When the Creative Juices Stop Flowing

In my work as an artist, it’s not unheard of for me to find myself frozen or stuck.

I am in the middle of space where I don’t feel like creating at all.  I also know that if I try to create something, it will not be my best work.  I feel burned out on creativity.  I’m not creating what I want to create.  And I don’t even know what I want to create.

It feels like artistic depression.  I can sit down and piddle, but when it comes to really creating something (say the 4 or 5 items that need to be completed on my desk right now) I don’t feel like I can give it my full attention.

I don’t know if other artists suffer from this, but for me, when this hits it feels like a hole I can’t dig out of.

The same goes for new ideas for work.  I can have a million ideas in my head but when I sit down to create them, I draw a blank.

I used to think it was fear and yes, sometimes it is fear.  Fear of being seen. Fear of being imperfect. Fear of not being enough.  We’ve all felt one or more of those feelings before.

So how do we get out of that frozen state?  How do we thaw out and allow our ideas to really flow?

I’ve tried exercise.  I’ve been walking 2 – 3 miles a day.  I feel great, but I have no desire to draw or paint.

Yoga.  Meditation.  Breath work.  Pilates.  Nothing is bringing in the creative juices.

I’m not sure where I’ll end up, but I am hoping that I will find it soon.  I’m close to my self-imposed deadlines and I need to get a move on.