"He who has not felt the difficulties of his art does nothing that counts."
(Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin)
Been talking to several artist friends of mine recently. Don’t know if it is the change of season with its shorter days and lack of sunlight; but they all appear to be suffering from a creative slump. One friend can’t seem to pick up a paint brush, another hasn’t been in her studio for over two weeks, and another hasn’t written anything substantial since mid September.
They are unmotivated and uninspired. And to make matters worse, all three are beating themselves up with the fear stick, the self-doubt stick and of course, the self-loathing stick. “I feel completely empty inside! There’s nothing left. What an idiot to even think I had the talent to be a writer!” one friend howled.
Now at times like these I let them talk as much as they need to. Even though I’ve been where they are many, many times I know there is little I can say to make them feel better. These moments can be overwhelming. Days seem like weeks, weeks like months and still you haven’t “produced.” Our muse has gone into hiding or worse yet, completely abandoned us.
But this is untrue. We need to understand, really understand, one thing: our creative energy is a gift from the universe. It all comes from the universe and flows back to the universe. So, the idea that our creativity is finite; that our creativity can one day dry up and never return is misguided in the extreme. There is always creativity and creative energy out there. But sometimes, for whatever reason, we don’t have access to it. It’s that simple!
So, why don’t we cut ourselves some slack? We don’t always have to be “creating” and “producing.” We have choices when we’ve hit a creative dry spell. We can wallow in self-pity, self-doubt and beat ourselves up for being the artistic imposter we think we are; or we can be brave and take the time to reflect.
Maybe you need some time to rest and rejuvenate. Have you being burning the candle at both ends? Pushing yourself a little too much? Maybe you’ve been working so hard that you’ve drained your creative juices for the moment.
It helps me to remember this Zen Proverb: "The obstacle is the path."
May it help you in your efforts to remain motivated and inspired whenever you are running dry. It's always an opportunity to reflect and go deeper, thus making our art more heart-centered.
They are unmotivated and uninspired. And to make matters worse, all three are beating themselves up with the fear stick, the self-doubt stick and of course, the self-loathing stick. “I feel completely empty inside! There’s nothing left. What an idiot to even think I had the talent to be a writer!” one friend howled.
Now at times like these I let them talk as much as they need to. Even though I’ve been where they are many, many times I know there is little I can say to make them feel better. These moments can be overwhelming. Days seem like weeks, weeks like months and still you haven’t “produced.” Our muse has gone into hiding or worse yet, completely abandoned us.
But this is untrue. We need to understand, really understand, one thing: our creative energy is a gift from the universe. It all comes from the universe and flows back to the universe. So, the idea that our creativity is finite; that our creativity can one day dry up and never return is misguided in the extreme. There is always creativity and creative energy out there. But sometimes, for whatever reason, we don’t have access to it. It’s that simple!
So, why don’t we cut ourselves some slack? We don’t always have to be “creating” and “producing.” We have choices when we’ve hit a creative dry spell. We can wallow in self-pity, self-doubt and beat ourselves up for being the artistic imposter we think we are; or we can be brave and take the time to reflect.
Maybe you need some time to rest and rejuvenate. Have you being burning the candle at both ends? Pushing yourself a little too much? Maybe you’ve been working so hard that you’ve drained your creative juices for the moment.
It helps me to remember this Zen Proverb: "The obstacle is the path."
May it help you in your efforts to remain motivated and inspired whenever you are running dry. It's always an opportunity to reflect and go deeper, thus making our art more heart-centered.
Dearest sweet mary, i go through that too and dropping into the slump. Not a very nice place to be. When it happens, i took time off from my creative journal...rejuvenate and grounded myself back by looking into the roots. You are so right that we don't always have to be creating all the time. Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!
ReplyDeletejacqueline
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