Overcoming a creative block

The healing power of art and the importance of mindset

A river of material flows through us. When we share our work and our ideas, they are replenished. If we block the flow by holding them all inside, the river cannot run and new ideas are slow to appear. In the abundant mindset, the river never runs dry. Ideas are always coming through. And an artist is free to release them with the faith that more will arrive.

Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Last November I hit a very hard creative block due to a variety of reasons (some related and some not to my art practice). In early January I decided to take deliberate action and started with small things - reflecting on the past year of art making, making some plans for 2024. I had unfinished exercises from an online course on oils, so I took them out and made some little studies and colour wheels. Step by step I was gaining ground again.

Although this period was very difficult and I am still recovering, it helped me to understand and appreciate the healing power of art and the importance of having the right mindset. I also realised that I want to be of service to other artists and creatives, share more about my experiences and thoughts, discuss vulnerable topics.

In this post I want to share with you some small steps you can take to overcome a creative block.

It took me quite a long time to write this piece and I hope that you will find it useful, helpful and inspiring!

Reorganise your studio space

Helen Hallows

writes brilliantly about nurturing and nourishing yourself to get back into the creative flow.

I particularly resonated with this idea:

Inside my studio, I am clearing and letting go. I have decided to let go of unfinished projects and unused ideas. I have moved on the broken and the superfluous. I am taking my queue from nature and paring back. In the stillness that follows I await new growth. I trust that in the physical and internal space I am clearing that my creative soul will find new excitements, new ways to express. (read more here)

Sort out all of your supplies, give away what doesn’t serve you anymore. Create a list of things you need to renew or replenish.

I reviewed my watercolour palette, gave away paint I never used, sorted out collage papers, old studies and sketchbooks. I like to stick studies with ideas worth exploring further into sketchbooks, all the other stuff I just let go and take it to the recycling bin.

I have a big stack of various papers, including watercolour and drawing paper, upcycled paper bags, old books, folders, and other ephemera, so I sorted everything and made a couple of new handmade sketchbooks. If you want to see what I create in them check out my sketchbook tours.

I threw away everything else that didn’t serve me anymore and organised the rest in various boxes, so now I can reach my supplies more easily.

Take time to reflect on your practice

Write down your thoughts, ideas and reflections. Slowly go through your work, old sketchbooks, studies. Think about your process and what you enjoy doing. Write plans for future - what you want to change, what directions you want to explore, what do you want to learn, etc.

You can write your own thoughts or use a ready-made questionnaire, like this one about finding your style from Laura Horn or you can use questions from these posts (The ‘Why’ Factor, Discover Your ‘Why') by

The Intentional Artist

.

I have a little handmade notebook, where I write my thoughts, ideas and reflections from time to time. I also write lots of ideas in the Notes app. I have a special list to collect creative ideas, techniques I’d like to try, new ways of experimenting with my art, what supplies I want to try and so on. I revisit this list from time to time for inspiration.

Make art instead of thinking about it

Organising and reflecting are important parts of the creative process, however, don’t forget that the main thing is to actually create art.

When you suffer from a creative block it is easier said than done, but the mindset here is that anything counts - swatching supplies, mixing colours, creating collage papers, making a small 5-minute sketch or a value study. I also decided to make my practice as accessible as possible - I organised the space, so that it is easy to grab some supplies and start creating. Consider having a small art kit with limited supplies, choose a specific subject and repeat the idea several times exploring it from different angles.

Focus on the process, not on the outcomes.

Have specific goals

In order to make your art practice consistent consider joining a challenge, such as the 100 Day Project. Feel free to set your own rules around completing the challenge and don’t overthink it. The most important thing is to make a commitment, e.g. to create a certain number of works in a limited time. It’s good to have a specific goal in mind and introduce some limitations - such as what colours, supplies and substrates are you going to use, what will be the size of your artworks, what will be your subject matter, etc.

I decided to join the 100 Days Project and create 100 small watercolour landscapes in a sketchbook.

My goal is to create as much art as possible throughout this year and I really like the idea of making 50 pounds of art by

Kelcey Ervick

.

Get out of your comfort zone

Experiment with your process and try new techniques, e.g. if you have never tried collage - I recommend exploring it, it is a very freeing and fun practice and it also helps you to get those papers and paint used.

Try repeating and reusing ideas in a variety of ways, explore new subject matter and supplies, break rules and see what happens!

Become comfortable with creating “ugly” art - as Sandi Hester says “All the bad goes into the good”.

Creating art outside of my studio is something that I am not particularly comfortable with, so it is my goal for the year to start painting on location.

To be honest, I am still procrastinating with this one (weather is my current excuse), but I have a small trip planned in early April and I hope to catch up.

Focus on your own practice

By this I primarily mean create your own work and don’t rely on tutorials, workshops or online courses - anything that implies repeating after someone and watching how others do the thing (instead of you doing the thing). It may sound a little counterintuitive as online courses surely can be a source of inspiration and knowledge. I am not against online courses, quite the opposite - I learned absolutely amazing things through them - but I agree with

Carolyn Yoo

from

SEE YOU

(You don’t need another class):

It feels safe to work towards an externally defined goal, even if it’s not exactly your own.

I started noticing that I use online courses as a safety blanket and excuse to not experiment more myself - “Oh I need to learn this first, then I need to learn that...” kind of thing. And most of these courses weren’t quite right for what I wanted to do.

You should be very intentional in how and why you choose a course and how you incorporate the knowledge into your own practice. The problem usually is that you either (1) try to repeat exactly what others create or (2) you try to repeat their process / subject matter / style / use the same colours and supplies, etc. - namely, not figuring out the thing yourself and not experimenting outside of what is provided in the course.

Personal style development is impossible without exploring your own natural inclinations. At a certain point you have to be brave enough to make your own mistakes and to explore your own process and natural style, this implies creating bad art and being frustrated from time to time, but this is the way.

I am not taking any online courses this year, the only possible exceptions would be online workshops, where everyone does their own thing. I like the community aspect - tuning into live sessions and creating something with other people. Otherwise I am focusing on my own art this year.

Be inspired by other artists and creatives

Unlike courses these experiences do not provide you with specific ideas or guidelines, rather they allow you to get new ideas and inspiration and refine your artistic taste and discernment.

Go out to a gallery, museum, a local exhibition or art fair to feed your own creativity. Art books and catalogues are a great source of inspiration. Learn about old masters, contemporary artists, various genres and types of art. Go see a performance at a local theatre, watch a movie or listen to music. Read a new book. Listen to podcasts & interviews. Find inspiration in the everyday things. Learn what inspires you outside of art making - walks in nature, learning a new language, cooking a new dish.

The more you absorb the more you understand what you love, the more varied and personal your own art becomes. Don’t forget to connect with others, share your work and experiences with the creative community!

Further reading

Hope this was helpful! I’d be happy to hear about your experience.

Thanks for being here and until next time!

Lisa