Any artist can tell you that the road to creative fulfillment is a borderline mental health nightmare. I grew up with a passion for creating. I entertain myself with hobbies like sewing, jewelry making, and DIY projects. But my passion and torment is digital art and design. I attended Full Sail University and earned my bachelors in computer animation. Despite this achievement I have been finding it difficult to stay motivated and to even get inspired. I started writing this in hopes of finding my inner artist again.
Every artist strives to tap into this elusive, almost supernatural entity, sometimes referred to as a muse. In reality this is simply the part of the creative mind that induces an intense focus. This muse like state has been eluding me for four years now. I am determined to see it comes back with a vengeance.
I began the quest for my muse with a simple search for what causes artist block. I came across an idea that resonated with me. The basic concept proposes that every artist has two aspects to their creative process.
1) Your vision or your ability to critique and,
2) your physical skill level.
Most people have a vision that is slightly better than their actual skills. The levels of these practices will obviously fluctuate over time. Here is an awesome visual aid to help explain.
The ideal state to achieve is an equal level of skill and artistic eye causing that boom in creative output. There are only two points in my life I can recall when I was able to experience this balance. I decided to create a chart reflecting my own progress, adding in a line for confidence and motivation. The results have been eye opening.
This tidbit of information really helped me, specifically in getting this website started and it pushed me during my last professional project. When you choose to make a career out of being an artist it is like playing with fire. It depends on personal motivation and demands discipline. Both can be hard practices to maintain when life gets in the way. I personally am cursed with low self esteem and a perfectionist’s eye. This is a recipe for disaster when trying to motivate yourself to improve.
I have been doing a lot of self reflection over the past year and made a decision to keep working and improving, whatever the cost. I finally have a better understanding of what is going on in my jumbled up brain. I was worried I may never find my “mojo” again. I am looking at this obstacle from a totally new angle. I don’t claim to be an expert on the topic of artist block, by any means, but here is my advice to anyone going through a similar situation.
Immerse yourself with things that inspire you.
Take time to learn about topics that you have always had an interest in (or new ones).
Surround yourself with people that are positive and encouraging.
Rid yourself of negative people and find a new perspective on the negativity you can’t control.
Encourage yourself. It might feel ridiculous at first but it is worth it. I promise.
With this blog, I hope to continue finding clarity within myself by exploring what inspires and motivates me. I want to dig deep into topics such as the purpose of an artist in the community, art and spirituality, and the ways society can nourish the creative mind. I am determined to keep working through this block and build up something productive from it, my inner artist.