When the spark fades: Navigating Creative Block as a Working Artist
When I made the decision to go all in and commit to a career as an illustrator, something took hold of me. A mix of fear, excitement, and the promise of possibility had me in a kind of creative frenzy. I didn’t know exactly how things would unfold, but I knew I wanted to get as good as I possibly could, and fast. I dreamt up projects, wrote out my aspirations, made wish lists of high-ticket opportunities, and to my amazement, things actually started clicking into place. The dream jobs started happening, and I rode that wave of momentum for some time. But, little by little, in ways so small it was almost imperceptible, the spark had faded.
There was a time when people used to ask me how I stayed so motivated. Back then, I couldn’t imagine not being motivated. But now? Oh, I get it. That feeling that had once propelled me forward with excitement and urgency had vanished. I felt stuck, like every idea just fizzled out. Where once I could draw for hours on end, I struggled to even sit down to start. This period of stagnation made me start questioning, well, everything.
Looking for Answers
Like any artist desperate to feel like themselves again, I looked for solutions. I read The Artist’s Way, hoping morning pages would unlock something buried within me. I started running further, thinking movement might help shake something loose. I tried new hobbies, hoping fresh inspiration would reignite my creative spark. I even took time off, assuming that when I returned, I would feel refreshed and ready to create again.
I wanted a quick fix. I wanted to go back to the way things felt before. But this wasn’t just a creative lull. It was something deeper. It was making me question why I create at all, what stories I have carried about success, and whether the things that used to motivate me still held the same meaning.
At the time, I felt like nothing was working. But looking back, I can see that everything I tried helped in some way. The Artist’s Way helped me unpack the stories I had internalised about the life of an artist. Running challenged me to accept that to go far, you need to slow right down. Taking time off forced me to ask what I was actually working toward instead of just chasing the next milestone.
Twinkle to Terror
Creative block isn’t just an inconvenience. It is a confrontation. It sneaks in disguised as procrastination, exhaustion, or even apathy, but at its core, I’ve come to realise, it is often fear.
At the start of my career, I felt like I had nothing to lose, like a kid running full speed down a soft grassy hill, eyes twinkling. But as accomplishments stacked up, the grassy hill started to feel more like a narrow beam. Every step had to be just right. As my perceived margin for error grew smaller, my head filled with half-finished pieces, abandoned experiments, and unrealised concepts that no longer fit within my shrinking sense of what was "acceptable."
Where once my imagination felt like a garden of possibility, it now felt like I was the one in there with a hazmat suit, spraying down anything that tried to grow. Every time a little sprout emerged, my inner critic would snap, "What do you mean you are not a fully formed rose yet? Not good enough! Off with your head!"
It wasn’t just the fear of failure. It was the fear of impact. What if my work actually mattered? What if it moved someone? What if I had to keep showing up, again and again? The idea of generating momentum felt overwhelming. It was safer to stay still, endlessly tweaking my work, never quite letting it go. Once something is out there, you no longer get to live in the comforting space of potential, imagining how it could turn out. You have to face what it actually is.
Learning to Finish and Let Go
Now, I am trying to rebuild the habit of finishing and letting go by setting small deadlines for myself, resisting the urge to overwork projects, and reminding myself that it’s the doing that is important.
This article exists because of a self-imposed deadline and because I mustered up the courage to hush my inner critic every time they tried to convince me that writing about my experience was a waste of time. My hope is that by practicing finishing and letting go, I will cultivate a more fluid and sustainable approach to my creative work.
Looking back, I don’t think this block was an obstacle. I think it was a pause I needed. It forced me to restore balance in areas of my life I had neglected in my rush to be “successful”. While I cannot express in words my gratitude for the opportunities I have received in my career, I can see now how important it was to take time to reflect and adjust my course. It gave me space to attend to other areas of my life and ultimately grow in unexpected ways.
Moving Forward: What Helped Me
If you are in the thick of it now, I have made a list of things I believe helped me. Be kind to yourself and be patient, it will pass.
Read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. If you truly commit to this process, it will change your creative life.
Move your body. Do what you are drawn to, you might be surprised what you come to know. Running, yoga, and rock climbing helped me re-build self-belief, courage, and discipline - a pretty handy skillset for artists. Revisiting an activity you enjoyed as a kid can be a great starting point.
Treat creativity as a spiritual practice. Whatever this means for you. It might be prayer or simply expressing gratitude before starting to create. Maybe it’s meaningful routines or rituals. Maybe it’s ensuring you are in a space that feels safe and inspiring to you. Anything that reminds you of the gifts you have been given and your ability to contribute to the world. I have found that framing my creative practice as something I am participating in, in collaboration with the world at large, makes the process feel lighter and more joyful.
Create before you consume. A little “inspo” can quickly turn into comparison. Make something before you scroll.
Newness. Play music, try a new activity, watch a documentary on something unfamiliar, cook a new recipe, or wear a fragrance that shifts your mood. Even small changes can spark something unexpected.
Identify your beliefs. What beliefs do you hold about art and creativity, about success, about family, about how a life should be lived? Where did they come from? Noticing them is a great step in shifting them. The Artist’s Way is a masterclass in this.
Set one simple, manageable task with a deadline. Make it achievable but fixed. Easy enough that you don’t quit before you’ve even started. Finding a task that you genuinely enjoy always helps!
Archive and start fresh. Clearing out my digital space and archiving old work gave me mental space and permission to start fresh. I don’t recommend deleting anything, just putting it away or out of sight while you regain your footing.
Find support. If you are struggling, seeing a professional can shed a lot of light on what needs work. Taking the first step is always the hardest. I have found that having professional support outside of my friends and family has been incredibly helpful. You can always have more support.
And if none of this works for you, that’s totally okay too. Creative block is very personal, and ultimately, we each need to find our own unique way through.
THANKS FOR READING 🧚
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