When inspiration fails
I often look at people here on Hive in amazement at the people who manage to post a blog online EVERY day; some of them have been doing it for years. Then I look at my blog, and I see something different. And at those moments I sometimes wonder how those people always manage to keep their inspiration going. The moments are all too familiar when I sit down at my workplace full of good intentions, but simply no blog comes out of my fingers. My screen remains blank, the ideas and the words do not come. It is not that I don't want to, but something is holding me back. I seem to be stuck in my head, my thinking is blocked. No, it is not constantly present, but I often recognize this feeling. And believe me, such a feeling of being blocked is extremely frustrating. It does not only happen to me with writing but also when I want to start a new painting. I know that I want to paint, but then ... the inspiration to work out my idea is missing. I see fragments of images floating through my head of what and how I want to make it. But yeah, there I get stuck again and I can't do anything with fragments of images yet. And that part, makes me feel like I'm completely blocked.
So time to remove the blockages!
Why do we block ourselves?
If you think that lack of inspiration is nothing more or less than that you've run out of ideas, then you're wrong. Only very occasionally can it be explained so simply. Usually, however, there is much more to it. Often a lack of inspiration is caused by stress and the performance pressure that you impose on yourself. It is quite logical that if your head is full of worries there is little room left for ideas. If you are constantly busy putting pressure on yourself to solve the causes of the stress, then there is also no room to find inner peace that can promote your inspiration.
For many people, financial worries in an increasingly expensive life are the biggest concern and a heavy burden. Unfortunately, we feel these worries too, and the uncertainty about how things will work out financially can be so paralyzing that it becomes difficult to make room for something else, like art. When you are constantly in financial survival mode, it is difficult to clear the space in your head so that it can fill up with much-needed inspiration.
Performance pressure can manifest itself in two ways. If you don't create, you don't have any income, that is clear. But if you also want to deliver quality, it does not get any easier. If you want every blog to have something to say, that every new painting is better than the last, that every pyrography piece contains more detail. In short, whatever you create, every new work must be better than the last. If you want every new work to make more of an impression, the pressure you put on yourself can become so high that you eventually block because you cannot meet your high expectations. Setting the bar too high for yourself happens to many people. And unfortunately, I am not unfamiliar with this either.
If you thought that was enough to be completely blocked, here comes another one. An overwhelming feeling of listlessness. Is it the fall that has begun? Or maybe it is the mental fatigue that is piling up. I don't know, but the last week the days have felt heavy. And when I feel like this, I also lack the energy to be creative, no matter how much I would like to. It is as if my body and mind just let me down.
How do you break through a creative block?
Now, finding out the causes is necessary to be able to break through it, but even if you know the causes, there is unfortunately no quick or easy solution. Breaking through these kinds of blocks takes time. Over the years I have learned a few things that work best for me.
The first thing I am going to say is also the thing that I have the most trouble with myself. But often the most important thing you can do is accept that you have that block now. Accept that you are stuck for a while, and do something completely different. There are probably 1001 things that you still had to do, but that you didn't feel like doing because they are routine tasks, or tasks that take too much time. For me, for example, now is a good time to completely clean up our utility room again. Over time, all kinds of things have been put here and it really needs to be cleaned up. Cleaning up creates emptiness. By literally creating that emptiness/space, you also give yourself the mental space to let your creativity in again. Creativity needs time and space to recover.
When you do want to start something again, start small. Start with something that doesn't have to be perfect. Just something, it doesn't matter what. The most important thing is that you do it because you feel like it has, and also feel the pleasure of doing it again.
At times like now when I feel stressed and listless, I know that it is time to think about myself and take my rest. Go to bed on time, and get up on time. Above all, no pressure to perform. I only do the things that I feel like doing! Even if that means that I do nothing at all for a day. It is what it is, and apparently, that is part of it. By the way, I also take vitamin supplements at the moment to chase away the feeling of listlessness and to get energy again. Especially at this time when the days are getting shorter very quickly, it is personally important for me to keep an eye on that.
If you have someone with whom you can talk about these kinds of things, that certainly helps. I find it very helpful to speak with my partner about this. He often has a much more down-to-earth view of things. His ability to put things into perspective certainly helps me to relieve the tension and worries. And less tension often immediately provides new inspiration.
Finally, it is important, especially for people who suffer from perfectionism, to let go of that striving for perfection. Nobody is perfect and that is not necessary. In addition, perfection is a difficult word to define, because especially with creative things, what is perfect for one person is not for another. And it is precisely by letting go of the striving for perfection that you give yourself the space to grow. If you do not strive for perfection, you often create more from your emotions and not from your mind.
Be Kind to Yourself
Lack of inspiration is a reality for many creative people. And especially if you depend on it for your income, you are inclined to force things. After all, bread has to be put on the table. But the solution often does not lie in working harder or forcing things. It requires a completely different approach. The approach of being kind to yourself. By giving yourself the space to breathe and take small steps, you can slowly but surely break through the blockage. It is okay to be stuck. It's okay to need time. Creativity is not a straight line, and sometimes it's more important to stand still than to run forward. Even in a time when life is getting more expensive and the pressure to perform is only increasing.