Feeling creatively stuck? Tips and tricks to tackle artist block
Embracing the unusual
This month I am collaborating with Buccaneer for Wildlife and Sapphos Cafe, to run a lino-printing workshop themed around marine bones and queer ecology. Is that a bit niche you ask? Why yes it is, but sometimes the best creatives ideas come out when the prompts are a bit niche and a bit unusual!
As one on the more unusual themes I’ve worked with, I think it will end up being one of the most interesting. Marine bones aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about creativity or printmaking, but this is what makes it so intriguing.
My hope is that by embracing the unusual, not only are we thinking about things we might not normally (like how many marine animals wash up on our shores each month, and the different reasons this is the case), but also embracing different ways of expressing ideas too. Because unlike flowers where we are familar with what they look like, marine bones are unfamiliar to us and therefore we have to really look to make sense of the shapes that we are seeing and how we want to translate that into a lino-print!
Inspiration can come from anywhere
Creativity is often thought about as a big idea or moment of inspiration, and it’s easy to return to the same places for inspiration. But eventually it can feel boring to draw the same thing again and again, and that is where artist’s block can creep in. This is where stepping outside of these habits or comfort zones can shift the way we think and offer new possibilities.
Having a prompt that feels unfamiliar encourages us to look more closely. Textures became interesting, shapes stand out differently, and from there our ideas can look and be different. We don’t even have to like the ideas! The point is to have some ideas no matter how small and build from there.
Creative prompts remove pressure
I am a big fan of creative prompts, and I find for myself that unusual themes can make creating feel easier because it makes me think harder, or it surprises my brain which kicks it into gear. It also helps me, instead of focusing on outcomes, precision, and realism, but instead on experimentation and having fun, because after all not everything needs to be ‘good’.
Following curiosity and allowing things to develop naturally reduces pressure, and removes the sense of fixed expectations of what the final piece should look like. And sometimes I make lots of drawings that will never see the light of day, but that is okay because they make space and free up my thinking for those that might just make it into a print.
Try it yourself
Next time you feel stuck creatively, try choosing a prompt you wouldn’t normally.
It could be:
A natural object you’ve collected
Something found on a walk
An unusual texture (maybe from different perspectives)
A random word or phrase
An object you’d usually overlook
Using a random word generator
Joining an Artober or drawing challenge
Sometimes the point isn’t creating the best work, it’s just trying something new, or giving yourself somewhere different to begin.