AMMAN- As artists and writers in the field, we tend to always go through minor speed bumps in our creative journeys. We tend to get blocked from our creative flow and it happens more often than we care to admit. The nightmare begins when the creative flow slows down and breaks and somehow, we forget how to get it back on again. Here are a few tips to help with this common problem:

Leonid Pasternak, The Throes of Creation, Oil on Canvas, 19th Century, wikicommons.

Write notes:

Always have a notebook or a sketchpad on hand wherever you go. You never know when the inspiration will come and from where. It could happen while you’re walking, sitting in an office, a park or watching something on TV. 

Auguste Rodin, The Thinker, 1902, Bronze.

Contemplate: 

Don’t be afraid to step back from whatever it is that you’re doing. Take a break, and come back at a later time with a clearer head. Go for a walk, clear your mind and continue. 

Ask Around:

Get a fresh perspective from someone else. Ask a peer for help, a colleague, coworker, or a friend. Having a conversation with another person with a different perspective helps and may spark some new ideas. 

Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, The bed, 1892, Oil on Cardboard, 54×70 cm, Orsay Museum, Paris.

Rest:

Sleep on it whenever you can whether you feel yourself stuck or not. Our brains naturally sort the good ideas from the bad ones and organise information while we sleep.

Claude Monet, The Studio Boat (Le Bateau-atelier), 1876, Oil on Canvas, 72.7 x 60 cm.

Change of scenery:

Change up your work environment to keep things fresh. Try working at a coffee shop, sketch in the park or on the train, by the pool or on the balcony. Make sure to eliminate all distractions. 

Omar Najjar, Shredded, 2020, Oil on Canvas, 130 x 280 cm, Fann a Porter.

Music:

Listen to music while you’re working. Try putting on some classical or jazz music or whatever gets you pumped and inspired to work on your project. 

Rene Magritte, Meditation, 1937, Oil on Canvas, 50 x 65 cm, private collection.

Meditate:

Make time for yourself and do something that makes you feel good. Have a self-care day; whatever that means to you but make sure to take your mind off everything and focus on you. Meditation is another way to relax your mind; a relaxed mind is more open and more imaginative.

Exercise:

Do something that gets your blood flowing: get your body moving and your mind will follow suit. Whether it’s running, yoga, dance, tai chi, boxing, swimming or any other sports, just go do it. Do whatever it is that makes you feel good and gets your endorphins and creativity flowing.

Practice Daily:

Write or sketch early in the morning while your brain waves are still in theta mode. Thirty minutes before going to bed works as well; you tend to think about your project as you fall asleep and thus waking up with a different perspective.

Henri Rousseau, The Football Players, 1908, Oil on Canvas, 100.3 x 81.1 cm, Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Keep an open mind:

Look for inspiration in other forms of art! Try to read something inspiring whether it’s a book, a quote or a paragraph you like. Going to a museum or art gallery is also an option: bask in the art, get lost in it, and you’ll feel inspired and motivated by the end of it.

Routine:

Lastly and most importantly, create a daily routine. This will help you get organized, as well as activating your creative muse on a daily basis, rather than on occasion. For example, setting your work time from 10 to 12pm or 4 to 8pm daily and eventually your mind gets used to activating its creativity during that time. 

Image courtesy indicated in caption.