Artist’s block

It’s often a topic for jokes, or even sarcasm, but for an artist facing the famous creative block, it’s no laughing matter.

We’ve almost all been there – sitting in front of a blank screen, baffled by the non-appearance of the words that must be buried somewhere within your head, standing before an empty canvas, the white space staring back at you and uncooperatively refusing to provide you with ideas. It can come at any time, sometimes for no obvious reason, and it leaves you confused, frustrated and most importantly, stuck.

The first thing to remember is that this is completely normal. Great artists of all fields have faced this barrier and overcome it. There is no need to panic, and nothing to worry about. It is a temporary, if annoying, stage that you’re sharing with many other artists throughout the centuries – and quite probably hundreds, if not thousands of people right now. It may mean that you’ve come to the end of a particular strain of inspiration and are now ready to move on to something new, which will require time and thought before it is ready to emerge. It may simply be that you have too many things on your mind and that this is getting in the way of your creativity.

There are a number of things you can do to help yourself out of a rut that makes it difficult for you to continue with something, or that seems to prevent you from moving forward. For one thing, some artists find that they benefit from having a quiet space that they know belongs to them and their work, as well as peace when they can be undisturbed by anyone else. Phones can be placed on silent, email put out of sight, and demands from family directed to another quarter if possible.

Take some time to work out what the problem might be. If you realize you need to go in a new direction, work on that. If you’re overwhelmed by other concerns, order them in a list, work out which ones are really urgent and which ones simply desirable to complete at some point, and stick to it. You might simply need a break to relax – engage in an activity you enjoy, like cooking or reading. Try to pick something that will give you space for your mind to work, but that doesn’t remind you too clearly of the waiting work.

Don’t be afraid to use time to think and plan – you don’t have to have something concrete created by the end of the day to have made progress. If you feel that your normal space is becoming claustrophobic, go for a walk, run or ride around an area you know or want to explore, remembering to be open to new sights or emotions.

If you feel the problem is in your workspace itself, work out ways to change it or cheer it up – but be wary of spending too much time on what may be simply procrastination. Bear in mind that the goal is to return to your work.

If you’re fine at the moment, but aware that you can be prone to attacks of artist’s block (or merely concerned that it might someday hit), it can be helpful to get into the regular habit of looking out for things that strike you as unusual, interesting or attractive in the world as you move through it. Collect these things in a scrapbook (cuttings from newspapers or magazines, photos, descriptions of things you saw or dreamed, little drawings of thoughts, or accounts of conversations online or in person) to be ready to look at when you feel that you need a little more inspiration. It doesn’t need to be an especially organized or coherent collection, though it can be (and should be if you know that suits your personality better) – the point is not to lose the flashes you get when you’re too busy to use them, and to store them up for when you have time, or need a little creative boost.

Have you got some useful tips for how to deal with artist’s block? Share them in the comments!