A lot of creatives straddle with the back-and-forth of their inspiration. It’s a mystical thing, a unicorn that peeks its head from behind an old tree you’ve walked by for years, and suddenly you’re looking at it with an entirely different perspective. However, that tree has always been as it was, only cloaked by a fleeting magic called inspiration.
When feeling uninspired, the first thing I do is rest. I rest without reprimanding myself for the progress I could be making, I rest without guilt. A cup of coffee and my favorite snack always does the trick to improve my mood. Never neglect your mental health!
When I want to feel inspired again, I always take one thing I know and love and make something new out of it. Whether it is re-watching a movie, replaying a video game, or rereading a book, I re-consume something I enjoy and take note of what I enjoy about it. Then, I think about ways to incorporate it into a new art piece. Recently, I have been reading Circe and playing Persona 5: Strikers and Fire Emblem: Three Houses
It also helps to discuss the topic with friends or in online forums to gain a new perspective on the characters, art style, or plot–to find out why others love your favorite things too. For instance, as a child one of the career paths I wanted to pursue was that of a baker. I had, and still have, an insatiable sweet tooth and an affinity for decorating cakes. So, during one of my art block sessions, I consumed copious amounts of videos and images of cake-decorating ideas and made these:
The main thing to consider when creating during an art block is to not only rest but create without guilt either. When designing and prototyping merchandise, I think a lot about the technical aspects, the logistics of creating and selling it, how much time it takes and how to turn a profit, but none of that has any place in your mind in your search for inspiration. Focus on enjoying the process and take note of how different your creations become when making them for fun versus making them to sell.
I will leave you with one last thing to consider: although inspiration can help you create, it should not be the be-all end-all of your creativity. Consistency is key, especially if art is your full-time career, it is crucial to learn to work even when it’s not all fun. It helps to have a friend to keep you accountable, a calendar, and daily/weekly/monthly goals, anything to maintain that delicate balance between inspired and burnt out.
If my advice speaks to you and you tried out new things to stay inspired, please use #HowDoYouSculpey and share your creations on social media! Don’t forget to hashtag the type of clay you’re using as well (ie. #premo #liquidsculpey). All the best creating, and I hope you make something wonderful
