Breaking Mental Blocks: Creative Networking Session (May. 22) Recap
In this Cacophony of Creatives Networking Session, the discussion focused on how to identify and break through mental blocks. Inevitably, all creatives encounter obstacles. Learning how to move through struggles is what empowers creatives to persist and stay committed to their goals.
Though Dylan Fixmer, Colette Pitcher and Chalice Springfield all work with very different mediums, in the conversation, common themes emerged regarding how they each approach their unique creative practices. Their diverse experiences made for a rich dialogue that offers several strategies any creative could employ to get un-stuck!
How would you define a Creative Block?
Colette Pitcher:
Feeling Blank
When I have a moment to think or when folks are asking me about my services, I find myself drawing a blank or at a loss for words.
Dylan Fixmer:
Feeling Empty or Dried Up
I also experience a sort of blankness or emptiness. I feel drained, empty, lacking light and direction.
Chalice Springfield:
Feeling Ineffective
I feel like a high-centered vehicle. My wheels are spinning, but I’m not getting any traction. There’s activity, but it’s not effective.
How do you recognize a Creative Block when you experience one?
Colette Pitcher:
Fear and self doubt loom.
I worry that I’m deficient in some way—that I’m not skilled enough, that my representational style and subject matter isn’t deeply meaningful or conceptual enough.
Dylan Fixmer:
I find myself feeling less grounded as a person.
I notice that I haven’t been living in a holistic way. “When I haven’t gone out and done human things, how can I respond in a human way?”
Chalice Springfield:
My self care bucket is empty.
I start feeling more self conscious, worrying more about how others are seeing and perceiving me.
What obstacles get in the way or keep you feeling stuck?
Colette Pitcher:
The Pressure to Produce
The fear of rejection and the pressure to produce high quality work, can feel daunting and paralyzing. Unless I find a way to relieve that pressure, it’s hard to get back to work.
Dylan Fixmer:
Seeking Validation
I start fixating on the next competition. Instead of working on a new piece, I find myself scrolling through opportunities online trying to find one that might fit with an existing work. It’s addicting in sort of the same way that social media can be addicting. It’s hard not to be engrossed by the seemingly endless possibility and built in affirmation.
Chalice Springfield:
The Emotional Swirl in My Head
I call it the “hamster in my head” because it’s like there’s a little hamster endlessly running, trapped in one place on a little wheel spinning out stories that never resolve into productive action. There is a frenetic pace and energy that makes it hard to see the situation clearly.
In What Ways do you avoid moving forward?
Colette Pitcher:
Procrastinating
It’s easy to get sidetracked by other tasks and responsibilities. It can be productive but it is still a form of procrastination at it’s core.
Dylan Fixmer:
Focusing on Past Success and Neglecting New Projects
It feels a lot less risky to focus on what was successful in the past rather than experiment with something new that might not be. I find myself pouring over my existing portfolio instead of adding to it.
Chalice Springfield:
Losing Sight of My Priorities
The 80/20 rule asserts that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. In essence, it reveals that a significant portion of outcomes are derived from a relatively small number of actions. I may not be making space for those 20% activities. That said 80% activities are still necessary so it requires a measure of self-awareness to discern whether I am avoiding critical work or just taking care of less important but still necessary minutiae.
How does practice and muscle memory factor into creativity?
Colette Pitcher:
Practice shifts the focus to learning.
Not even the masters created perfect, polished pieces every time they sat down to create.
Letting myself treat projects like an opportunity to learn helps me worry less about “mistakes” and frees me to experiment with new ideas.
Dylan Fixmer:
Creative play teaches us about our craft.
Creative play and putting in the time to be familiar with your craft is critical to developing a voice and distinct style. The expectations change—the goal isn’t a finished product. I like to think of it like modeling play doh. You take it out of the container, see what you can make and what the medium can do. Then you put it back in the container.
Chalice Springfield:
Small acts keep us going.
Sometimes even small actions that keep us moving can help us gain momentum toward our goals. For example, I encouraged a client who was feeling overwhelmed to just touch her art supplies—just take them out and look at them. Unsurprisingly, simply committing to that small act eventually led her to use them to create.
What is you personal road map or recipe for getting past A block?
Colette Pitcher:
Refilling my creative bucket is a must!
Sometimes playing my purple electric guitar just for the joy it brings me is exactly what I need to feel liberated in other areas of my life. I don’t read music, and I wouldn’t call my self a musician. Playing is something I do just for me.
I would also say, keep pursuing your primary passion (for me that’s visual art) even though it hurts.
Dylan Fixmer:
I break it down, set guidelines and I have to be honest with myself.
I need parameters for larger projects so that I can conceptualize them one piece at a time.
I also have to be honest with myself. I don’t always like my craft or the work that I create. Sometimes I need to take a step back and analyze a work to understand what I dislike and why. Then I need to allow myself to throw it away and start again.
Chalice Springfield:
I ask myself, “What do I need to do today?”
I have to make space for myself to honestly answer that question. Sometimes I need to change my routine, sometimes I need people, sometimes I need a mindset shift or maybe I’m just hungry and tired. In fact, I schedule a meeting with myself once a week to answer that question and to make sure I am staying in touch with myself and my larger goals.
I also remind myself in the midst of struggle, that my chosen work isn’t always euphoric, sometimes I need to push through a project because it is a necessary step toward my bigger goal. Whenever possible, I try to gamify the tasks that feel less exciting so I still feel motivated to do them.
How do you tell the difference between feeling stuck And burned out?
Colette Pitcher:
Am I feeling creatively fulfilled?
When I was working a 9-5 job with a long commute, there wasn’t much space for me to be creative. When I realized that there was no space for my own practice, even though the job was inherently creative, that’s when I knew I needed a change.
Dylan Fixmer:
Am I being true to myself?
After a month of walking into work everyday dreading my job, I realized that I needed a change. I had to ask myself some tough questions: Why do I feel this way? Why am I resisting this feeling? Am I upset because I can’t do the thing I actually want to do? What is it that I really want to do? I realized that my true passion was for composing and that “pushing through” in education would never lead me there.
Chalice Springfield:
Am I still heading in the right direction toward my ultimate goal?
I use the analogy of driving on an interstate as a sort of litmus test. In my situation, does it feeling like I am driving in the correct direction but stuck in traffic or does it feel like I’m heading off course with a check engine light on? Do I need traffic to start moving or an exit ramp?
