What do you do when you feel creatively blocked or stuck?

Originally asked

The Creative Independent, to working artists, its interview series

A recurring Creative Independent question whose wording distinguishes a lasting block from a temporary impasse.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Heather Benjamin said elsewhere, not written here
I do get creative blocks. When I get into zones where I start second-guessing my subject matter. When I’m on the end of the spectrum where I’m like, “Oh my god, this is so repetitive and I’m sick of this lady’s face.” At times I get so frustrated with myself and with her for that reason. The best thing for me to do at those times is not to rebel against the subject matter. When I’m being too hard on myself, I need to accept that there’s more I have to say, visually, about the things I’ve been working through for a long time.

Brandon Stosuy, The Creative Independent, 16 March 2021 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 68 →
Richard Feynman Theoretical physicist; Nobel laureate in Physics, 1965
Nothing happens because there’s not enough real activity and challenge: You’re not in contact with the experimental guys.  You don’t have to think how to answer questions from the students.  Nothing!
Recorded Excerpt from “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”, Engineering and Science / Caltech Magazine, 1985 source ↗
David Yow Singer, artist and actor
There were a few times I got stuck and I would do automatic writing where you just decide, okay, for five minutes or eight minutes or 10 minutes, you just write and you don’t stop for a second, and you end up with pages and pages of stuff that way. And there’s stuff you can glean from it. There’s vague ideas or just a couple of sentences that’ll make you think of something. So that would be an easy-ish way to worm myself out of hitting a wall.
Recorded J. Bennett, The Creative Independent, 11 September 2024 source ↗
Willow Smith American singer
When you’re creatively stuck, there’s something else that’s stuck. There’s something else that’s stagnant that needs to start moving so that your creativity can flow again. Maybe you’re holding it in an emotion. Maybe you need to have a conversation that you haven’t had and you’re putting it off. Whatever it is, your creative energy gets affected by other things in your life. Your creative energy is your life force.
Recorded Yang Shi, The Creative Independent interview source ↗
Bill Sellanga Musician, producer and DJ, performing as Blinky Bill
I have a DJ side that I’ve developed, and so when creative blocks hit me I tend to spin a lot more than usual. Also, just trying my hand in other fields. I’m looking at sewing classes the next time I have a creative block.
Recorded Brandon Stosuy, The Creative Independent, 3 August 2017 source ↗

More on craft & work

Also answered this

David Yow, Yuri Nomura, Rickie Lee Jones, Vernon Chatman, Chelsea Wolfe, Tegan Quin

Search the directory for somebody in particular.

Explore further

Report this answer