Any creative person fears this awful moment when ideas and inspiration seem to run dry. A plague of every artist no matter if you are a writer, painter, musician or photographer.
My problem or blockage isn’t the lack of inspiration. I’ve got tons of ideas in my head. My digital sketchbook has over 50 concepts waiting to be executed.
So what is going on here?
I’ve got the sketches, I’ve got the photos to make the composites nothing is missing. But every time I start editing I freeze. It’s feels like my creativity is gone. Blown away by the spring storms, burned up with the summer heat, washed away with the autumn rains.
The problem started earlier this year. And it has been such a great artistic year so far. Four exhibitions in America, my work has been seen in Paris, Arles, Brugge and I even had my first solo show. So nothing to complain or be sad about. In the contrary.
So what’s killing it?
The only thing I can think of is my chronic pains. They are really getting to me after 10 years. My body is worn out, fatigue, drained. My head however is pumped and ready to go.
I’ve visited many doctors in those ten years unluckily without getting a solid solution.
I’ve tried to spend my bad days with useful things. Taken online courses, finished my quirky little book “The bizarre and fake Family Bell“, sketched my ideas …
But every time it comes to getting behind my computer and starting a composite I get blocked. If I open Adobe Photoshop© it feels like all is brand new. And I’ve been using the program since 1994 so that’s a weird feeling.
I’m getting extremely nervous and anxious which of course doesn’t help the creativity block.
I’m going to quote Chuck Close “inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up”. So I thing the best way to overcome my block is to set my fear, nervousness and anxiety aside and show up for work. Ignore the pain, no matter how hard it gets. Go for it and create something beautiful. I need to convince my subconscious soul I can still produce nice stuff.
I’ve overcome so many hurdles over the years. Got out of 30 years of severe depression through my art and came to terms with my Asperger. So I will, somehow, sometime, overcome this chronic pain shit too. A first attempt to turn the negative spiral back.
So I like to know:
- Do you know why you have artistic block?
- What’s the little devil that’s holding you back?
- How do you deal with it?
- Do you have a ritual or routine to unlock your blocked mind?
- I’m very curious how you deal with it.
- Tell me about it.
- You never know, your answer many be the help someone is looking for.
Sabrina-M Art 