What Do You Do to Get Yourself Out of a Creative Slump or Vacuum?
I’ve been gradually getting back to doing some of my ‘ art shoulds’ that have accumulated during my wrist healing experience and one of the items on my list is blogging here more often. I’ve been able to get back to some of my quilting projects (more on this to come shortly) and have started to plan my re-entry into my ‘art’ work so hope to have lots to share in the next few entries.
Today I want to share my response to the question “What do you do to get yourself out of a creative slump or vacuum?” issued by a group to which I belong.
Here are my Slump Remedy(s):
1. Work on a UFO. It puts my head into the ‘work’ zone.
2. Browse some blogs on the internet. I’ve included a link to out-of-the-box, one of the groups I belong to. Then take one idea I find and do a quick study…..
3. Try a new technique, experiment with a new medium, or tool.
4. Go back through some past issues of magazines. Take one idea and do a quick study ….
5. Work in another art medium, sketch, watercolor, photography.
6. Browse my photo collection. Pick a theme and some supporting photos and post them where I will see them frequently.
7. Work in a series – use a past or new theme – just to get me going! Sometimes it is a content theme, sometimes a technique.
8. Choose a competition or challenge (ideas from web sites) to do a small piece – whether I enter it or not!
9. Do something that calms my mind – music, read, walk…… I find that a ‘busy’ mind is the most frequent cause of my artist block or vacuum.
10. Get myself removed from ‘reminders’ of all the non-art ‘shoulds’ in my life. Surround myself with tools and materials! Go through some of my bins of supplies and tools.
11. Just play for a bit!
12. A tip from Laura Caterwoods: Make a ‘to do’ list at the end of a work session so that you are not facing ‘a blank sheet’ of paper when you re-enter your work space.
13. Keep a journal list of ‘I want to do….’ that captures ideas when the juices are flowing. Use it to jump start the next session when they aren’t.
Can you suggest other ideas?