sleeping, eating well, and enjoying yourself are also key in keeping them on the low side.
3. Let It Go
We’re not making a Disney reference, we actually mean let go. Create anything. As artists and creators, we fall victim to setting high expectations for ourselves and our work. We can create something so simple and yet want nothing but perfection. Whilst wanting perfection isn’t something new, it doesn’t have to be present when we strive for greatness.
If something doesn’t meet your standards you do not need to completely start again. This is something that can actually be counterproductive to the creative process, and in return form the creative blocks we’re trying to avoid.
To help with this, make something out of the imperfections. Try to make something drastically outside of your norm, something that excites you beyond your typical style or medium. It doesn’t have to be related to your practice, it could be made of mashed potatoes, who knows! Try freewriting, or playing a public musical instrument if you’re brave enough! Having no expectations is a great way to let your creativity flow freely.
4. Get off of social media!
In the past 13 years technology has taken over, and social media has become the forefront of our lives. Now, like the rest of us I use instagram for art purposes – or at least that’s what I’m telling myself when I’m convincing myself that a green mullet is just a bad queer urge.
It may be inspiring to see what others do and how they do it. However, envy and jealousy can be very real when witnessing someone else’s success. Someone could be doing the same thing as you and have thousands of followers more. Even if you just want to use social media as a source of inspiration, self doubt and anxiety may find new ways to creep in. I’ve found that being on social media can create my own creative blocks, even just by taking in something subconsciously. To combat this, take time away from social media. You can see how much time you spend on them in your phone analytics. You can even set time blocks on your mobile device, so at a specific time of day you’ll be stopped from accessing such apps.
Focus on your reality and your creative process, try and find new ways to inspire yourself. Mental wellness, meditation, and new hobbies are all ways to take up the hours you spend scrolling on your phone.
5. Learn Something New
Quite similar in the sentiment of letting things go, learning new things keeps your mind young and healthy. Something small like reading a book can change your entire artistic journey, as you can find inspiration in the strangest of places. Creative block isn’t something that you can always move on from easily, but it does give you a space to explore new skills and creative passions.
I found myself reading books way out of my comfort zone. I started looking into feminist and racial studies – things I experience, but have never really taken the time to learn about. Taking a step back from your practice to actually learn about where it originated and how it’s practised in other cultures can reawaken your passion.
A good way to do this is just by going online, but if you’re stuck for inspiration and want to be away from a screen, many artists have spoken about Austin Kleon’s book “Steal Like An Artist”. In this book he talks about how to use both digital and analogue strategies to create your best work when coming up with ideas! Take time to invest in something new, maybe take a creative course? (Maybe this one to help overcome the creative block from Skillshare?) Or pick up a new hobby? In the past few weeks I’ve been learning to knit and I’ve never been more excited about something so small! There are little things that can help you to experience new ideas and take steps into new mediums.
The Takeaway
As a creative person, being creatively blocked sucks. hopefully these 5 tips helped you overcome it, and if you need more help, check out a documentary or some of the links below:
Need more advice?
Articles To Help:
20 Motivating Quotes That Will Inspire Any Artist
6 Simple Ways to Get Motivated As An Artist
How To Stay Motivated When You Feel Lost As An Artist
Sites to Help:
Books To Help:
Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon
Creative Block: Get Unstuck, Discover New Ideas.
If you have any more tips on how to get over a creative block, please leave them in the comments below, and submit to become the next Artist of The Month!
Click the share buttons, send this post to a friend or subscribe to out newsletter for more posts like this one. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to share your art with us by submitting your work or tag #darkyellowdot on Instagram.
IF YOU FOUND THESE TIPS HELPFUL SHARE THIS POST, THAT MAKES UP HAPPY.
mia
needed this one!