an art block

“Am I having an art block?” “Can I create anymore?” “Am I being too productive?” are questions that I quite often ask myself. Is that good? Read on to find out!!

What is an art block?

An art block is a feeling that a physical(traditional) as well as a digital artists experience where the artists cannot get themselves to create anything. That’s almost like a creative block. The terms art blocks and creative blocks are used interchangeably.

According to me, an art block is completely different from a creative block. It is an extremely subjective topic to be honest and completely different for every artist, but the very day I started this page, I underwent an art block for almost a week but it certainly was not a creative block. Again, subject to different experiences and beliefs, but I feel like a creative block is something I am more afraid of, than an art block. A creative block disables a person from using their creativity and not just restricts them from creation. I was in complete denial of art blocks existing or even being real until one evening where I just felt like everything I have done so far was too intimidating and I did not feel confident enough to even attempt to create something because I was too afraid as to if or not it will be at par with the other creations of mine. That is a wrong but a completely valid reason for being under confident and every artist is allowed to have an art block.

Here are some peculiar observations made from a personal experience of having an art block:

Stage 1: Denial

Believe it or not, you will definitely not realize you are having an art block until you try to think of what you want to paint next. I have been here multiple times and it definitely is a hard pill to swallow to not be able to create anything or have an idea of your own and plainly do something with references or inspiration. (which is also completely okay, btw)

Being in denial lasts me about 1-2 days because now I have taught myself to just stop the moment I think that I am not being most creative. This often happens when you have consistently created for a long period of time or if you have potentially exhausted everything new you have wanted to do.

Stage 2: Distraction

The best thing to do is switch what you’re doing when you think you have done too much of it right? But how will you do that if there is only one thing you like doing??

Look for basic tutorials in something you really had interest in but never had the time to do it. Whenever I face an art block where I do not feel like painting anything for days together but I still do get ideas, I either write them down so that I have a reference to look at, or then I let them sit in my head till they are mature enough to be put on paper. Obviously, I do experiment with ideas and there are some pieces that I am extremely proud of but they haven’t made it to my social media because of how personal and close to my heart they are, and you could also do that! It is really soothing to do something without having the pressure to make it perfect, or passable as a post. I looveeee watching food and dance videos and when I do that, (when I am not painting) , I save the recipes I want to try out, download tutorials for the routines I like, get a friend to learn choreography with me and occasionally sign up for a class too! It is not a hobby as such, but something I really wish I could do. Even though I am not perfect or as good as the videos I try to imitate, I am happy and not thinking of painting so it works out well. Who knows, I might want to paint a dance after doing that, or might want to do food photography or do an object drawing with kitchen utensils after finishing a recipe.

Stage 3: Co-exist (move on)

If you still don’t have the will to paint or even an idea, don’t worry, it's time to accept that you are having an art block and be fully prepared for the next time you might have one. (I won’t say god forbid because art blocks are good. They help you introspect and analyze a lot of things)

Scheduling and setting deadlines has really helped me a lot and I strongly suggest you to give it a try! When I started this page, I knew I wanted to post once a week but it was imperative for me to decide on a day and set deadlines. I sat down and made a comprehensive plan which was very flexible and subject to a thousand last minute changes, but it helped me to be on track, be consistent and not run out of ideas. Important tip- Please never regard any idea as “inferior” or “not worthy” and pen in down anyway. You never know where it might lead you.

Stage 4: Overcome

I would say that the process of overcoming is extremely different. An art block can last 2 days, 2 months or even 2 years. But it's definitely not permanent. Nothing is. One day you might wake up feeling the urgent need to paint something. Some other day, you might feel like writing down a hundred different ideas. But on no day will you wake up with an art block. It is a gradual process. Be sure that you will get through it and you definitely will!!

If you are not an artist and you are still reading this, here is a little something for you-

How should you support an artist/ compliment them:

Compliments not only validate an artist but also give them the feeling of satisfaction when their work is liked by their audiences. Instead of complimenting an artist, compliment their work. If you want to appreciate specific qualities, do not use terms like “you are so talented” because that disregards the fact that they have put any kind of hard work into their skill and that it is inborn, which in most cases is not true. Do not call a creator “too productive” or say that their work intimidates you. Everyone has a different way of creating artworks and no one's thought process can be the same. Just because you see content from a particular artist everyday does not necessarily mean that they are creating it on the very day they posted it. Weeks of hard work can go behind that one photo you see and even one comment that says “you’re too creative” can sound more of an insult than a compliment.

Well this shouldn’t stop you from appreciating the content you like so here are some alternatives-

1. “I love looking at your posts” instead of “your timeline is amazing”

2. “This artwork is beautiful “ instead of “this is talent/this is so pretty”

3. “I love how much effort you have put into this” instead of “too productive” or “your work intimidates me”

As an artist, know that it is okay to take a break. Social media is not just putting yourself out there without it having any effect on your psychology. (Well, if it doesn’t then good for you!! You’ve managed to conquer the social media game) but at least for me it does. People say things that are not intended to hurt you, but they might. It is completely okay to disconnect yourself in order to detox, rejuvenate and come back, only stronger and better. If you are an artist who posted consistently and decided to take a break from a particular kind of posts, you don’t owe an apology to anyone but to yourself. Instead of saying sorry to your followers, say sorry to yourself, and promise yourself that you’d take care to not be so hard on yourself ever again.

That being said, when you see an artist apologizing because they have an art block, let them know that it’s okay to just exist. When you are undergoing an art block, you naturally might feel FOMO(fear of missing out) when you see all the other artists creating wonderful stuff around you. Like I’ve said before, every single artist has a different pace, so this is just not yours! Don’t worry, art blocks will pass and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.

Well, this article feels more like a conversation that every artist should have with themselves and no matter what happens, keep believing in the power of the creativity that got you here. Trust me, there is a long way to go and your creative juices won’t betray you! Do let me know about your art block stories in the comments section below and make sure to leave feedback. Thank you!