by Sarah Sloneker. Images above © Sarah Joy Photography.
As an artist, we have all been there … when just for the life of us we cannot get our creative juices flowing. We have that dreaded creative block and it usually there to stay for a while. However, over the years, I found and read some interesting ideas on how to “Drano” away that block and get us artist’s back into that creative grind.
I recommend trying one of these four things:
1. Have an Idea Box or Folder- Being visual people, we can be inspired by a lot of different avenues such as objects, ideas, notes, sketches, painting and of course other photos. So when you are feel uninspired, I recommend creating a box or an image cloud. A place where you can save things to spark your creativity. I myself have a “mood board” folder on my computer.. That I regularly store anything visual that grabs my eye (of course saving and naming the image properly). One will be surprised how helpful this can be as a reminder of previous ideas and inspirations.
2. Stimulate Non-Visual Senses- As photographers; most of us work primarily with our sense of sight. Therefore, I recommend resetting your senses. Recently I went into a sensory depravation tank, this is where you are floating in a black void for about an hour or so with no sight, sound, smell or touch and coming out from this tank was amazing. You won’t believe how creative you can be after you reset your body. However, you do not have to go as far as hoping in a deprivation tank to get this experience. Try just taking one sense away, for example: Close your eyes and touch the grass outside or the drywall in your apartment, just pay attention to that ONE sense. Eat an ice-cream cone with your eyes closed or lie on the floor and listen to music in the dark. Anything that gets you experiencing your other senses in a new way, and will help your art by widening your creative outlook.
3. Write Something or Sketch it- Journaling can be a fantastic creative outlet, I myself have many journals. Often enough, it is said that handwriting is linked directly to your consciousness, and by writing down your ideas, it keeps your thoughts moving. It’s a way of organizing and remembering things that have affected you, so you can channel that into your art.
4. Clean Your Work Space- This might sound weird, but having an empty table as an artist can really help your metal mode. For having a cluttered studio space, doesn’t allow much room for new work to develop. I often find it therapeutic and refreshing to start a new image on fresh clean space, to allow my mind to calm down the outward chaos.. so to begin the creative cycle again.
Sample of my mood board folder (grouping of Images, not mine) and my creative journals.
