5 ways to overcome an Artist’s Block

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There are days when you are beaming with energy filled with ideas but we all have our days when we feel like doing nothing. It’s okay to have one of those days occasionally but for a person who loves art, if those days are stretched, it can be something to worry about.

So, what is an Artist’s block?

Since art is mostly about creativity, this is something that an artist absolutely hates but has to deal with at some point in his/her life. An Artist’s block is when an artist runs out of ideas and no matter what or how there is nothing he can do to find the motivation to create something new.

This can be tremendously exasperating for a creative person who is accustomed to creating new things every now and then.  

 

Why does it happen?

There are several reasons because of why an artist might feel that his/her thoughts have been clouded and he/she can no longer produce or create something. An artist might feel he/she is lacking influence or motivation or even both due to a lot of pressure, stress, or when he/she loses the fun while creating art.

While an artist’s block cannot be prevented, it can certainly be overcome with a little effort.

 

 

An artist’s block might leave you frustrated and annoyed and force you to question your abilities and if you are feeling the same, here are some ways to help you through your “one of those days/phases.”

  1. Take a break. Just as I said, it is simple. Put down your art supplies and relax. Do not overly stress yourself about creating something right now. We often neglect the importance of a break and this can be one of the major contributing factors to an Artist’s block.
    Sometimes, our brain needs a break and if we compare the human body to a computer, we need to shut down and refresh the brain for better productivity. Our brains deserve to rest and an artist’s block can also be lifted with proper rest.

  2. Say “no” to toxic productivity. Sometimes we tend to burden ourselves with the thoughts of productivity that we forget to enjoy what we are doing and this can make our minds clouded with worries. It is great to be productive but that does not mean that we have to constantly push ourselves to be productive. We need to keep in mind the value and necessity of proper, undisturbed rest.
    Remember, it is okay to do nothing sometimes.
    You can take a day off and spend it the way you want and it can be spent by doing nothing. We often push ourselves to be productive due to the fear of being judged and this can further push towards a creative block or an artist’s block.

  3. Study something new. You can start studying a completely new genre of art to deal with artist block in order to divert your mind. You can learn a new skill or explore different concepts within a similar art form which induces your curiosity.
    This way you can train your mind to focus again while not thinking about the things that you used to do. It can help to break the monotony which might have influenced the block.
  1. Recreate old works. This is another technique to divert your mind to something new while not straining your mind too much. You can go through your old works and find something that you have made many years ago and recreate that piece of art with your current perception.
    For example, you can recreate a painting that you have made during your earlier days as an artist and now that your perceptions have changed and you have gained experiences, you can make that in a new form. You can make an old pencil sketch as a watercolor drawing.

 

Image Courtesy: Susmita Sen

 

This won’t ask for too much thinking as you already have the basic idea but it will allow your creativity to break free and fill the gaps which have been created and taken the shape of an art block.

  1. Participate in an art challenge. In this era of social media, there are many art challenges that constantly go on. They can help as they generally provide a prompt to the artists to give them the basic idea to start the artwork and they also either specify mediums or they give them full artistic freedom to create something.
    These prompts can give a kick start to new ideas when you lack them and they can be an excellent choice to overcome an artist’s blog.

While art is all about creativity, we must not forget that human brains and machines work differently. Human brains are not machines to create something new eternally.

They might hang, lag or feel jittery which is okay.

We need to learn when to take it slow and start the process of restarting to keep it going.

Happy creating!! 🙂

 

4 thoughts on “5 ways to overcome an Artist’s Block”

  1. This would help in overcoming any block, be it artistic or non-artistic.

    Sometimes I get indulge in the work that I am confident about.

  2. Suhita Mukherjee

    Thanks a ton for sharing this, I often get stuck and I don’t know what to do. Will try some of this methods hence forth!!

  3. Subhabrata Das

    This is relevant for me..this I can very well relate…will try to follow your suggestion and will give you feedback based on my experience…but a good topic…appreciate for such…

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