Finding Freedom in a block

Every artist hits that wall — when the ideas just stop and find it damn near impossible to create something or in some cases, something good. Our brains seem to stop working and our creative juices stop flowing. For most of us, this block feels constraining, sort of like a locked box with no key in sight. This article is about making that box feel less like a prison and more like a home.

A creative block is not a checkpoint rather it’s a way station. It’s not the end of your artistic journey, it is just a part of it. By definition, it is a period of time when a person experiences a lack of inspiration or motivation to create. A period characterized by reduced productivity and creativity thinking. What came easily now feels like a chore, your own mind constantly is betraying you. A novelist that writes for hours finds it difficult to string together a paragraph. A painter that saw art in everything cannot pick a brush. When he eventually does, all he sees is grey. 

The common fear surrounding a creative block is the permanence. What if it never ends? What if I can’t create again? These are the questions that plague or weigh down artists suffering from a block. The fear that they’d never be able to make their art again. These fears, while albeit valid, do not help in times like this. If all we focus on is the fear and panic, we’ll never get out of it. If you ever do suffer through a creative block, take that time to reflect on your person. Use that period to rediscover yourself and your love of life and art. Find other ways to express your creative side. Art comes in many forms, and you can learn to express yourself and your creative sides in dozens of ways. History tells us that Pablo Picasso could not pick up a paint brush for a consideration amount of time after his divorce and losing custody of his kids. Since he couldn’t draw, he put his other creative juices to use. He turned to poetry. He wrote about the woman anatomy, he wrote about love. Those poems ended up in the Les Cahiers D’Art. The legendary artist could not draw for two years so he focused on something else he could do. During his creative block, Picasso learnt that he could write. His block was his channel to discovering other artistic aspects to himself. His written works capture the beauty and romance of love. His description of the woman anatomy illustrated his worship of the female form. 

A creative block doesn’t have to be a locked box, it could be an opportunity to find new keys. Your mind might be temporarily stuck from going further through one artistic process but it doesn’t mean you can’t channel yourself through other forms of art. It all depends on you and the way you channel your creative side. 

While it might not seem like it, a creative block is also a way for artists to further grow their craft. Many creatives that experienced a block came back better than they ever were. Legendary Claude Monet had no motivation for two years after the death of his wife, Alicia. Yet, his painting of the 22 panels of Grandes Decoration is arguably one of his best works. According to Edgar Allen Poe, “Some days we don’t feel like Poe” and “we don’t feel inspired at all” Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest writers ever and he believed that writer’s block was part of the creative process.

A creative block is similar to a Chinese finger trap, the more you resist, the harder it is to get out of. We cannot force ourselves out of a creative block, all we can do is be patient and let time do its work. The thing about a creative block is that it is linked directly to us and our mind. It occurs for a myriad of reasons ranging from loss to criticism, to your mind just needing time to rest. The harder we try to fight and get out of it without due process, the harder it gets for our brain to function. The only thing we can do is try to relax and slowly but surely, our creativity will come back. As creatives, our art is a part of us. It is something that we can do naturally without force or persuasion. Therefore, in a creative block, our best play is to wait. Let our mind get into the right space and we’ll be right back to being our naturally creative selves. And whilst we’re in the process, find other ways to channel our art. So, next time you hit a block, try something new, write, sketch or simply step back.