Creative Blocks
Creativity; a stress reliever or a stress creator?
During moments of inspiration the ability to create seems endless. Ideas flowing through the mind at high speed, passing too fast to keep track of. Ideas escaping the mind before getting the chance to write them down. Moments like this result in happiness and satisfaction with the creative side of the mind. Immediately feeling content as there is no sign of a creative block in the near future. Free from the stress and frustration of not knowing what to create because the possibilities seem endless. This side of creativity is inspiring; the best stress reliever.
Every period of inspiration is eventually met with a creative block somewhere along the line, but this is the cost of self-expression. When ideas run out, procrastination becomes the biggest burden because there is no urge within us. The act of creating seemed easy and effortless a short time ago, but now seems challenging and frustrating. Creative blocks challenge our idea of what is worth creating. We become our own biggest critics; it begins to feel like we are impossible to please. Every idea that we brainstorm doesn’t seem worthwhile, therefore making us feel like we don’t have any ideas or inspiration.
Blank spaces are highly intimidating during a creative block. The space can be filled with absolutely anything, but the mind can’t settle on a single idea or prompt. A space once comforting in its freedom to relieve all emotions now becomes daunting and doubtful; a lack of confidence in our ability to create and focusing entirely on a word limit instead of the words themselves. This moment is only temporary.
Once the stress fades away, bursts of inspiration will come shining through and filling the artists’ once cloudy mind. Inspiration comes in moments when we least expect it; when we allow ourselves to feel emotions we were trying so hard to suppress, being present in the moment, and observing what the world has to offer. Inspiration comes when we completely submerge ourselves into the world around us instead of constantly being in a state of worry or trapped within the depths of our spiralling minds.
Artists put pressure on themselves to produce new pieces instantaneously. In reality, creativity shouldn’t have a time constraint. Artist’s should feel free to create when they feel an urge or a burst of inspiration. They shouldn’t feel pressured to push their abilities when they simply don’t have a desire to produce. Overworking causes stress that can strain our ability to free our minds and enjoy the world around us. Inspiration comes naturally but stress hinders the process, especially when the stress is caused by self-created time constraints and pressure.
We’ve all had moments like this. We experience a creative block for an extended period of time, spanning anywhere from a couple days to weeks and we make ourselves feel guilty for it. We think back to the last time that we created or published our work and feel a sense of guilt over how long it’s been. The more guilt and stress that we place on ourselves, the less satisfied we become with the pieces that we produce. We start to create for the sake of creating instead of creating for ourselves. The pieces become the cause of our stress instead of an outlet to relieve the built-up stress and emotions we keep to ourselves.
Next time you find yourself caught in a creative block remember that working through it is difficult but possible. The less time that we spend focusing on time constraints and putting pressure on ourselves, the easier it is for us to enjoy the life around us or come to terms with our emotions. Inspiration will come flowing back over time and you will be back to creating and making endless lists of ideas and prompts.
Creative blocks are temporary, but our love for creating will always be a special part of who we are.
