Overcoming Creative Blocks: How I Overcome Art and Writers Block

Explore how I as an artists have faced and conquered creative blocks, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

I have struggled with art and writers block many times over almost my entire life. There have been many ways I have pulled myself out of it. Of course the longer the creative block, the harder it is to get out of.

Through elementary and high school I wrote poetry and competed in writing competitions. Writing was my outlet for life struggles, frustrations and a way to escape to another world. I also enjoys writing to bring awareness to specific topics like PTSD, Anxiety and Depression. I also wrote short stories. When I would be blocked with the short stories or essays for school, I would write about the topic I wanted or needed to cover in poetry format or recorded a voice memo of me talking about what I wanted to write about in free-flowing thought. This would help me formulate my thoughts into words. I also would dance to relax my mind and body, as well as connecting them. This would often get me into the mind frame to write my poetry or songs.

From starting college to now, I have written here and there, but found that I had stopped for a while. I wasn't really aware that I had stopped writing. I found I still have thoughts of what I want to write for songs and poetry, but when I sit down to do so, nothing is coming out. That is one reason I started this blog. I have also started writing a book reflecting on my life thus far and how looking back at your life, outside of yourself allows you to see how everything is connected good, bad, indifferent. Both so far has been cathartic and gotten me writing again. I am hoping that both will help to unlock my poetry and song writing.

Art has always come to me. I mainly use acrylic on canvas or slate. I have other forms of art that I do as well, but these are by go-to. I am an impressionist and abstract artist mainly. When I lack motivation or have a block, I have a few exercises that I do and suggest to others.

One exercise is going as abstract as I can with no plan in mind. Splattering or placing paint in mostly random places and colors on a canvas or slate. I love to then take a second canvas or slate and press it over the first even using the back of a brush to make squiggles and designs on the back of the canvas with no specific ideas in mind, often to music. I pull them apart, let them dry and go back to them in an hour or so, even the next day later. When I go back to them I take a look to try and see if I see anything in the abstract, any creatures or landscape. I then will try to highlight or add the things I see. This often sparks my creating thinking and a few more painting ideas.

This and the other Mad Hatters (Glow and UV) Acrylic paintings has come from the above technique.

Another exercise I have done is to paint with the colors of my emotions or thoughts. I know this my seem weird or odd to others. But I and many people assign colors to emotions and some people assign colors to thoughts as well. This can be a form of therapeutic art. Creative blocks are often also an emotional or stress block. When we don't have the words to explain what we are trying to process or are overwhelmed it can be hard to be relaxed enough for our creativeness to shine. I find this helpful because I do not always think in words. I start by setting out all my colors so I can see them and brushes to where I can reach them. I make sure to have a cup of tea and some calming music. I close my eyes and take a few breaths and focus on the color of the first emotion or feeling and put it loosely on the canvas with no plan. I continue this process till I feel more relaxed, then step back from the painting. I come back to it and see what i can see in the paining and then paint them in or add to those areas or the theme I see.

This painting came from the above technique.

These processes have helped and continue to help with my creative blocks. Comment below a time you have had a creative block and how you overcame it.