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Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)


How many times does an artist stare down at that blank piece of paper thinking "What on earth do I paint - Where do I put my first mark?" More often than you would imagine! It happens to all creative people actually, from visual artists, designers, poets, through to musicians and writers.

When this situation arises, you are in the grip of creative block. When you wrack your brains to come up with ideas but just can't seem to. There may be contributing factors to this state, such as tiredness, depression, environmental, physiological or psychological issues. On the other hand you could just be experiencing a period of simple low creativity.

When this happens there are a few things you can do to restore your creativity levels at will, however what you must not do is worry or fret about it. If the worst comes to the worse and you don't seem to be able to produce any work, simply regard the period as a 'holiday' or a rest. Your creativity level WILL rise again. In the meantime, utilise the time spent not creatingto do positive things anyway.

Research other artists' work. Visit galleries or surf the net and see what other people are doing. Join artists' chat rooms or visit message boards or forums where you can exchange ideas and views with other artists. Just talking to other creative people can give you a real buzz! You might even make some new friends in the process.

Spend the time you are not actually producing art, by increasing your marketing efforts. Send postcards to galleries, research upcoming local art fairs or events where you could possibly take a booth to sell your art. Have some leaflets or brochures printed up all about yourself and your work. Take a couple of days out of your schedule and do a local neighbourhood leaflet drop.

Update your website or online portfolio. You may think it's already perfect but it's not often that things can't be improved or sharpened in some way. Update your artist's statement; put new 'zing' into your descriptions.

If you really can't face doing anything concerning your own artwork, visit the theatre, go to a pop concert, browse local museums. Go to a restaurant or coffee bar with friends and have a (non art related) natter.

Use the time to take a complete break, if this is what works best for you. You will instinctively know when the time is right to 'go back' to your art. When this happens there are lots of techniques you can use to get back into the swing of high creativity. These I explore in my article 'Overcoming Artist's Block (part 2)'.

Gail Miller is a professional artist whose artwork is a visual feast of colour and fun. Her fascination with bold colours and fluid, expressive shapes and line are evident in funky abstracts, sinuous nudes, vibrant stilllife paintings and lively townscapes. Visit her website at http://www.gailmiller.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Creativity - Google News

Creativity trumps cute factor in Super Bowl ads - The Detroit News


Globe and Mail

Creativity trumps cute factor in Super Bowl ads
The Detroit News
Perhaps this is why the ads that left the biggest impressions — good and bad — are those that showed sparks of creativity and pathos. This is why Chevy deserves a gold star for its apocalyptic ad. In the spot, a man and his dog are shown in a truck ...
KAMERA OBSCURE: This year's best/worst Super Bowl commercialsBall State Daily News
The Journal's All-Star Super Bowl Live Blog TeamWall Street Journal (blog)
Fiat's Super Bowl ad adds real wow factor to its compact car offering.FOXSports.com
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Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area to build a cultural and creative production base - Ningbo Expat Life


Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area to build a cultural and creative production base
Ningbo Expat Life
Cooperating with a leading cultural company of China, Ningbo is going to build a cultural and creative production base in Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area. The other day, Ningbo Hangzhou Bay New Area signed an agreement with Shenzhen Huaqiang Holdings ...

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Hayes: Reflections on being caretakers of creativity - Midland Daily News


Hayes: Reflections on being caretakers of creativity
Midland Daily News
I honestly believe this is a most significant structure, not only as a functional building but also as a catalyst to generate new facts and new feelings in the creative lives of all who use it." The 2011/12 season marks the 40th anniversary of MCFTA ...

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the mystery of consciousness - CNN International


the mystery of consciousness
CNN International
By Antonio Damasio, Special to CNN Editor's note: Antonio Damasio, author of "Self Comes to Mind", published by Pantheon/Vintage, is a professor of neuroscience and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California ...

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Innovation and creativity move to the heart of the curriculum - Financial Times


Financial Times

Innovation and creativity move to the heart of the curriculum
Financial Times
Top schools have devoted considerable resources to entrepreneurship, from electives and specialist courses to in-house incubation centres to help groom the creative leaders of the future. While some business leaders question whether entrepreneurship ...

Who's More Creative? Introverts or Extroverts? - Big Think (blog)


Who's More Creative? Introverts or Extroverts?
Big Think (blog)
The big difference is the kind of environment they thrive in, says Susan Cain, author of a new book on the creative power of introverts. Now more than ever before, says Cain, Western society approves more of extroverts. Have we reached the tipping ...
The quiet achieversSydney Morning Herald

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Travel to Latin America with Creative Cauldron - Patch.com


Travel to Latin America with Creative Cauldron
Patch.com
Each performance is part of Creative Cauldron's Passport to the World festival, a pocket-friendly opportunity to travel the world without ever leaving Falls Church. Creative Cauldron is the non-profit arts organization that manages and operates ...

Pinterest, an online bulletin board, inspires creativity - Pensacola News Journal


Technorati

Pinterest, an online bulletin board, inspires creativity
Pensacola News Journal
» How it works: Users upload images or videos (which can be linked back to their original websites for additional info) with a drag-and-drop browser extension. The image, or pin, is then assigned to a board. Users can follow each other's boards, ...
7 Tips for Planning a Wedding on PinterestMashable
Pinterest Gaining Intensity and Support with Social ZealotsTechnorati

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Machine Knitters Club offers both creativity and friendship - Knoxville News Sentinel


Machine Knitters Club offers both creativity and friendship
Knoxville News Sentinel
Or maybe you just want to try your hand at a relaxing, creative craft or provide such items for those with special needs? Any which way you see it, the 30 or so women of the Tennessee Valley Machine Knitters Club would be pleased to have you come for a ...

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Plant Creativity Saves GM Millions - Chicago Tribune


Plant Creativity Saves GM Millions
Chicago Tribune
Creative solutions can save a lot of money, and if you happen to be building light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks for GM, those savings can run into the millions of dollars. Josh Cable of Industry Week magazine recently toured GM's truck assembly ...

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