Thursday, October 6, 2011

Break on Through (to the Other Side) - Day 6


Imagine you are skipping along down a rustic country footpath laced with all manner of wildflowers and prairie life. It is a warm sunny day; a gentle cool breeze brushes your skin and sways the grasses. You blissfully continue to stroll down the path, enjoying the inspiring nature that surrounds you.
And then BAM!
You run face first into an absurdly mammoth brick wall that seemingly materialized from nowhere.
You look up and realize this wall may very well go on forever. You look to the left, then to the right. Both directions also appear to have no end.
Upon closer inspection you see a note taped to the wall that reads:

"This is an artist's block. 
Good luck getting through it!"





Today we're talking about artist's block.
More importantly, we're talking about how to overcome that brick wall of frustration!

Below are four tips to help you break on through to the other side:


1. Engage in an activity that is outside your primary creative medium.
My primary medium is photography. Something that I might do is to have one of my photographs printed and then paint it.


2. Wait it out.
This isn't an option for everyone.
If you have neither time or patience to wait out a block, then please proceed in an orderly fashion to tip number three.
{I will be leading the group there. ;)}
Otherwise, read on...
Sometimes taking a step completely away from creativity can conjure up new ideas and inspirations. As the saying goes: absence makes the heart grow fonder.


3. Do creative exercises.
Sometimes getting back to the basics is just what the doctor ordered to spark creativity.
The following slideshow has many fabulous exercises to get those creative juices flowing! I recommend watching this slideshow and downloading the pdf even if you aren't having artist's block!



4. Look through magazines or Pinterest.
There is a wealth of creativity out there and lots of people willing to share it!
10 minutes on Pinterest should be enough to inspire you.


Is there another way you combat artist's block?



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31 Days


6 comments:

  1. Awesome advice - we all get 'the block' at some time or another and it can be very discouraging.

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  2. Love the advice, it's pretty universal too!

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  3. Thanks for the info.It was rather useful!

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  4. Thank you for the tips Katie.

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  5. Super cool exercises for artsy folks. Neat!

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  6. I'll lead up the line for option 2 :) I usually set aside the camera for a while and once I "can't have it" I find all sorts of inspiration. :) visiting the blogs of my photography friends or getting a
    photography book from the library usually gets me going again too. I also keep a list on my cell of different photo op ideas as I come across them so when I'm feeling lost I can also see if one of those ideas spark my interest. :)

    Great tips, Katie! I'm looking forward to that creative exercise video thing you shared (will try to watch it later tonight)

    Xoxo
    Me

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