How To Push Past Your Creative Block
Creativity is a natural part of the human experience. It’s that spark inside of us that makes us want to create. Yet, there are times when this energy dwindles and we find ourselves struggling for inspiration, unable to produce anything new or original. Trust that we know how frustrating and discouraging this feeling can be but we’re here to help you overcome your creative block and get back into the swing of things. From art journaling to digital detoxes, there’s something in this blog post for everyone who wants a little more creativity in their life!
“The Truth Is Out There” //Oil on Panel// by 4th Edition Finalist, Natalie Featherston
TRY NOT TO STRESS
This may be one of the most important yet hardest tips of all. Easier said than done right! But, try your best not to stress no matter how hard it may be. Stress will simply amplify your emotions and make your creative block feel less manageable than it really is. Find the best-suited stress reliever for you such as exercising, lighting a candle, socializing with friends, being alone with a book, meditating and so many other ways. According to psychologist Robert Epstein, PhD., stress is a well-known creativity killer and this stems from our brain’s natural instinct when under pressure to prioritize more pressing needs over abstract and creative thinking. But at the same time, even if you are a little stressed, for example, from a nearing deadline or multitasking with your projects, that small amount of stress can help you progress past your creative block because your brain releases dopamine and adrenaline which motivate you to work towards a certain goal by providing an intense feeling and desire for achievement.
“Barbies” //Oil on Canvas// by 4th Edition Finalist, Manuel Dampeyroux
2. ART JOURNALING
Art journaling is the ultimate outlet that you can use to connect with your creativity. It’s similar to a written journal but rather, it utilizes various materials, colours, images, and patterns. There are art journals filled with lots of written content or solely images. This process of healthy, self-directed expression will liberate you and give you the opportunity to explore new media, techniques, ideas, and means of expression in a safe, private and comfortable space. Let yourself be free with it because there are no rules and anything goes because it’s your art journal. Creativity does not come from the mind alone but also comes with intuition and feeling that isn’t always available to us. When we are blocked creatively by fear or anxiety, there is an impulse deep inside our subconscious telling us what’s wrong which needs to be acknowledged before proceeding forward. In cases like this, journaling helps get those thoughts out so they don’t keep playing over and over again in your head.
“Midas //Oil on Canvas// by 2nd Edition Juror, Kamar Thomas
3. CATCH SOME ZZZ’s
If you’re anything like me, sleeping when you have things to do can actually end up making you feel more anxious; however, it is scientifically proven that during sleep, neurons in different parts of the brain simultaneously work to store memories and this process helps you also to think more clearly and allows creativity to come easier. There’s also a boost in brainpower after waking up from deep REM cycles during the night. Without sleep, our brains struggle with forming ideas and performing optimally. Furthermore, keeping a book and pen close by can be useful for making notes when you wake up from an inspiring dream full of ideas and creativity that you can use in your upcoming artwork.
“Tuned In” //Oil on Linen// by 3rd Edition Finalist, Samuel Wilson
4. CREATE
2nd Edition Finalist, Lexi Laine puts it perfectly when she says “I think the tempting thing with a creative block is to stop producing. I think the only way that I personally can work through a creative block is by just doing that - working through it. I carry on even if everything is hopeless. I have enough faith in myself to know that eventually, I’ll come out the other side of the low.” So when you have a block, it’s important to create anyway because creativity is like a muscle that needs regular exercise to achieve its full potential. It also helps when the creative process gets disrupted or interrupted so don’t be afraid to experiment with new methods of working; even if they seem strange at first! Continually, when we say create, we mean running even with ideas that you may think are bad - okay, maybe jogging instead of running. But, truly the idea behind this is to allow yourself to make mistakes while creating and to use your mistakes as a springboard for even more creativity. I believe that creating a work of art is a culmination of these stages: patience, progress, pushing your own boundaries, adapting where need be, and lastly, acceptance.
“Isolation” //Photography// by 2nd Edition Finalist, Maureen Denny
5. TAKE A DIGITAL DETOX
“Digital detox” is a term that refers to removing yourself from the digital world for at least 24 hours. Honestly, there’s nothing quite as satisfying in today’s world as going entirely offline and getting away from your screens for some time. It’s particularly beneficial if you are finding it hard to focus on your thoughts and creative projects because of distractions and digital saturation from social media. A recent study by Dr. David Greenfield found that after just two days away from our devices, we tend to have increased focus span and overall improved mood with decreased levels of anxiety which is ideal for letting those creative juices flow! Digital detoxes also help you to spend less time procrastinating - I mean, have you ever spent the whole day on TikTok wondering where all that time went? Same but luckily, removing your device means that you’re less likely to procrastinate because of social media which can mean that you have more time to get into your creative groove.
“Victims” //Oil on Panel// by 4th Edition Finalist, Ira Upin
6. CLEAR YOUR SPACE to clear your mind
A clear space is one of the best ways to achieve a clear mind and promote creativity. Your environment has the power to affect your thoughts, actions, and even your productivity levels, so it’s beyond helpful to keep it clutter-free. This will help get you into an organized, more receptive mental state which makes it easier to think creatively. So, picture your space as a canvas - when it’s empty, you have lots of space waiting for ideas to flow onto without any distractions or barrier in its way but when it’s filled, you’ll have less space to work and experiment with.
Linked to this is also the idea of Feng Shui which you can try out when looking to get out of a creative low. Feng Shui is the ancient Oriental art of living space arrangement and organization with the goal of instilling harmonious balance and energies between you and your environment. It’s simple to incorporate this practice into your life, for example, by arranging items from most used to least used so that they are more easily accessible.
“In Retrograde” //Acrylic on Canvas// by 3rd Edition Submitter, Lindsay Parker
7. READ
Reading can help you overcome that pesky creative block. The words on the page can be like an escape from your own thoughts and equally, a source of inspiration and can help stimulate your imagination. 2nd Place Winner in the 2nd Edition and non-gendered and multi-disciplinary Taiwanese artist, Jiang Feng explains the importance of reading in his creative process when he/they say “I read many kinds of books, literature, feminism, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology, basically anything about humanities and social science. To me, the thing that really differentiates people and artists is their thinking. Hence, reading is a must for me because it helps me to reflect and replenish my interiority.”
“Cooper in Sunset” //Oil on Canvas// by 3rd Edition Submitter, Rebecca Shkeyrov
8. BREAK IT DOWN
Yes, by all means, if you want to dance, sure you can do that too but we’re talking about breaking down your projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This can help to make you feel less overwhelmed if you take your creative process one step at a time and can further promote steady progress with your artwork. We call this micro productivity. According to workplace productivity coach and speaker, Melissa Gratias, Ph.D., “Breaking tasks down helps us to see large tasks as more approachable and doable, and reduces our propensity to procrastinate or defer tasks because we simply don’t know where to begin”. She also states that “specific goals immediately get our wheels turning on the strategies necessary to attain them” which can mean that breaking down the tasks into specific goals for your next work of art can program your mind to take necessary action that will motivate you and help your creativity flow better.
All in all, you are not alone in your creative block and there are many ways to push past it and start enjoying the process of creating again! We hope this list of examples we provided was beneficial to help you get back into your creative flow. Share with us what works best for you using #creativeblockbreak and tagging our social media accounts. Happy creating!