Creative Block: 5 tips to overcome it

Creative process 15 February 2021 Last Updated: 02 November 2023 Hits: 3455

I decided to open this section because I would like to be transparent and share with you what is behind what I do. I'd like to tell you about the emotions that accompany my work .. the bad ones but above all, luckily, the good ones.

I have noticed over time that strong emotions are the main ingredient of my creative process. The stronger the emotion that accompanies me, the more intense the illustration that will come out, or at least this is what I perceived from the people who follow me. Indeed, it seems that they are able to perfectly capture the state of mind felt by me at the time of drawing.

Emotions are the engine of everything. Whether they are positive or negative, the more intense they are, the more they emerge. Especially in the creative field!

But what happens when we find ourselves in those moments of apathy and total flattening? How to get inspired when nothing looks good seems to come out of your hands?

Today I want you to talk about the most terrifying moment that an artist finds himself facing: the creative block.

I think it happens to practically everyone and that sooner or later it necessarily comes. Someone says that these moments of emptiness are necessary and that they help eliminate all that is superfluous and then return to being more motivated than before. In short, a sort of detox for the soul!

Okay, in those moments it's hard to see it as a kind of rebirth, but think about it. Have you ever noticed how different you and your work are after each block? How often does your technique, your communication skills and your way of creating changes?

Pay attention to it, it's almost physiological. After each block, the subsequent jobs undergo a sort of upgrade. You yourselves undergo an upgrade without you noticing!

The problem is .. how to try to go back to those moments when everything seems to stop?

After about ten blocks and thousands of guides about it, I would like to recommend the one that helped me most to deal with it! Of course feel free to comment to add / confirm / deny anything! :)

1. Let it flow

It seems trivial but this is the point. You know when you can't sleep and get anxious trying to fall asleep quickly but this makes you even more awake? Here, same thing!

Do you feel like you can't create anything that satisfies yourself? Stop. It is a moment and like all moments it will pass. If you are not relaxed, do you think that pressing yourself can somehow help calm you down? Do not add anxiety to anxiety, it can only hurt you!

2. Feed your creativity

Are you telling me that I have to stand still and wait for it to pass? Absolutely not. I'm just saying you shouldn't put pressure on yourself by trying to speed up the process, but that doesn't stop you from doing constructive stuff at the same time.
Like? Do whatever is good for you. Stop thinking about what to create and whether you have to do it. Take care of your hobbies, take a moment to admire the creations of others, read motivating books or guides, listen to the music you like best and find your inner peace. Be curious, the more you receive external inputs, the more ideas you will have to put on paper.

3. Follow your own pace

A simpler mental blackmail than it seems. "I haven't posted it for too long" "The people who follow my works will be disappointed" "I should get a move on". This is how you start thinking about what to draw solely for others and no longer for yourself. You begin to draw what you think others expect and not what YOU feel like drawing. When you do this though, people notice it and it's not as good as you think. Because the people who follow you expect exactly the opposite, that is, to see what YOU have inside. Which is then if you think about it, exactly why they started following you.
So..Take your time.

4. Step by step

Don't expect to create a masterpiece right away but take steps! Create a little thing a day, a detail or a particular. See it as a therapeutic exercise, that detail could then be a particular or one of the many details that will make up your next masterpiece!

5. Voice your emotions

Don't repress yourself. Sometimes the creative block can come from what you want to say but don't say. Do be afraid from the judgment of others, art and creativity are a way to give voice to your deepest feelings. Don't be afraid to have your say, always be yourself and you will see that creative blocks will be less and less frequent!

Obviously this is my very personal opinion, I would be very curious to know yours. The more we help and compare the better, after all we are united by the same unique and wonderful passion.