Creative ways to overcome creative block
Inspiration is a fickle mistress. Sometimes she's all over you, showering you with love and affection, overwhelming you in the middle of the night with idea after idea after idea. Other times, she packs her bags and vanishes - doesn't return your calls, no updates on Facebook, no word on when she'll be back. How long will she be gone? What will she bring back with her when she returns? Was she even there in the first place?!
So how do you keep the romance alive in your creative life, and make sure inspiration keeps coming back for more?
Purple Prince mural in Richmond, London
Be prolific...
...and don't be hung up on quality. Take a leaf out of Prince's book - some estimates suggest there could be as many as 20,000 tracks locked up in the famous Paisley Park vaults, and he had so many hits he had to give away some of the most iconic tracks of my childhood to other artists (Manic Monday? Prince wrote it. Nothing Compares 2U? Yup you guessed it...). No, not everything you turn out will be perfect, or even - dare I say it - half-decent. But keep at it til you find your Purple Rain!
First attempt at watercolours!
Try something different...
...that's out of your comfort zone. If you usually paint, why not try sculpting? If you normally write, give photography a go. Broaden your creative horizons and you'll head back to your major discipline with a fresh perspective. Recently I've been teaching myself how to paint watercolours, and while I'm never going to win the Turner Prize it's helped me see colour, perspective and composition in a very different way, which I can apply to jewellery-making.
Orchid display at Kew Gardens
Take a break...
...but stay awake. A physical separation from what you're working on can help you return to it with renewed vigour. So don't be afraid to step away from your desk or your workshop, and take a walk - and some photos while you're at it! I recently took a trip to Kew Gardens with a very dear friend, and the colours, smells and textures of the plants were such a source of inspiration.
I'd love to hear about the techniques you use to keep creative blocks at bay, so please do share your thoughts in the comments below!
Leila x