Ep 155 Featured Image Podcast

Transforming Creative Block to Breakthrough – Ep 155

December 4, 2024

ON TODAY’S EPISODE

You can actively pursue creative breakthroughs by taking deliberate breaks and trying new activities that shift your mindset from stuck to free-flowing. Creative breakthrough is an overflow state—it’s living in higher energy and having more to give of yourself, to your art, to the world.

Living in a state of breakthrough requires creating space and avoiding the pitfall of constant busyness. Documenting and writing down your artistic experiences isn’t just about chronicling events—it’s a fundamental practice for opening yourself up to breakthroughs and keeping creativity alive.

Revisiting past works, surrounding oneself with inspiring objects, and writing down creative experiences are also key strategies for maintaining a continuous creative state. The feeling of that constant creative flow that comes from simple yet profound practices and they help you stay aligned with your intuitive self.

Whether it’s choosing to move past feelings of being stuck, setting up a spacious and comfortable environment, or collaborating with others, this episode is packed with insights that will empower you to embrace creativity as a continually attainable state. Slight shifts in perspective and habitual practices lead to a thriving overflow state of high energy and creativity.

Listen if you are interested in…

  • Creative blocks arise from positive overwhelming activities [03:16]
  • Baby sea turtles as a metaphor for moving past challenges and obstacles [09:10]
  • Create without overthinking to give the best results [11:55]
  • Ideas for creative exercises focusing on colors and blind contour drawing [14:08]
  • Creating together shifts perspective and inspires creativity [19:56]
  • Approach life’s challenges playfully to get perspective [22:48]
  • Sharing and documenting helps overcome creative blocks [26:41]
  • Create space for reflection and play to avoid feeling stuck [30:06]

The Necessity of Spaciousness

Spaciousness is a critical part of living a creative life. Continuous busyness stifles creativity, leading to feeling blocked and uninspired. A hectic schedule leads to creative stagnation and burnout, so it’s important to deliberately craft a life that allows for moments of reflection and play.

Creating a spacious environment—both physically and mentally—opens up the possibilities for new ideas to flourish. This doesn’t necessarily mean a literal spacious workspace but rather cultivating a mindset that allows for free thought and exploration without the constant pressure of productivity.

It’s also helpful to document your creative journey, but it isn’t just about recording achievements; it’s about reflecting on experiences to understand what fuels your creative fire. Writing down and regularly reviewing your creative processes helps in recognizing patterns of success and acts as a tool that helps you overcome your future creative blocks.

Movement and Play

Movement and play are often underestimated in their ability to generate creative breakthroughs. I love exercises on my retreats that encourage participants to paint rapidly without overthinking, enjoying a playful and liberating creative process. So many artists find that their best work emerges from these moments of spontaneous, unpressured creation.

Try engaging in physical activities like dancing, running, or simply moving about while listening to music to enhance your creative state. Just breaking away from routine activities can lead to unexpected moments of inspiration, providing fresh perspectives and new ideas.

When art-making becomes a serious, high-pressure effort, it strips away the joy and authenticity of the process. By embracing a playful and intuitive mindset, artists can reconnect with their true selves, allowing their most genuine expressions to surface.

Overcoming Creative Blocks

Creative blocks are a natural part of the artistic process, but they can be managed by cultivating certain habits and mindsets. You can try exercises like creating intentionally “bad” art or drawing blindly to shift out of perfectionist tendencies to break down the mental barriers that prevent free expression and help regain confidence and momentum.

Setting up an environment filled with inspirational objects and using music to create an uplifting atmosphere can keep the creative juices flowing. With these tools in place, artists can transition more smoothly from a state of block to a state of overflow, where creativity not only meets inner satisfaction but also impacts others positively.

Resources Mentioned

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Nicholas Wilton

Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.

With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.

Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.

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