Creative blocks are certainly something that all artists have to learn to work through. Over the years, I have dealt with creative blocks in unique ways. One of the tools used to overcome a creative block is to do something completely unrelated to my art. I will dance ugly in my studio, do oracle writing, or take time away outside.
The reason that I choose to do something completely different from creating art is because it allows my thoughts to have space for the project that I’m working on. It is very helpful for us to be able to step away from our projects so we can come back with a clear perspective. Sometimes the different activities frees the monkey mind who’s grinding for the answers. This is another reason why I believe that having complete time away from our creative practice each week really improves the quality of our work. We need to be able to have the freedom to play and explore for the world around us. That freedom is what helps us unleash our creativity.
The most helpful creativity blocking tool I like to use is my studio diary. I track my studio activities as a helpful resource. When I track my studio activities, I am able to find patterns to any types of work problems that are consistent. It’s also a perfect way to document your creativity. A Studio diary can be a very helpful resource to help overcome creative blocks and to come back to projects you need development. For example, each week when I start I am re-energized and refreshed and ready for a creative week. I paint and sketch for 8-10 hours. By the end of Thursday I am reaching creative fatigue. I find it challenging to have the endurance to paint and sketch for that amount of time. By Friday, I am ready to step away and have a break. This is just my natural rhythm. I would have never learned this without keeping my diary. It also re-sparks new ideas for projects that I was developing or ones I initially ran into a creative block with. There have been several collections that I had a major creative download, I made many pieces in that creative moment but I had reached a block and needed to step away from the developing collection. After taking some time away when I would come back for the weekly or monthly reflecting I would re-spark my imagination and inspiration and finish telling the story of that collection.
Creative blocks happen for everyone. It is taking the time to discover what tools work best for you and your own rhythms. Try new things to break up monotony. Look back through your studio diary to reconnect to your progress, achievements and maybe a rekindled connection to an old creative project.
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