One of the most discouraging issues any creative has to face is the creative block. One of the definitions I identify with regarding a creative block is what an article in GoodTherapy describes as “the inability to access one’s internal creativity. People who are in engaged in creative activities or professions such as authors, actors, artists, dancers, etc. are often adversely affected by creative blocks….long stretches of uncreatively which can last for up to years.. There are many things, which I have covered in previous blog posts that can lead to a creative block. Some of these include
How does one deal or overcome the creative block when it rears its ugly head in our creative life? Here are some ideas and methods that I used to help me move past it in the past:
Think of who you know you want to cultivate within you as a creative. Practice writing statements (in the affirmative) that describes who you are or becoming. EXAMPLE: I don’t know if I am truly the creative person want to be. Affirmation: I love and trust my creative gifts. EXAMPLE: I think I am a songwriter, but not sure if it is just in my head or if I’m that good. Affirmation: I am a talented and very gifted songwriter that is celebrated for my work. If you facing depression or some kind of mental or physical illness, these tips may not work well for you and professional intervention via a therapist or physician may be the first step in dealing with the creative block you are facing. Take time to make a proper assessment of what is going on and what might be the source of your blockage before trying these or other tips to address it. Have you tried other ways to unblock your creativity? Share below!
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There comes a time when we have to make a big decision with our creativity....whether or not to share it. I have noticed this is a big issue for many people in creative recovery....I hear a lot of people rationalizing why they don't share their work.
But in the back of many people's minds is really, "I don't feel confident about sharing my work." Or "people are going to trash it." And of course, "my work doesn't look as good as. so and so's." Gaining the confidence to share your work is a process that takes time and patience. I always tell people to be gentle with yourself with this and to trust your intuition as to when and how you will share your creativity. But once you gain the courage to share your work, you will find that it will be one of the most rewarding and freeing feelings that you will ever experience. It took another artist friend poking me ever so often to share my work. I was more known as an art curator than an artist at the time, and didn't feel confident putting my work next to the beautifully talented artists that I worked with in exhibitions. My friend and I were co-curatoring an exhibition at a coffee shop in Baltimore, Maryland and she encouraged me to make something for the show. I did and it was a proud moment for me to place it on the wall and place a label beside it. After that, I had the courage to submit my work in a few exhibitions and next thing I knew, I was exhibiting regularly as an artist. When I first sold my first art piece, I really gain more confidence to create more work for exhibitions. Even today, after over ten years of exhibiting my work, I get just as excited as I did with my first sale. But how do you get there? Here's a few tips that may help you move from hiding your work to getting it all out there.
In conclusion, I thought I would share the following advice that appeared on on a blog featured on Life Hacker on the topic of sharing your creativity by Leanne Regalla, a Freelance writer and content marketer:
Have you recently started sharing your creative work to others? What steps did you take to get the courage to share your work? What would you do differently? Okay, when you read that heading, you scratched your head and said, “yeah right, a DAILY practice? You are out of your mind.” We might be, but we bet we're not.
As a busy professional, it may not be easy to keep up with a creative practice. At times, you might longingly look at your studio space and feel guilty for neglecting it…after all that is what it is there for right? How could you possibly fit one more thing in a day that is packed with meetings, appointments, social activities, gym work outs, family, pet duties…the list goes on and on….art will be there when it all “settles” down. The sad thing is…we both know that it doesn’t tend to settle down (if you are anything like us, it tends to revive up even more!). One way you might want to explore is online creative challenges. This keeps your mojo flowing, allows you to experiment with different mediums and that you may not normally focus on in your own art practice. For example, Art Everyday Month, a 30 day challenge started by artist Leah Kolidas occurs every November and encourages you to create something, anything, related to a daily prompt. HeArt Space facilitated by art therapist, Kate Leppard is another one of our favorites. It is an ongoing creative challenge with different topics each month to spur your artistic practice. The additional benefit is that most of these challenges create community….a community of like-minded artists and creatives that are working through the challenge with you. You may find yourself making many friends and colleagues from across the country through the process since most of them include a private Facebook group to show your work or even at times vent about your creative process. There are virtually 30-day or daily practice challenge in just about every creative field, whether it is writing, poetry, culinary arts, etc. you name it. A google search on any of these topics with “daily challenge” or 30 day challenge will open you to a world of other creatives and can help jump start your practice. There is nothing like seeing how others are juggling careers, kids, etc. and posting every day of their progress with a challenge. If they can do it, you can too! What creative challenges have your tried? How have they enriched your creative life? |
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