By Totemworlds
Feeling blocked, anxious, exhausted, lazy are all symptoms of a constricted creative flow. And like a clogged pipe that needs maintenance, we need to take care of our creative flow if we wish to create great art.
Perhaps you have amazing ideas already, but lack the support needed to realize them. Or maybe you have the time and resources, but you don’t feel inspired or procrastinate…a lot. Or maybe your process of making art stops being as enjoyable as before, and your doubts become numerous. If you find yourself in any of these situations, you may need to change the way you make art. Whether you’re a writer, filmmaker, painter, or composer, the lessons in this article will help you restore motivation and trust in yourself.
Get in the flow
Creativity is a primordial force that flows through all things. The flow is found everywhere in nature, in the movement of the planets, and inside each of us. I’m not trying to channel Master Yoda when I say that we are all one with the flow, but it’s true: to create is your birthright. So why do we often feel creatively blocked, uninspired, and/or anxious?
Remember the clogged pipe analogy? The truth is that we love to constrict the flow of our creativity. By focusing on the end product rather than the process, we often overflow our mental landscapes with insecurities and expectations.
Being out of the flow means you have trouble starting projects and not finishing them. Being out of the flow as a professional, where the stakes are even higher: it’s petrifying. Luckily there’s a solution: learning to create in an effortless, and playful manner.
Actually, it’s not learning but remembering how to create in said way. Back when we were children, though our technique was poor, our attitude was spot on. We treated work as play, and we made art in a pressure-free environment and in a peaceful state of mind. I’m asking you to choose that attitude as your default mode of working.
Start practicing by playing (and having fun) with your instrument or equipment in a pressure-free environment, let all expectations and self-criticism drop for a moment and get back into the flow. As Kenny Werner writes in his book, Effortless Mastery:
“Full-blown artistic creativity takes place when a trained and skilled grown-up is able to tap the source of clear, unbroken play-consciousness of the small child within. This consciousness has a particular feel and flow we instinctively recognize. It is “like tossing a ball on swift-flowing water: moment-to-moment nonstop flow.”
Practice bringing this playful and effortless attitude into your work and you’ll never feel uninspired again.
Keep up the momentum
To keep the juices flowing, practice doing something creative regularly, preferably daily. Don’t let this activity consume much of your time: it should feel spontaneous, simple, and quick. Anything goes as long as it requires you to be creative: keep a miniature journal, take a minute to snap a photo, find any object and interact with it as if it were the first time, etc.
The aim here is to bring more spontaneity into your life, which forces you to be more creative throughout your day. Doing them regularly helps you reinforce your playful attitude and build the momentum you need to take on larger projects.
See the value in being bored
To foster my creativity, I have tried psychedelics, long hikes, deep meditation, but to my surprise what worked best was doing nothing at all. Boredom is so underrated nowadays, but it’s been proven to spark, and I mean really spark, creativity and productivity. Don’t be confused. Being bored is not the same as relaxing, rather it’s intentionally removing all external input until your brain starts finding it uncomfortable. Don’t worry, it’s healthy for your brain!
Spend 10 minutes doing nothing (no phone, no music, no journaling, no meditation, do nothing at all) and expect some ideas to appear. Dare to do it for a whole day (a dopamine fast) and you’ll be even more surprised. The lack of input will force your brain to explode with a rush of ideas and solutions. These ideas and solutions were hidden before because you were too distracted, and good ole’ boredom brought them into the light.
Get bored. Stare at your floor! (Photo by jaqui from FreeImages.)
So try giving your mind a break from all external input whenever you get the chance: be bored during your daily commute, while you wait for the doctor’s appointment, while you wait for your food to arrive at a restaurant. Fight the itch to become distracted, let your mind wander, and you’ll be rewarded with ideas!
End of Part I
The next time you feel blocked or anxious, get back into the flow by surrendering your expectations, keep a regular creative habit to build momentum for large projects, and don’t forget to see value in boredom.
Be on the look for Part 2 :).
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