What we focus on is what we can become.
An artist block is when we put our focus entirely on being blocked, so enjoy the block, it will all be compost for the garden later.
I see the block as a messenger telling me that I may not be seeing the whole picture, and that I am putting my focus on only one small part of the picture.
Here are some simple things that I do to turn the block into a process and not a bog.
If there is stagnancy for me in one area of artwork, I take the challenge into another medium. For example, If I am painting, I leave what I am doing and then I go to drawing. Sometimes I continue the challenge
in this different medium, and sometimes I just drop it completely and do something new and fresh. Doing this lets me tap back into the connection to my artwork that I may have lost when I was stuck. Being blocked means to me: I have been overworking the piece, forcing my hand or pushing hard for an idea to emerge, over-criticizing or judging my work by unfair comparisons, just plain tired from working too long, or bored with my work, uninterested, lack luster, any of these things sound familiar?
Remember you are an Artist first then get back to the artistry.
Sometimes I will do something completely different, another expression like writing, or dancing, singing, filming, photography to bring life back into the forms of art that I am familiar with. Through opening artistic expression up again through other means, the original project can be seen in a whole new light. You have your eyes back and can see more clearly, even to a bigger picture of what you are doing with your work.
Art moves both the artist and the observer to see beyond the known resources inside and around them, gives the imagination flight and access to uncharted territory. Where some may say that there is nothing new under the sun, art says, stand still, look, until you really see. Everything is new! renewed!
Try this exercise: Art follows Heart. The heart, a faithful organ, keeps its rhythmic beat, reminding us of our actual time here on earth. When I get lost in the notion of artists block, I stop what I am doing and quiet myself long enough to simply listen, till I can hear and feel the beat of my heart in my chest – and then I listen some more – however long it takes. What comes of this, is true Magic. Try it.
In coaching clients adult or young it always comes back to listening to what their heart is telling them, no matter what tools or skills we work with in order to get them their, we wind up eventually to that listening and then most importantly, taking some action from that listening.
There is a time to abandon what you are doing (when blocked) and take action in some other creative way, and there is a time to just sit still and listen to what the heart is saying to you. Begin to listen and the block will dissolve.
The dry media painting shown here is called ‘Flight’.
All original paintings and their prints, displayed on the blog, are for sale. Prints can be bought online by going up to the image bar above and clicking on the “Backbone” page.
I can also be contacted for Creative Coaching, and NLP – Hypnotherapy
Contact me at mbm@fivechanges.org
I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart’s affection and the truth of the imagination. John Keats
