Truth be told, I’m not a fan of the term “creative” to describe people who are involved in the arts. Something about it maakes it seem like creativity is something reserved for an elite group.But if we’re honest, every one of us is a creative in some way. Having said that, this entry is for you if you have dedicated a large amount of time, money and mental energy towards creating things and sharing it with the world.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the idea of writer’s block, but for the purpose of this blog, I’m going to employ the term creator’s block. Basically, it’s the exerpience that people face where they would like to create something, but are unable to access their internal creativity to produce a new item of work. This can look like many failed or unsatisfactory attempts at the same project, or just a general dejection and lack of motivation to engage in any creative activities. For me, it means that I go through three or four pantings that I absolutely hate and want to set on fire, and a couple days/weeks of not looking at my art supplies, all while feeling like the biggest fraud and failure.
And guess what? That’s exactly where I am right now. In the middle of yet another cretive block. However, this time around, instead of mentally beating myself up about it, I decided to do some much needed introspection.
Naturally, because of my interests, I’m surrounded by quite a few friends who are also painters/musicians/poets/photographer (or some combination of all of those things), so I was able to hear from their experiences as well. So after multiple google searchs and some tearful phone conversation later, I have finally found the key to getting over creator’s block. To save you the time of going through the extensive research that I went through, I’m going to summarize this key in one sentence. The universal key to overcomingcreator’s block, is not trying to get over it.
I know that might have been mildly disappointing to read, but stay with me. Have you ever realized that the more you focus on doing things to make you feel more creative, the less you’re able to actually produce your creativity? That’s because creator’s block isn’t a punishment that we need to avoid. It’s not a curse. It’s your brain’s way of signalling to you that you need a rest from creating. When you constantly try to force your creative muscles to kick into high gear while they’re cryig out for a break, you’ll find yourself even more frustrated and worn out than when you started. So how exactly do you not get over creator’s block? You look at it from a different perspective. I found a quote while scrolling instagram the other day that perfectly sums this up.
“My value is not defined by my productivity”
It’s easy as an artist to put so much of youreslf- your thoughts, your feelings your emotions- into your work that it becomes almost impossible to separate yourself from it. But it’s something we all need to practice doing. Your worth as an artist doesn’t diminish simply because you’re not making art right now. So the best way to get over that creator’s block? Don’t. Let yourself ride it out. Use it as an opportunity to asses your previous work. What drove you into the slump in the first place? Are there projects that you’re involved in that are draining you of your creative energy? Are you surrounding yourself with people who inspire you and help you to generate new and innovative ideas? The truth is, creative blocks are inevitable but they don’t have to be the end of you. Give yourself permission to take a break, and I promise, the spark will return to you. Mine just did.