A creative block is a normal phase that every artist has to go through every now and then. Although it can be avoided, it is still inevitable that some days won’t be as creative as others.
Identifying the different reasons as to why we get blocks can be a great way to avoid them. Thus, learning the different ways to overcome your creative block will not just help you restore your creative juices, but it will also restore and revitalize your energy while diminishing your stress and anxiety at the same time. So, in this article, that’s what the discussion is all about. Keep on reading to learn more.
What is a Creative Block?
Also known as an artist’s block, this is a quite dreadful time or phase for most artists mainly because it feels like they don't have ideas for their art or simply the motivation to do art.
Everyone may have experienced that every once in a while because our brain will not always function productively even though we want to. Why? It’s because it needs to cooldown. And you need to allow your brain to cool down every once in a while. Being productive is not just about the “outputs' ' that you create such as doing your job demands, list of chores, school life, or family life. You also need to have time for your “inputs.” Simply to say, you should have time for yourself by taking a rest to reflect, meditate, practice mindfulness, read a book, or write down your feelings in a journal.
That way, you’ll have a healthy balanced life that is not susceptible to burnouts and plenty of creative blocks. Moreover, having a balanced life will reduce negative feelings, stress, and anxiety: a key to a happier and more productive life.
Possible Reasons Why We Experience Creative Blocks
1. Overworked brain:
As mentioned, you need to save your brain from its energy losses. Getting sleep is not enough, so as much as possible, you need to take a break from all the work and try to meditate or do less heavy tasks without sacrificing your creativity. You can either read a book, write in a journal, pause and reflect, exercise, do yoga, and much more.
2. Not enough sleep:
Sleeping less than eight hours a day can significantly affect our brain and body energy in a negative way. Not only will you experience burnout but symptoms of depression and other mental issues may even arise, especially when this happens often. In order to get the right amount of sleep that you need daily, making a realistic schedule that you can follow can help in giving you the rest that you need. Thus, avoiding gadgets at night (especially during bedtime) is extra helpful because using gadgets at night entices us to sleep late and it’s not helpful in making you fall asleep because it keeps our eyes awake due to the light it emits.
3. Imbalanced schedule:
If you don’t have a work-life balance wherein your work schedule is being overpowered by your family life, personal life, and hobbies, then it is more likely that you can experience burnouts because you do not have the time to take a break from work demands in order to enjoy yourself. Hence, a balanced schedule is necessary so that your creativity won’t run out, too.
We recommend that you create a daily schedule that is simple and realistic; something that you can follow on a daily basis which incorporates work, a time for rest, a time for meditating, honing your craft and abilities, enjoying the things that you consider as pleasures in your life and so forth. That way, you won’t exhaust your brain and body too much.
4. Fear of imperfection:
We often think that we are not good enough or our skills are insufficient. Thus, there are instances where we doubt your capabilities and talents which lead to the belief that our artworks are not good. We tend to be afraid to make mistakes in art because of the thought that it will turn ugly. This frame of mind should be avoided because it impedes us from releasing our maximum potential. It’s okay to be imperfect and it’s very much okay to make mistakes because that’s what will make our art unique.
Simple Ways in Overcoming Your Creative Block
Of course, this section is the main star of the article because in here, we will be teaching you the different ways in overcoming your creative block that are simple to do, relaxing, helpful, and doable for all artists.
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Take a rest:
The very first step in overcoming your creative block is to take a rest, including from creating art. It sounds quite counterproductive and ironic but you need to keep in mind that your brain needs to take a rest from time to time. You can read a book, meditate, and relax in this process and whenever you feel like your energy is restored, you can start working again on creating artworks.
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Avoid self-criticism:
Your enemy can be yourself due to the criticisms that you tell yourself that are often unnecessary and unproductive to your craft. Instead of taking criticisms from yourself, ask people for feedback and constructive criticism that can help you improve as an artist. Such can also help you make better artworks in the future.
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Seek inspiration from nature:
Whenever you feel stressed or run out of ideas, nature should be your first resort because it is full of beautiful things. After all, art is a manifestation of how beautiful nature is. Take a walk in beautiful parks, go to the beach, go hiking with your dog, explore, look at the things around you: including the sky, trees, and the beautiful chirping sound of birds. Nature is harmonious and try to incorporate that aspect to your art.
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Learn how to look from different perspectives:
As an artist, looking from different angles or perspectives can help you generate fresh and new ideas that can help you create new artworks that are fresh, unique, and innovative that can create happiness in people's eyes.
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Keep a notebook everywhere you go as much as possible:
Writing down in a journal things like your future ideas, the color palette that you want to use in the future, making random sketches, etc. are very helpful in keeping your creative juices flowing. Thus, don’t be ashamed to bring a notebook, even a smaller one, whenever you bring outside because you’ll never know when inspiration will hit you.
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Try doing something new:
Don’t just stick to the ordinary, be as unconventional as you want because this can help in overcoming your creative block. Doing things that you haven’t tried before brings unexpected ideas that can lead to new creations.
Final Insights
We hope that this discussion about the different ways in overcoming your creative block helps in restoring your creative juices so that you can go back to working in your art. What are your go-to ways to keep you creative? Let us know and share it with other people so that you can help and act as inspiration.
