WHEN INSPIRATION IS HARD TO FIND
It happens to all of us. We’ll be zooming along, sketchbooks full, planners prepped, words spilling off the page, and then, out of nowhere, crickets. I’m usually startled when my motivation to work suddenly dries up. What just happened?
For me, it takes some looking back and doing research to figure out why, and while there is usually a root cause, that’s not always the case. Some of my personal triggers are big and sudden changes in my personal life circumstances, getting sick, or hormonal shifts. The last time I really experienced a creative rut, all three of those things happened back to back to back, and I was honestly floundering. I was getting frustrated and wondering if my drive to work would ever return. I felt uninspired and unmotivated, and I was very concerned. At the same time, there isn’t always an obvious cause to the rut, and it may simply be your mind signalling that it’s time to slow down or reconsider or pause.
Forcing inspiration never works for me. I usually give myself some space to slow down. Space to think and consider, “Why am I feeling this way? What has recently changed in my life? Do I feel well physically/emotionally/spiritually?” Many times, inspiration or motivation dries up at the start of an overwhelming season for me. For instance, the start of school at our house is a huge change for me. Luis is a teacher and two of our kids are in school. During the Summer months, we basically switch roles, and he cares for the kids while I work. It’s a rich time in my art calendar of having more uninterrupted time to create and prepare for the Fall. We, of course, also have ample family time and flexibility to go and do really anything we want to. So when August comes back around, and Luis goes back to work, and then the older kids go back to school, it tends to be a bit of a shock to my system. “How did I get any work done before?” I have to relearn my schedule and routine. I have to refamiliarize myself with being a work from home mom, and all that that entails. That first month after Luis goes back to work is never when I’m coming up with ideas for new pieces. I can certainly work on printing and building up inventory. I can work on bookkeeping and making lists for Fall prep, but that period of time is not fertile soil for creativity for me, and that’s ok! I certainly don’t believe that one can or should expect to feel inspired at all times. There is a season for everything, and not only acknowledging that, but accepting that is so important. It helps us to give ourselves grace when those seasons come, and it also helps us to know that it is just for a season. It won’t last forever.
Things to try when you find yourself in a rut:
Think outside of the norm- This is a big one for me. Sometimes I find that I’ve unintentionally put myself in a box. I feel like my new work has to fit a mold that I’ve created, and those constraints often limit my ability to be creative. If I throw out the perceived expectations of me, I find that I have ideas that land somewhere outside of my norm. It leads me to be creative in figuring out if I can make those new ideas work with my current body of work, or if I just need to adjust my current body of work. I never want to limit myself in terms of art making.
As you know, I switched from being a watercolor painter to a printmaker a couple of years ago. This adjustment was a huge deal for me since painting had been my primary identity as an artist for 15 years. Even though I’ve felt SO confident about the shift, and have known in my bones that the change in direction was something I was supposed to do, I’ve missed painting. I’ve been sketching ideas for painting for over a year now and just haven’t felt good about any of them. I never ever ever want to force inspiration, and I simply haven’t felt inspired. A couple of weeks ago I decided to force myself out of my box. I realized that I don’t have to create watercolor paintings that can be turned into prints. I don’t have to use similar compositions to my linocut prints in order to create unity between my two mediums. I don’t have to do any of that. So what did I want to do if I didn’t have any rules or constraints? Paint with oils again. This was a shocking revelation for me. When I studied Drawing and Painting in college, I focused on oil paintings and only took 2 watercolor classes. When I graduated, I spent 3 years painting with oils and creating custom pieces. And then, in 2010, I got pregnant. I was told that I would need to wear a respirator when I painted to avoid inhaling the fumes. After some consideration, I decided that it would be easier to just switch to watercolors for a while, which accidentally turned into 9 years. So here I am, 9 years later, and I’m painting with oils again. And I have to say, it feels AMAZING. I’m still working through what I will do with these paintings and how this fits into my current business model. But just like I knew that I needed to switch to printmaking, I know that I need to also be oil painting now.
Give yourself a free Day- Do something just for fun! Go on an adventure. Give yourself permission to slow down. Forget the to-do list and just draw or paint. Go to a museum. Go on a nature walk. Get out of your normal routine in a way that excites you or brings you peace. Go to a coffee shop and read. Free up some space in your brain. Grab your computer or journal and just write or sketch with no goal in mind. Creativity comes in waves and it needs space to grow, so give it some space.
Embrace change elsewhere - Working to be creative in other areas of your life can trigger creativity in your work. Change is good and often helpful. Cook a new recipe, paint a wall or piece of furniture, rearrange a room, sew, craft, throw a party. You get the idea.
Spend intentional time with others- This is a big one. When we’re in a rut, it’s so easy to isolate. At least it is for me. 9 times of 10, forcing myself to get out of my own head and spend intentional time with others frees me up to stop thinking about myself and my problems, and frees me up to consider and serve others.
Practice gratitude- Make a list of all of the things that you are grateful for or should be grateful for. Dwell on these things when you feel discouraged or worried. Reflect on them when you feel uninspired, because even in the driest of desserts, we have things to be grateful for.