Some Practical tips to get through artists block

Working in the arts is truly amazing. It allows you to express yourself creatively, and breath some life into the world that wasn't there before. But when you hit a wall and things won't come naturally, there's no greater frustration. These are a few things that always help me break out of a  creative funk. 

Stress: I’m starting with this because it’s the most important. This is something that snowballs and small things can become huge problems. Your mind just doesn't work creatively under stress. That's not even my happy feel-good opinion, when we feel stress our brains are built to shift into fight or flight, creative parts of the brain more or less shut down. Take a deep breath and try to put things in perspective, worst-case scenario what's going to happen? Unless you’re designing for the Mob you’ll probably be fine.

Unplug: We’re living in a world with a nonstop flow of information. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, actually, it's pretty incredible. The problems arise when every moment is filled with consumption. Social media, news, podcasts, audiobooks, Netflix. You can fill the whole day easily, and it may be the case that all of these are productive and learning from them. Your brain can only hold so much and think creatively. It's an ebb and flow state, little can get out when so much is getting in. The easiest way to fix this isn't even to delete everything (though you can) just hide the apps you waste time on in a folder. That little extra step causes more friction than you think. When you're feeling fried from information, turn everything off, lay down, close your eyes and just breathe for a minute or two. You don't have to become one with the earth, but this small break from stimulation feels like a reset. 

Inspiration: There are countless places to find inspiration. I’m not going to talk about those, you already know what they are and where to find them. Find inspiration in yourself. I don't mean this in a “you can do it” kind of way. I mean go back and look at your work, find the pieces you like and take elements from them to create something new. This is the simplest way to get back to yourself. It's like an Athlete in a slump watching film from when they were lights out.

Setting: The setting you put yourself in has a drastic effect on your mood, thus how inspired you feel. You need a place where you feel comfortable. If you're in a cramped old apartment or room in your parent's house (we’ve all been there) you might be able to get some work done, but finding consistent creativity in that space will eventually run its course. Once you have the resources to put together a workspace this becomes less of a problem, but we all need breaks and a change of scenery from time to time. Coffee shops are my go-to, clean, well lit, wifi, and some nice background chatter. There's something pleasant about being completely immersed while surrounded by dozens of people in the same state of mind. (If you're in the bay, please send coffee shop recommendations)

Coffee: While we’re on the subject we might as well talk about it. Everyones different but I turn into a pile of laundry unless I drink it throughout the day. A cup or two can have as much a psychological pick me up as it does physical. This all being said, drink water. I don't want to sound like your mom, but a dehydrated brain doesn't work as well.

Resistance: I'm 100% stealing this concept from people much smarter than myself. If you feel resistance you're going the right way. Anytime you stand up from your laptop feeling frustrated, defeated, and stuck, sit back down and keep going. Embrace the push back, what you feel is your body's natural reaction to run from discomfort. If you feel it you’re doing something right. Just knowing and understanding why your body reacts this way gives you the control, its something tangible that you can fight against. That's probably the most useful bit of information I can write here. 

Work: It goes without saying, to move forward you're going to have to sit down and work. Just do it. Sit down with a note pad and pencil and just draw things out. It doesn't need to be good, if you’re in a creative funk it's not going to be, and that's fine. If you sit down and work eventually something won't be terrible, and you roll from there. Athletes have slumps its just part of the game, but you have to work your way out of them.

I hope in some ways this was useful and you can glean a bit from what's been helpful to me. I always try to give tangible information that someone can grasp and apply, rather than fluffy “believe in yourself” nonsense that feels good to read but accomplishes nothing. Seriously though, send coffee shop recomendations.