Recently, I went through this artist's block and I wasn't sure what steps to take or how to overcome it. in the past few months, I'd been going through all my saved skillshare classes and making time to finish the assignments - even if they weren't posted- I'd watch the class and take time to actually finish the assignments in my sketchbook. I even had a list of go-to ideas for video creation on my youtube channel. I was on the verge of creating a sketchbook practice drawing from everyday objects found in my home.
However, when this "life change" occurred I wasn't sure how to go about it and stay creative. It disrupted the routine I had going for myself.
The thing that sparked some creativity after sitting and being idle for two weeks was a request that came from a friend. "can you make a video of how to make Milton". When the request was made I had my reservations.
would people judge me? Would there be dislikes of the video? How does this relate to my art channel - or is there a way to make it related to my art channel? then my creative ideas began to flow again. Reaching out to my audience on Instagram, I asked them about what to create. they gave me suggestions and I was surprised by
1 how long one sketch would take and
2 how good they came out.
the first thing - how long it would take - just goes to show my level of impatience. Somewhere somehow I began to lose patience with my self, with my craft. one time my brother saw me working on a creative piece and he was surprised how much patience I had. perhaps due to the lack of concentration I forgot just how long a drawing was done realistically can take.
and two I surprised myself with how good these watercolor illustrations came out! Often times I would admire the work of people like Ohn Mar Win and while she has her style of creating, ogling over her work didn't help because I wasn't putting pen to paper and practicing.
I decided to do a bit of research to figure out what causes a creative block.
Creative blocks may also occur as a result of:
the thought of rejection
self-criticism, or even outside pressure
Here's what I found: according to good therapy
The death of a loved one or the end of a relationship
A lack of financial support
The depletion of all creative energy after a fully immersed period of creating
Self-doubt, both pertaining to ability and talent
Repeated rejection of one's work
Anxiety regarding the outcome of a project or task
The need for perfection
The dependence on substances to be creative
The onset of an illness or medical condition
A sudden loss of meaning and purpose in one's work
Negative self-talk or criticism
more information can be found here.
Often times you'll see people write tips on overcoming creative block without the context of how their block was onset. I know why I felt blocked and I gave myself time to process what I was experiencing by journaling. This life change had me thinking about what's next, and while I didn't wish to rush my decisions, reaching out to my current audience and taking time to engage with them helped me to get back into creating.
Let me know in the comments below how you have overcome creative block.