The past couple weeks have been a standstill on creativity. It feels a little like being suspended in space. Floating around in a virtual state of limbo. After a while you begin to wonder if it will ever return!
I know there will be an eventual break through. The creativity will flow once again. It may take time, but it will show up.
Creativity seems to come and go, you find it in the most unlikely places and it isn't something you can force. Right before falling asleep, a photo, a long forgotten sketch. Looking for inspiration is the easy part, right? Type a word, search and viola! A world of inspiration at your finger tips!
Since I know I'm not the only one that this has happened to, here are some great ideas to help get back on track!
Overcoming A Creative Block
Write it down, sketch it. Ideas come out of nowhere. Keep that sketch book handy, write it down, draw it. (Pull out some crayons and play!)
Tap in to your unconscious. A semi-sleep state is a perfect start. How many times has an idea come to you right before falling asleep? (Remembering what that idea is when you wake up is another challenge!)
Step away. Forcing something is never good. You can feel when something is forced or overworked. Don't let it beat you down. Let it go, walk away. You don't want mediocre, step away. It will come to you.
Liven up your work space! Bring in some color! Toys! Quilts! Bright, bold fun! Fill the void with inspiration. Crank up the music! (Sterile is uninspiring!)
Unlikely inspiration. How many times have you seen something unexpected and it got you thinking? You'd be amazed at what you find, what you see. Be open and expect the unexpected. Find something you normally wouldn't look at ~ arts, cultures, geography, shapes, fashion. (To name a few!)
There are many reasons a creative block happens. Personal to professional problems. Let's face it, they are impactful. Maybe you are overwhelmed with commitments. Over extended and exhausted. Sometimes I get stopped in my tracks looking at other quilts that I love. Fleeting moments of being inadequate or incompetent are normal for me. I have learned to work through them.
And then...the ideas, creativity and inspiration comes back like a ton of bricks! (I'm not there yet, but will be soon!)
What better feeling than a creative high?! Ideas bubbling in your head like a magic lava lamp! You feel totally free, on top of the world and you can't seem to work fast enough. You lose track of time, forget to eat and stay in your pajamas all day long.
The art of quilting has given me an artistic channel, an outlet. I remind myself that you can't please everyone. Art is subjective, people like what they like. The main thing to remember is you. Do you love what you do? Are you happy with it?
How do you handle a creative block? What do you do to overcome it?
Step away. Forcing something is never good. You can feel when something is forced or overworked. Don't let it beat you down. Let it go, walk away. You don't want mediocre, step away. It will come to you.
Liven up your work space! Bring in some color! Toys! Quilts! Bright, bold fun! Fill the void with inspiration. Crank up the music! (Sterile is uninspiring!)
Unlikely inspiration. How many times have you seen something unexpected and it got you thinking? You'd be amazed at what you find, what you see. Be open and expect the unexpected. Find something you normally wouldn't look at ~ arts, cultures, geography, shapes, fashion. (To name a few!)
There are many reasons a creative block happens. Personal to professional problems. Let's face it, they are impactful. Maybe you are overwhelmed with commitments. Over extended and exhausted. Sometimes I get stopped in my tracks looking at other quilts that I love. Fleeting moments of being inadequate or incompetent are normal for me. I have learned to work through them.
And then...the ideas, creativity and inspiration comes back like a ton of bricks! (I'm not there yet, but will be soon!)
What better feeling than a creative high?! Ideas bubbling in your head like a magic lava lamp! You feel totally free, on top of the world and you can't seem to work fast enough. You lose track of time, forget to eat and stay in your pajamas all day long.
The art of quilting has given me an artistic channel, an outlet. I remind myself that you can't please everyone. Art is subjective, people like what they like. The main thing to remember is you. Do you love what you do? Are you happy with it?
What better feeling than a creative high?! Ideas bubbling in your head like a magic lava lamp! You feel totally free, on top of the world and you can't seem to work fast enough. You lose track of time, forget to eat and stay in your pajamas all day long.
The art of quilting has given me an artistic channel, an outlet. I remind myself that you can't please everyone. Art is subjective, people like what they like. The main thing to remember is you. Do you love what you do? Are you happy with it?
How do you handle a creative block? What do you do to overcome it?
Great advice here. I recently tidied up my space. It does help
ReplyDeleteA little cleaning is sometimes all it takes!!
DeleteI tried to comment from my iphone yesterday but I couldn't get it to work! Probably my phone settings. Anyway I was looking at http://blog.gilliantravis.co.uk/ this blog yesterday and it had my mind whirling with inspiration! The pomegranate blogs/quilts she has made are just gorgeous! I just had to share :)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you came back to comment! Thank you for sharing the link. Very inspiring and amazing work!
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