What Is A Creative Block And How To Overcome It?
Creativity has always been synonymous with the word ‘artist’. Its origin has been debated through the centuries, with philosophers like Emmerson ascribing it to the omnipresent One Mind to scientists placing it in the “right brain”. Artists often find it in odd places like trains, toilets and dreams. It is widely believed to be spontaneous, hence, its loss, even if temporary, is a cause of much dread among the artist community. So how does one tackle a creative block?
Here are a few tips to get your mind (or soul or stomach), the source of your creativity, back on track.
1. Take a Break
More often than not, we are stressed and taking some time off is a good way to desaturate and rejuvenate ourselves. According to Instagram famous artist Metrodoodle, not drawing for a few days is one of the ways that work for him in getting over any art blocks that he may encounter. Abhishek Tr, a popular writer from Quora, lets himself be for two weeks and pens down any instant thoughts he has in that time. “[It results in] 4-5 ideas each day. That helped me write again”, he says.
2. Can’t take a Vacation? – Go out anyway.
Breaks don’t always have to be long. Photographer and budding filmmaker Saurabh Dixit says, “I am not really sure if anything like a creative block exists, but whenever I feel too exhausted to produce ideas, I listen to music and go out for long walks. This acts like a refresh button for my mind and helps me think out of the box.” So, a change of surroundings, even if it is a trip to a new cafe down the block, can act as a catalyst for your creative juices.
3. Do your Research
When working for a client, an in-depth research based on the brief can go a long way in developing a fertile environment for good ideas to germinate. Also, checking out appropriate works of different artists can provide a novel perspective. Even if you are not doing a preassigned task, exposing yourself to books, music, and visuals, both relevant and irrelevant, old and new, favourite and hated, can cause the spark of an idea in your head.
4. Get Inspired
This is definitely the most popular tip out there. “Creative block or writer’s block is often due to lack of inspiration,” says bestselling author Kevin Missal. He adds, “How I tackle that is by trying to make sure I’m constantly inspired by movie soundtracks, novels (of that particular genre that I’m writing on at that time), TV shows, etc. It helps a lot.”
Another testimonial in favor is narrated by fashion photographer and portrait artist Manjari Singh. “The last time I suffered a creative block was a few months back and it drove me crazy. I was unable to sketch – it was nightmarish. I began to remind myself daily how much it meant to me. I spent hours looking at other people’s works, poring over their stories, and reading books. It took some time but one day I picked up my tools and made a sketch – it was the most satisfying thing in the world!”
5. Brainstorm
This one is my personal favourite. To brainstorm is to take a blank sheet of paper and jot down any and every idea that enters your brain absolutely without any restriction or pause. What might seem like useless clutter in your head can take an entirely different shape on paper. Variations of this technique exist, such as free writing. It involves writing boundlessly in no particular direction, and is made use of by many writers. Artists do the same thing by sketching freely. Not everything produced in such a manner is usable but it clears one’s mind for fresh ideas.
However, one doesn’t have to do all work alone. For Metrodoodle, being stuck like this is an opportunity to ask his dedicated followers to pitch in some ideas!
How do you reset your creative OS when it gets stuck? Let us know in the comments below!
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