3 Kinds of Creative Blocks (and what to do about them)
Every creative dry spell feels like the worst one, and maybe the last one. This is the conclusion I'm coming to in the midst of my own current artistic block, and maybe you can relate.
About Creative Blocks:
Creative blocks can serve a powerful purpose. Artists worldwide and historically have gone through dry spells where art was not being created, often leading to a transition in their art that was pivotal. Some artists didn't create work publicly for years before finding that transition and direction again. Jackson Pollock's greatest creative drought came at the height of his fame. Georgia O'Keeffe uprooted her entire life to find inspiration in New Mexico, and artists like Monet and Picasso both found their prolific creativity constrained by the loss of relationship. (source)
Where do creative blocks come from?
There are a few different kinds of blocks:
Developmental Blocks: A developmental block happens when an artist's vision and their skill aren't in sync. If your ability to implement your intention for the painting is limited by your inexperience, you can solve this with practice (keep putting in those hours) and by seeking out guidance from a mentor who can advise you.
Circumstantial Blocks: What you're facing in your life will impact your creativity. Stress, grief, and health are the most common circumstances that can impact creative flow and cause you to feel disconnected from the emotions you want to feel when painting. Sometimes it's important to recognize that the season of life you're in might limit how much you can give to your art, and be patient as you move through it.
Mindset/Limitation Blocks: A period of great productivity or success can often be followed by a creative block that seems to have no source. Perhaps we could think of a well that fills slowly, and if we have an abundant season of creativity, we might be less surprised to find the well dry, and the need to wait for the slow seep of refilled creative energy again. But I also think that this kind of block can come, not from a drained battery but a steady absorption of the wrong kind of messaging. As we pour out and create art, it's so easy to start leaning into definitive ideation about what we're creating. "This is what I'm meant to create! This is my style, my best work, my true direction..." If we're showing our work, other people might affirm these ideas as well, and the praise also breeds some expectation that finally, we have it all figured out, we're locked in and what I'm making today is who I am now. But art has always been meant to grow, just as we are, and we don't get to stay in one place, making variations on that one thing that felt resonant, exciting and true in the moment. If it feels resonant today, it's going to feel familiar tomorrow, and down the road it might even feel stale, old and tired.
My own creative block:
This year has been a lot, and so as I write this, I don't think I should be surprised that my creative well is a little dry right now. I've grieved with many loved ones through painful losses this year. I've finished some big projects, and I've been very involved with planning my daughter's wedding, taking place next week. And I've seen my art move from what felt fresh and exciting to a stage of wondering "what's next?" It's the trifecta of creative blocks, and truthfully, it's probably long overdue.
My Prescription for a Creative Block:
fresh air. Scheduling in frequent walks in nature always helps my brain unspool, and awakens my sense of awe at the beauty in the world.
gratitude. I have spent a lot of time sorting through old paintings and seeing how far I've come. Uploading my archived courses to YouTube has also be a wonderful reminder of all art has given me.
giving. When trying to paint regularly to find the new path doesn't seem to be working, I look for other outlets for my creativity. Making gifts for friends and organizing/decorating my home offers a creative outlet that doesn't feel like pressure to produce a masterpiece.
foolishness. Last week I took a painting kit on my walk and set up for a ten minute painting on a large flat rock beside the trail. I called the rock "my studio" and it reminded me of my childhood spent building forts. I will never look at that rock again without seeing it as my imaginary art studio, and I'm childishly excited to go back and do more painting there.
Timeline Unknown:
The hardest part of a creative block is that we never know how long it will last, and like I said, every block feels like the worst one and the last one; that maybe this is the block that never ends, and I'll just never find that flow again. The emotions feel very real. If we could have a timeline, maybe it would be easier to navigate a dry season, but like so many other things in life, we just don't get to know how long we'll be here. And maybe that's just how this artist's journey works.
This month members of the Heart-Led Artist's Journey are exploring this topic in more depth in a lesson called "How to Start Again." If you've been trying to get back to painting, you might just find a little flow inspiration to help you in the lecture and accompanying painting exercise. Sign up here.
New to YouTube today! Lovely Loose Florals in Watercolour
Click the painting to watch the course!
About the Legacy Collection:
Over the next few months the archived courses from my first ten years of teaching online - my Legacy Collection - will be released on YouTube, one at a time. My hope is that these older courses continue to inform and inspire artists to open themselves up to painting freely from the heart, to let go of perfectionism and self criticism, and find a more heart-prioritizing painting process.
I hope you'll consider sharing the lessons with your friends. If you've learned from one of these courses in the past, thank you. It's because of you that I can do what I do, and the Angela Fehr Legacy Collection is my gift to all my students.