How to Overcome Your Creative Dead End
Everybody gets into a slump from time to time. Not everybody does, however, depend on them not being in a slump. A little mood change does not have the same effect on all people. Artists, however, can suffer a lot from mood changes, not to mention if they are in the process of creating new work. Whether musicians, painters, or even videographers, hitting a dead end in regards to creativity can be very painful.
However, despair should be the last thing on anybody’s mind, because everything is solvable (to an extent). These are a couple of tips that should help you or any other struggling artist or author overcome a creative dead end.
Observing and Feeling the Works of Others
Whenever people hit a slump or a bump in the road to creativity, the best thing to do is to see what others are up to. Other people are a gateway into the world of artistry, from a perspective that is not ours. No matter what their work is about and whether it is similar to yours, observing their work should give one creative idea.
However, art is often more about feeling than it is about careful and pedantic observation and reproduction. Getting an idea of what an artist was feeling when they created their work or getting a clue about their creative process can be insightful and provide one with the much-needed creative jolt to start working or improving their own work.
Art is Still Work
Most people would argue that art is a special kind of expression and that it is also something that takes a certain depth of being in order for anybody to understand. Most of the process of creating art requires detailed and precise movements, not to mention actual work, for example, typing a novel takes time and the words still need to be typed. Working on a song requires using instruments or software to make the music, then arrange it, then do the producing of the track, which are separate, yet complex processes that require effort and energy.
Just working on creating things, no matter how insignificant they might seem, is better than drowning in sorrow and trying to find ways of becoming more creative through psychoactive substances. Simple work and regular effort will lead to a better creative process.
Take a Break – Do Something Completely Different
Art is similar to other activities that we as humans do. Art requires effort, but as we grow tired and become chronically stressed, then we need to get away from the things that stress us out. Feeling forced to make a creative piece of work is something that can give people anxiety and promote stress in their bodies. Taking a break, whether to read, sit in silence, work out or just spend time away from the process that is problematic, is very beneficial. Returning to that creative activity after a period of rest should give a person more ideas to work with, as well as lowering their overall stress level.
Being in a creative dead-end can easily be solved with a couple of changes to one’s daily routine, as well as regular work.