Breaking Free from Artistic Block.
There's a different type of frustration that comes with staring at a blank canvas or page. It feels like your creativity just disappeared. But this frustration felt different. For months, I couldn't even make it to the canvas. It wasn't about staring at it. I felt overwhelmed, exhausted, and blank, which kept me from even picking up my pen or paintbrush. Between managing a full-time job, starting a VERY demanding graduate program, taking care of SadeAdu, my 90 lb Rottweiler, and maintaining relationships, there was no energy left for my art. Which, upon my reflection, was my wellness. Much like my mental state, my creativity felt drained, and the thought of creating anything, no matter how small, felt like an impossible and daunting task. A task, rather than something I love to do, mindlessly.
As I started to reflect, I realized that it wasn’t so much that I was not inspired, but that there was a constant strain on my mental, physical, and emotional health. When you’re stretched too thin, it seems creativity can be one of the first things that fades into the background. It wasn’t just my art and ultimately soulific artwork that was suffering. It was my life being so out of balance.
I had to write about this because I had an epiphany that my creativity and this feeling were so related to wellness. When you are physically and emotionally drained, it can be hard to tap into the energy needed to make art or anything you might typically enjoy doing. Fatigue blocks that access. I realized I didn’t just need a break from art—I needed a break from everything else to focus on my health and restore my energy.
An artistic block isn’t just about not knowing what to create. It’s often a reflection of the overall balance, or the lack of it, in our lives. Here’s how wellness plays a key role:
Physical wellness: When we’re exhausted or not feeling well, it’s hard to focus or find the energy for creative work. Sometimes we need the mental clarity for creativity, which also relies on having a healthy body. Lack of movement or proper rest can cloud the mind and mess up the creative process.
Mental wellness: My close friends, who we all know as stress, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed, can take up so much mental space that we have nothing left for our creative goals. The constant juggling of responsibilities can leave us feeling mentally drained, and creativity isn’t something we have energy for in those moments.
Emotional wellness: Emotions like fear, self-doubt, or perfectionism (which I am very much one) can paralyze our creative being. When we’re emotionally drained or disconnected, it can feel like a wall between us and our artistic expression.
So, throughout the months, I became more aware and paid attention to my wellness: prioritizing sleep, moving my body at the gym or on long walks with SadeAdu, giving myself grace, intentionally taking a step back, and giving myself space to recharge. I saw that things slowly began to shift. I need to be transparent and real here—it was not easy. I just wanted to sit in silence and dread the next day with all the things I had to do. But again, I had to give myself grace. I was not going to focus creative energy on my life. I wanted to give my body what it needed to be healed and ultimately help me bring my creative flow back.
If you are feeling stuck in your art (or any other areas of your life), give yourself grace, pause what you're doing, and focus on your wellness to break through that block. What you are seeking will thrive in a balanced, healthy environment, internally and externally.
How can you reignite your creativity or overcome your block? Here are 3 things to try that are simple and easy to apply in any areas of life where you feel blocked:
Revisit past works: Look at your older pieces. This can create a spark in your creative passions and remind you of why you began in the first place.
Collaborate with others: Sometimes, working with others can reignite your passions. I started co-creating sessions with another creator, and it's been very helpful. We aren’t working on the same project, but setting intentional time aside to be in the space to brainstorm and think through things was helpful. It's like an accountability buddy.
Disconnect from technology: This one is hard. But I disappeared from social media and turned on the setting on my phone to turn off social apps at a certain time or if I’ve been on the phone for four hours a day. This helps with being present, mindful, and reconnecting with your creative side. Start small. Turn off your notifications for an hour and see what happens.
What areas of your health need attention? Start small and move your body if you can, rest, or journal your thoughts. I’d love to hear what’s worked for you. Please share your tips and experiences in the comments or via email. Need an accountability buddy? I’m your gal!
From my heart to yours,
SB
