I’m about to get kind of deep. Not The Abyss-level deep, but I’m definitely going at least as deep as Splash. Are you ready? Here it goes.
Being creative is really hard. Whether you’re Michaelangelo or a 3D designer, the routine of everyday life sometimes does nothing but stifle creative instincts – same alarm clock, same breakfast, same drive to work, etc. So when the times comes to sit down and create something, you try to reach into that weird, nebulous artistic zone of your brain… and all that’s there is darkness (not Pitch Black-level darkness, but at least as dark as The Mist). Breaking out of mundanity to create something unique takes courage, conviction, probably a little bit of insanity…. and inspiration.
If you’re in need of some inspiring thoughts, here are wise words from a few of the artists who took part in the recent Reasons To Be Creative panel in Brighton, UK.
“Toss” – Jon Burgerman (Source: jonburgerman.com)
“You’re an artist, not a style. You can change, you can do different things… If you can’t be good, be different.” - Jon Burgerman
If you’re feeling stuck, it helps to get outside your comfort zone. Even if you have a sneaking suspicion that what you’re making isn’t great, getting something out onto paper/canvas/a computer screen will help unlock your mind. Plus you may stumble upon a cool idea that you never would have found if you kept banging your head against the same wall.
“Triptych” – Hellicar & Lewis (Source: hellicarandlewis.com)
“If you’re not failing you’re not pushing yourself hard enough.” - Hellicar & Lewis
“Failure is part of the process. I’ve made mistakes to the moon and back but it’s the only way to learn.” - Erik Spiekermann
Failure feels awful, but it’s actually almost always a step in the right direction – as long as you learn from it. Artists, and contemporary society in general, impose a lot of expectations on ourselves, so even productive failures feel like crushing defeats. But keep perspective; the road to ultimate success is paved with occasional, unavoidable failure.
(That sort of depressed me to even write. We’ll get through this together, guys.)
Ellioy Jay Stocks (Source: elliotjaystocks.com
“Collaborate – realize your strengths and weaknesses. Work with other people who are better than you.” - Elliot Jay Stocks
Collaboration is a great antidote to a creative block (and also to too many doses of the aforementioned failure). Trading ideas with another person can reignite the passion that gets dulled as you struggle, which will lead back to your inherent creativity. That’s a long way of saying that making something with another person is more fun than making something alone. If you’re frustrated, maybe all you need is a friend.
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