5 Steps to Unblock Your Creative Block
Whether you paint, build, write or cook - creative blocks are a normal part of the creative process. For me, creative blocks can look like an idea drought or just a plain lack of wanting to create anything at all.
Lately, I’ve been feeling the start of a block creeping in, and wanted to take action before it completely took over. When you create for a living, a block can be very disruptive in more ways than one.
If you’re feeling the start of the block, here’s what has worked for me.
1) FIND SOMEONE WHO IS KILLING IT IN YOUR FIELD AND TRAWL THEIR SOCIALS/WEBSITE FOR INSPO
Approach this step with a positive outlook and don’t you dare start comparing yourself. That is not helpful. Use it as an opportunity to see what is possible and start feeling excited about what YOU could create.
2) DO AN ONLINE COURSE
This can go hand-in-hand with part one, if the person you are admiring also has a Domestika or Skillshare course. I recently took Sarah Walsh’s ‘Character Painting’ course on Domestika after admiring her work on instagram.
3) VISIT A BOOK STORE
I took a trip into the city to Kinokuniya, as they have an amazing collection of art books and stationery.
I had gone in with a plan to buy just 1 book - but once I started flipping through all the beautiful books, I knew it was going to be impossible to pick just one. I settled on these three:
Frida Kahlo - Andrea Kettenmann (a classic)
Lost in Reverie - Victionary (this book is not only a beautiful collection of surrealist dreamscapes, it’s a bit like an Aldi catalogue, where you flip it and read it from the back. The front is comforting and light dreamscapes - the back are more unsettling and dark dreamscapes.)
Tarot, The Library of Esoterica - Taschen (a collection of tarot card artworks and the symbolism of each card - this book satisfied both my love for the mystical and the arts - and also made my bag weigh 100kg… it’s HUGE!)
While these were the three that came home with me to provide ongoing creative inspiration, the other 20 books I didn’t buy gave me just as much inspiration and enjoyment flipping through them.
4) ADD TO YOUR SUPPLIES
This is probably considered an unhealthy way to promote inspiration, but when in doubt, treat yourself to a new art supply. For me, this can be something as small as a new pen. This time, it was 2 sketchbooks, some washi tape and a new white gel pen, all for under $25 (purchased from Kinokuniya too).
5) REARRANGE YOUR WORKSPACE
A rearrange is as good as a relocation. If you’re not up for taking your creative practice outside or to a cafe, you can give yourself the same treatment by making your space feel new. For me, this meant adding my new inspiration books to my desk for easy reference, and making my paints more accessible (using this desk storage drawer from Muji - bonus points for raising my monitor to a more ergonomic height!)
