Creative block and getting past the clouds
Tools to break the inertia and get moving again
I re-discovered Art a few years ago, mid 2023 to be precise, and was really excited to pursue it again as an adult. What began as a small time hobby, slowly transitioned into a daily pursuit. I would carve out a few minutes everyday and eventually made it into a daily habit. Didn’t matter, 5 minutes or 55 minutes, there was something on paper everyday. I managed to do 1 or 2,100 day streaks as well.
Slowly Art unfolded as an educational paradigm. I began signing up for local workshops, online tutorials, continuing education coursework. With time, my supplies also began to stack up. Not just supplies, books, sketchbooks, canvases, different media (colored pencils, alcohol markers, ink), until a dedicated space and cabinet appeared in my home. It was really fulfilling. I would go to cafes and parks to get in some plein air sketches. Some would make it to social media, other times it was just for my own joy.
Until a block hit. About 3 months back. No reason. Just plain dismissal of engaging in any practice. Just the thought of opening up a sketchbook made me cringe. It was as if my body was resisting some voodoo forces. I thought it would pass, but it only grew stronger with time. I tried to buy different sized sketchbooks just to shuffle up the format a little, yet nothing worked.
Slowly, after waiting out the block a little longer, these things finally helped to lift the fog.
Visual timer - The old school classic hourglass
This was a 15 minute timer. I bumped into one of these in a bookstore and just out of whim I picked one. But just about when I started using it, the shift was evident from the first use. I realized my brain experienced 15 minutes completely differently from what it actually is. But when I saw it visually, the passing of sand one grain at a time, 15 minutes was way longer than what I had believed it to be. In 15 minutes I could make a quick sketch, add colors and yet have a few grains of sand left in the tank.
This was a shift in awareness.
When I previously did the mental math, I thought I would need a hour or so to make anything worthwhile. But on experiencing the length of 15 minutes, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Awareness was a key factor leading up to the block and using a visual timer changed my awareness of passing of time itself.
Coloring sheets
Sometimes a bit of external help can bring you out of a rut. In coloring sheets, the drawing is already done and we just have to fill in the colors. And once I held a finished piece in my hands, the reward circuit kicked in and my confidence automatically went higher.
Art is more about confidence than the skills. We all have the skills but there is a tank of inner confidence which is responsible for the drive. That confidence alone steers us into action more than we give it credit for.
Confidence was another key factor in firing up my creative juices, and it is a relief to understand that coloring sheets can add in that extra dose of confidence when we are feeling a little low.
Step-by-step go to book
Like a recipe book, but for Art. You know the books, “How to draw anything?”, etc. Sometimes you might open one and think you’re too good for it. And maybe you are. But in times where our resistance becomes so high, these instruction manuals can connect us back with our inner Artist. Sometimes the problem could just be a broken connection. Our hands refuse to pick what the eyes see. In those times, a quick drawing tutorial can fix that connection. And once we’ve made 10-15 drawings with full instructions provided, that connection strengthens again and we are ready to take on our prized sketchbooks on our own.
Connection was another factor a firm and grounded practice relies on. And a weak connection could be a reason why we aren’t returning to our sketchbooks.
Social Media
Yes, in this case Social Media actually helped me gain momentum. The inspiration available online is truly transformational. It doesn’t have to one specific platform. YouTube, Instagram, Substack, Pinterest, the medium doesn’t matter. What helped me is seeing the joy other people’s artwork bought me. Just don’t let it overwhelm you.
Sometimes, inspiration can be a missing factor and the amount of artwork available in Social Media can work wonders for a daily dose of inspiration.
Supply shopping or artwork shopping
Good ol, retail therapy to the rescue once again. Just going to my favorite artshop and picking up a couple of new pens motivated me to try those out. It is like buying new toys. The rush is irreplaceable and it reminds us that Art like anything else, is also an adventure. Every new media gives us an opportunity to explore.
Even buying someone else’s artwork, whether it is a sticker or a card, actually fires up that spark again. That tangible value a commodity can bring is hard to replace. I bought a few cards from local artists which I believe acts as an anchor to keep me on this journey.
So, to summarize a solid creativity practice, just like anything else can disappear. It has its own good days and bad days. In good days, everything is bright and clear as day. But in the bad days, the cloud can turn dark and frightening. The spark may be missing or the confidence.
These are small shifts that helped me rekindle the joy I experienced for so long. I tuned these 5 key factors and I don’t feel so stuck any more. I hope these tools can help anyone who wants to develop a practice or restart an existing one, whatever may be the case.
At the end of the day I realized I didn’t start Art as a means of displaying my skills or to garner applause. It was actually a tool to communicate with myself, and view my mind. To understand whats really going on internally. Like a probe of some sort. The connection when the eyes communicate via the hands was the best part of my daily practice. But somewhere along the line it began to become performative. Transactional. I started to take on more than I could chew, or I only decided to draw important things, and the resistance was a natural outcome of this travesty.
As humans, Art is really a precious tool we have and losing it to our vanity would be a tragedy of the highest order. The more grounded it is, the more uplifting it is. The joys Art renders is unmatched and this time around I will treat it with more care and awareness.