How to Get the F Out of a Creative Block
Let's get through the summer without forgetting our Art practice, the best studio advice I got at 20, & how I give my persona a break.
When I’m on a deadline I find inspiration in any distraction, and conversely, I come to my studio in the morning some days and don’t know where to begin. Im always comforted when I hear when an artist friend has similar blocks, or when someone encourages me to vent about it. But none of this clears the thick fog or confusion around what’s actually worth making or doing.
Here are a few actions I fall back on anytime I’m struggling with this, especially during the Summer (the FOMO-est season). Also are all therapists off till September and why?
Tidy or clean your creative space: other than the obvious result of an uncluttered brain, you will always find something that sparks a new (or old) idea. Im a Pile Queen, and this is the 1st thing I do when Im in a rut. Keep a special tray or box for all the “found treasures”. Everything else gets put away.
Hundreds of drawings in my studio, and I always come across the one I need to see that day... This is one from 2012, when I started drawing self portraits in monochrome with red heels. Remake the last thing you were working on: When I was in Art School in the late 90s, one of my studio mentors Jerry Saltz talked me through a creative slump as I was approaching graduation. I had an artist residency in Italy confirmed, and my anxiety was through the roof… I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to keep momentum going and produce work worthy of the opportunity. (in those young days I was so self deprecating and I have since become much kinder to myself). Jerry’s advice to me was to take the last sculpture Id made and to remake it. He insisted that in the remaking it, I would see it in a new way and it would either make it better, or Id abandon it and try something new. Either way, the wheels keep turning. It’s the single most important advice I ever got in Art School or as an Artist since then. It’s no mistake he has since published bestselling volumes of advice for artists.
*As an exercise, I remade a recent sculpture over the weekend and I’ll do a standalone post on that this week (felt too long-winded otherwise).
Walk around the block: I don’t mean walk up and down the block. Walk outside and complete a CIRCLE around the block. Do a few laps if you have the time, it’s the opposite of a treadmill workout.
Rather than listing what makes you happy or brings you peace (we’ve done this, enough): think about the emotions that kick your ass… what pisses you off, feels like a waste of time, what do you despise, what do you really want your Art to feel like (it’s not Zen, Im pretty sure). Set a timer for 10 min, and when time’s up we start writing, drawing, making something new.
Find some new materials or tools: My friend Brittany of Brrch Floral once told me she likes to rid her studio of vases or vessels she’s just used for an installation, that the ideas from before can hinder new creativity. This stayed with me and I force myself to try new processes or materials each time I find myself a bit stuck. Because my work has always been rooted in material transformation, I find new supplies anywhere from auto repair shops to chewing gum factories. A new turn for you might be watercolor. Go for it.
Go through your phone and start a photo album titled “NEW MOOD”: I started one when I moved into the Dumbo studio 3 Septembers ago, and it still feels fresh. It’s full of any image that captures how I want new work to feel (not its appearance). In 2011 I stayed inspired by checking back on a photo I took of a wilted salad. It was just weird enough to keep me searching for newness in my work. When you think you’ve lost the plot, go to your NEW MOOD album.
The first 2 images in my NEW MOOD folder. Sept. 2022 And… the “don’t kill me” one….Talk to ChatGPT : We can go on for weeks debating the ethical implications of AI. Personally I believe its great for some things, and this is one of them. Machines are not people, machines are not subjective. Their various perspectives on a “problem” are infinite. You can keep asking without being self absorbed or annoying.
Tell the app your “issue”. For example, cut and paste:
“I am having trouble getting back into the flow of painting after being away from my studio for a few weeks. I know my personal style but the subject matter is confusing for me right now.”
I know for a fact there are useful tips in the answers it will give you, I did it myself. And when it feels too generic, I add “please provide 5 other ways of looking at this problem”. And it does.
Yes, this is a machine. We aren’t going to rely on it.
And now the Beauty Section!
“Taking a Break from My Persona”
(or how I give my nails a breather and focus on messier work)
What started as a means of ending a nail biting habit, Ive been doing my own nails since college. Press ons, which I shape then paint. It’s become a big part of my identity, and I use nails as tools in the studio because theyre so strong.
Every so often I go without the glam, I find it gives my nail beds a rest and I feel less pressure to be dolled up all the time. I’m more likely to get messier, but I’ll tell you what, Im like a declawed cat who can’t tickle or give a good back scratch.
This week we spent a lot of time in the pool where chlorine will rip your nails to shreds, so I picked this time to use my favorite nail treatments. I do a mix of three:
Base: “Makeover”
2 coats of: “Luminous”
Top Coat (only if you want shiny): Peptide infused “Expedite”
At night I do a cuticle treatment right before bed.
*My green one-piece is from JCrew and I think its on sale RN!
If you have recommendations, Id love to hear them too.