Art Block: How Creatives Can Find Their Flow Again
- Jose Soto
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
There are few things all artists and creatives fear: clients asking for too many
revisions, explaining your job to extended family, and Art Block. The others, I
don't have much advice for, but thankfully for the last one I have plenty! Besides
the challenge's of daily life, we also have to worry about maintaining creative flow
and trusting ourselves. In a perfect world, we could handle it all, but sadly, those
skills can be hindered by many factors. Maybe work has been way more
demanding recently, or your responsibilities have been extra draining recently,
leading you to performing at less than 100% capacity.
What is Art Block?
So what is this? The term I've found for creatives is "Art Block". I couldn’t give
you an official definition, but if you’re here you probably know the feeling. One
where in spite of needing to work, wanting to stretch your legs creatively, you find
that you are stuck stiff in your tracks. It’s not a physical limitation, like lacking a
pencil and paper, but rather an internal one; not knowing what to make,
sometimes even a lack of confidence in one’s decision making. It’s frustrating,
agonizing, terrifying, and not at all uncommon.
This is an experience that has been felt by most people, not just artists!
Famously, athletes fear a similar state called “The Yips” where they can’t operate
at the same high level performance that they are expected to. Sound familiar?
Heck, it’s not even a new phenomenon; French novelist Gustave Flaubert wrote
in 1868, “My novel is going very badly for the moment… You don't know what it is
to stay a whole day with your head in your hands trying to squeeze your
unfortunate brain so as to find a word. Ideas come very easily to you,
incessantly, like a stream. With me it is a tiny thread of water.”
Why Does Art Block Happen?
Why does it happen? This is the wild card as it entirely depends on your life,
what your daily routine is and if there have been any notable changes. Start
simple; how are you feeling? Is everything stable? Are you under stress? Have
you been burning the midnight oil a little longer than you should have? Any one
of these can be a understandable reason and could be where you should start
making changes.
Of course, some advice will work better with others, but I have found that the
following has worked for me whenever I am in a creative drought and I believe
they can do the same for you.
Tips for Unblocking
1) Don’t force a square peg into a round hole. Sitting down and pushing yourself
to just get it done could just prolong the problem. Sometimes, as much as it could
pain you, you need to step away and focus on other things if possible. Go for
walks, hang out with friends, practice a hobby. If you aren’t thinking about work,
you’re doing great. I'll be there when you're ready.
2) Explore art without limits. If you feel like you aren’t inspired enough, maybe
you need to find a new well to draw water from. Music, film, paintings, literature
are all plentiful with ideas and inspiration you haven’t found yet, take the leap and
see what else is out there. Maybe it’ll be what you need to make something new!
3) Change up your flow. Tackle the problem in a different way. Ignore the rules
you unconsciously set for yourself and try doing things a different way. Try a
different sound, color, genre that you wouldn't dream of including. Even if you
aren’t convinced about a new approach, there’s a chance it could teach you
something you didn’t know.
4) You can always go back to basics! Pretend you’re in school and do the
exercises you did starting out. A refresh on something you thought was
unconscious could give you a new perspective on an old trick. Ironically, maybe
you’ll learn something new!
At the end of the day, we’re happy you are sitting down and making something,
relying on your own skills and discipline to make something only you could ever
make. If you feel like your work shouldn’t be made, ignore that voice because the
world is better with your dreams in it. Oh and you may be pleased to know
Gustave did end up publishing his novel the very next year and it is considered
one of the most influential novels of the 19th century.
Go get'em!
About the Writer: Jose Soto
Jose Soto is a storyboard artist and writer in South Florida with a passion for the fun and strange. He has a love for art and animation and strives to tell hand-crafted stories that lives on in hearts and minds.
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