Do you ever feel like you get stuck in the process of making your Art? All of a sudden you reach a point and you don’t know what to do. There is just a big empty blank space in your creativity.
This happens to me. I also see this played out in my ArtLife workshops. People just hit this place and invariably say, “I just don’t know what to do!” It feels like the well has run dry and the last good idea that came out last week will be the last. There will be no more. Not today. Not ever. The Source is simply empty.
Despite what it feels like, I have discovered that the problem is not the creative Source within us but rather the mindset, the pathway to that Source.
For years, I have tried different ways to help people in my workshops breakthrough this issue. I have tried talking to them about what inspires them, I have told them to look at others peoples work that they love and I have even told them to just take a walk. I have had limited success.
What ends up happening to them, as it does to all of us, is that things just naturally shift after a day or two and then, amazingly, there is an outpouring of new ideas and inspirations. However, two days or even one day in a 5-day workshop is a relatively long time. I don’t like feeling this way for even 30 minutes.
How can we unblock faster? After many years being stymied by this question, I think I have found an answer.
It is really quite simple, but it works.
It goes something like this…
The mental orientation, your headspace that you are in when you are sitting staring at the problem trying to think your way out of it does not provide a reliable pathway to your creative Source. It feels like you are out of ideas, out of energy and inspiration. You are not. You just can’t experience both the creative, spontaneous, curios state that naturally exists when we are making Art while being in this super analytical, doubting, effortful place. You are either in one mental state or the other. They seem to be somewhat mutually exclusive.
The trick then is to figure out how to more easily switch between the two.
For my students, I demonstrate the answer in the following way.
I simply pick up a brush and without any plan or preconception of what I am doing, just begin putting a mark upon the paper. As I do this, as the deep blue paint floods across the white space the creative mind simply cannot resist becoming engaged. It needs the actual stimulation happening right in front of you. It doesn’t particularly become engaged in the idea, or the pre planning of picking up a brush and making a blue mark. It only becomes engaged once you are actually doing it.
However we hold back for so long from doing because our mind can’t figure out what to do. But we can’t figure out what to do because our creative mind needs the actual physical stimulation. It is a loop that unfortunately can go on and on, keeping us from making our Art.
Fortunately it can be broken quickly. All that needs to be done is to just begin. You don’t need a plan. You don’t need an idea. You simply need to pay attention. Especially once the blue paint begins to change the white paper. Or the crappy rough draft is starting to be written… Associations, inspirations, hopes and new ideas naturally come flooding in again once the actual doing is begun.
It is that simple.
And then the possibility for the new, the next great thing you’re about to make, can return.
12 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
Yes! I do this all the time. Meet with friends to do it. I’ve often wondered why I never know what to do until I’ve done something – often I end up painting over the whole thing before I’m satisfied. Thanks for clarifying the reason! It’s not some interior fault then!
No I don’t think so…it is a little like trying to ice skate with a skateboard–a analytical frame of mind is not the right tool for the job!
This is exactly what I did yesterday. I had been ill for three months and not able to get back into the studio until yesterday. Two large half finished canvases staring me down to finish them. After three months of not working, it was intimidating to jump back into the stream of things. I kept asking myself, where was I three months ago, what was I thinking about in the process? So luckily I had some small canvases set aside and just started painting. I told myself there will be no need to plan or think the outcome through, just needed to move my brush and see what comes. I think the key is to have no expectations on these three small pieces, just be in moment, mindful of the strokes, and enjoy the flowing color. In this I gain confidence and slowly remember where I left off with my previous ideas.
Super hard to start when you have been absent for so long…I always forget that even though we are not working-once the visual habit kicks in you can’t turn it off, so even when you are not working you are improving. You probably will find your work will be different and better than before you were absent! This has happened to me–good luck getting back to it!
“The poet thinks with his poetry.”
Absolutely! Hey I am a huge fan of your work–love even more where it is heading–cheers, N
yesterday was such a day, started painting, I thought this painting will take on its own dance, it was a struggle.
Painted out the precious ,took chances.
Lost confidence during the process getting more frustrated determined ,something will happen,Ugh!
From the beginning I took breaks painted the piece out, looked at other artwork. Another day the inner voice will tell the story i am putting it aside.Next time it will not be a struggle and it will come easy, When?
Well today I am moving on, and back to working on three pieces at once ,this is my way of losing track of time and space, and when the story is not coming together I move on to the next piece and some how and at
some point the unanswered appears . Ok , this is what may have helped yesterday,working on more than one piece.
Also today I will start with scribbles in a notework also switch hands , be playful, the note book is safe. It’s my private world, sometimes a source of inspiration. The notebook may be all I have time for today .Child time.
Wow sounds like you have done a lot of trial and error in terms of getting your process to flow easily. I can not imagine trying to paint on one painting from start to finish now. I always do 4-6 all together with not spending more than 1-2 ours on one..I am way more productive that way…
It seems a paradox that often my eyes are the biggest block– I am thinking too much about what things should look like. So a practice that seems to break through creative block (for me and for my students) is to work for awhile (even just 10 minutes) with eyes closed, and pay more attention to touch and sound. I love what happens, how the other senses fire up, and how I am no longer stuck in my head–
Well Nicholas, that was a brilliant post, so simple but just exactly what one needs. You’re absolutely right – it won’t start happening until you start something going on the page. I’ll remember that. Thank you, eoin
So true ! I realised this just yesterday preparing some paper backgrounds before life drawing. This first quick ink brustroke certainly got me in the mood
When I’m stuck, I do a small collage using various papers and images from my stash ( read, large storage container with lid )