Studio Friday.

Thought I'd jump in and play Studio Friday this week! This week's topic was suggested by Gabi: ARTIST'S BLOCK.

"You've heard of 'writer's block'. Well as an artist, I sometimes suffer from "Artist's block". What is this you ask? It's when you sit and sit and can't come up with anything. This can go on for hours, days, weeks even months sometimes.
I want to know how you break free of Artist's block! "  ~ Gabi

I LOVE this week's topic. And I took the time to actually think about it! I realized that what I instinctively thought how I unblocked the ol' creativity was likely the precise thing that caused that "I've forgotten everything I know" feeling! My mind jumped right to the thought that to create, just go in the studio and play! Experiment! Make a mess! Pull out the stops! Sounded logical to me and I'm sure that works for a lot of people! But after really considering this, I determined that's not at all what I do when I feel stuck. When I'm empty, have no more ideas, feel spent, etc., I have to remove myself from my toys and supplies. Just take a break, take a walk, take a nap, take a chill pill. When the well's empty, "forcing" it only causes me to resent whatever project I'm working on. And I end up just making a mess. Ugly messes. I feel like it's a "mood" thing and sometimes the only thing that can change that mood is to be able to call it "yesterday."

The other thing that helps me unblock is input. Visual or some other sensory stimulation. A magazine, a car ride, going in the garden, baking cookies, or a glass of wine! Stimulating another part of the brain helps me "articulate" my creativity. I also call it "cross-training." This magazine fed my creativity recently...

 

And the last thing that helps me is to go have some fun. I have to remind myself to not take things so seriously. I get intense. Glen can attest to that. A few days ago I was in my studio, supposedly playing and making art, and when he popped in to say "hi," I pretty much bit his head off! "I'm busy!" I snapped! So with that, I leave you with a picture of this little sweet spot found in the garden yesterday.

"I'm ready for my close up, Mr. Del Monte!"

Comments

[Tine]

Sounds great!
I love your tomatoes! Yummy! And that magazine looks so brilliant! You are tempting me to go out and look for it ;-)

[Lilli]

What a cute little tomato face!!!

How many hours did it take you to upload the photos? :) Sorry, I couldn't resist an impish dial-up reference!

[Lilie]

Neat magazine and great picture!

[Malou]

What a nice looking tomato plant, that is! I get my inspiration from magazines also that's why I frequent Barnes & Noble or border!!! I could live in there forever esp. in Papyrus!

[tongue in cheek]

Michelle you write it well, youhave such a gift and share it beautifully with us!
What you right is true, forcing never helped me unwind my creativity!

[Jana]

Lovely tomato! Those eyelashes are to die for ;)! What a great photo-capture!

Enjoyed your previous creative designs you shared in the post before this one---some cool things you're coming up with!

Artist's block is a crazy thing---sometimes you have the time, clean studio and everything ready to go but nothing happens. Other times, things are a mess & you're just raring to go & you still can't create anything. What helps me is my plein air group. It's a set time each week, we show up in an agreed upon place, we have until noon to come up with something & it makes me produce! I think I need that crack of a whip to nudge me---maybe I need to go get one for my studio ;)!

[Carrie Sommer]

So true, and that tomato looks delicious!

[GMa Jean]

I think I hear the tomato saying to me: "Come up and see me sometime." It looks a little like Mae West. Yes, I am certifiable.

[Anke]

So fun to read your post! So many different ways to solve artist block! And so many new ideas for blocked artist you can get in this weeks topic!

[tongue in cheek]

Those eyelashes on that tomato!!

Di-VINE!!