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Reviving Your Creativity
 by
Lisa A. Riley, LMFT
 At
some point in our career, whether it is writing, performing or painting,
we experience chapters where the pages appear blank. Suddenly the
source of creative expression feels parched, as if in a desert thirsting
for a muse to appear on some oasis. What once flowed effortlessly,
now feels dormant. Hungering again for the inspiration that ignites
us from our creative slumber, we feel desperate. Over time, if nothing
comes to us, discouragement leads to self-doubt, which leads to
worry or panic, as a voice whispers in our head, “Am I all
dried up? Is this the beginning of the end!” The negative
emotions that naturally surface from long periods of creative block
can solidify this belief, which only prolongs what now may feel
like a fatal virus.
But this virus can be easily cured and it doesn’t mean the
end of your career. Many have faced this common struggle countless
times. As with many emergencies, it’s vitally important to
have a “first aid” kit on hand, when creative block
strikes unexpectedly. This kit could be personalized based on your
own trial and error, with what you have found works best for you.
As a creative individual, you have specific needs, only you can
determine. Below are just a few tips to aiding in reviving your
creativity.
Access
other stressors in your life
The fastest thing that dampers our creativity are external stressors,
such as a troubled relationship, unexpected diagnosis of an illness,
death of a loved one or relocating to a new city. These situations
tend to zap our emotional and mental energy. Take the time to evaluate
what is going on currently to see if there are any anxiety provoking
events that might directly influence the lack of creativity. Part
of being an artist is being a sensitive human being and life events
can easily affect your performance or reduces your motivation to
go to the canvas. Therefore, allow yourself enough time to process
these stressors, by talking them over with a trusted friend or therapist,
or journaling about them. By becoming aware of what might be affecting
you creatively, can help you better understand the sudden onset
of those dry periods.
Surrender to the
moment
Much of the time our thoughts are either, in the past, reflecting
on events that have already occurred, or in the future, projecting
what has not yet happened. Both, limit our connection to the “now.”
Our thoughts habitually label, criticize, judge or interpret. We
judge the present moment by comparing it to times when our creativity
could barely be contained on the canvas or page. Quickly we jump
to fear or worry, afraid somehow our creative well has surely dried
up.
Through a practice called mindfulness, one learns to sit with whatever
arises in the present moment without judgment or interpretation.
By sitting with the uncomfortableness and simply being with whatever
is, you allow yourself the opportunity to fully accept your present
situation. In other words, letting go of the struggle to fix or
understand it and instead, surrendering to it, may relieve you of
the internal conflict or anxiety around creative block.
Creative field
trip
Learn to recognize when it is a good time to step away from the
sculpture, novel or dance composition to take a creative field trip.
This gives you a chance to partake of other artistic forms, whether
it be strolling through a museum or a botanical garden, listening
to beautifully composed music or exploring an art book in a bookstore.
Rent a movie that is visually stimulating and thought provoking.
Sometimes, just being around other creative individuals, discussing
any topic that moves them can get the juices stirred up. Spend an
hour or so doing something creative that is outside of your usual
medium. If you are writer, take a painting or sculpture class. If
you are a musician do some journaling or drawing. Giving your creativity
an alternate focus, may be just the right catalyst to unblock the
flow.
Expose yourself
to other work in your medium
If you are a poet, sometimes it helps to read other poet’s
work that you admire. If you are painter, thumbing through art books
containing work from other painters, can help cultivate new inspiration.
Some creative people fear that if they don’t come up with
ideas completely on their own, then it will lack originality. However,
you should not be expected to create in a vacuum. I am a firm believer
in the universal law of abundance, and creativity gives birth to
more creativity. Stimulation outside of your own internal process
can jump start that part of you that had been starved for creative
nourishment. The gift of being an artist and innovative thinker,
is the ability to pull from different resources while, creatively
molding it to become your own. For this reason, surrounding yourself
with creative resources plays a huge part in maintaining the health
and wellbeing of your creative energy.
Move energy from
the brain to the body
Sometimes individuals in the expressive arts have a tendency to
exist too much in their heads. Creativity not only exists in the
mind, but also in the body. Shifting the energy from the mental
to physical may allow space to create more freely. Whether it’s
taking a yoga class or going for a walk, not only does your body
release the “feel good” chemicals, it dissolves accumulated
energy stuck in areas of your body. This also helps you to focus
and channel energy elsewhere after spending hours trying to force
a creative experience.
Return to what’s
familiar
Sometimes the inaction that results from creative block keeps you
trapped in the cycle of not producing. Try painting or writing something
that is familiar, or perform a piece that you have rehearsed a thousand
times before. Do something you can do in your sleep. Returning to
something you know you do well, can move you out of paralysis and
back into a place where flow can be occur again.
Be compassionate
to yourself
We are often our worse critics. Being hard on our selves only delays
recovery and prolongs creative block. You are uniquely human and
not a machine, producing multiple streams of the same product. Learning
to embrace your current situation and trusting that this season
will pass, only prepares you to face future dry spells with resilience.
Treat yourself with compassionate encouragement as you would for
a child. We would never expect a child to learn to walk over night,
nor would we scold them for falling. Instead we would encourage
them back to their feet to try again. Tell your “creative
child” it’s “okay.”
When creative block comes knocking at one’s door, we should
not fear it, but instead, embrace it. Like the changing colors of
the autumn leaves, we go in and out of phases, always in transition.
This is a healthy and normal process of our on going creative evolution
and necessary in becoming the artist we desire to be.
Also published on ezinearticles.com
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