On creative block

At the start of this year I’ve felt completely creatively blocked. I have so much I want to create, and so many ideas, but neither the motivation or the means to bring any of these things forth into the world. I don’t know if it’s astrological or just the feeling of dread that has consumed us since the Insurrection at the Capitol in D.C. It just feels like a hard time to create. But, when there is so much heaviness in the world, like right now, it is the best time for art, for beauty, and for an escape into somewhere else.

I watched an Instagram live recently by my favorite poet, Cleo Wade, and someone asked her how she deals with writer’s block. She responded by saying that she doesn’t really consider it as a block, but more so that it means it’s time for her to listen. So she’ll read, watch a movie, call friends…absorb creativity instead of being the one creating it. Instead of trying to force anything right now, I’ve been trying to do just that.

I also think part of the reason I feel so blocked is because my mental health is struggling. There’s so much to deal with right now and I would be lying if I said my mental health hasn’t suffered over the past year. So, when I feel like this, I always try to up my self-care game and just do whatever feels good. Sometimes it’s taking a yoga class over Zoom, other times it’s taking a bath. I just run down my list of self-care ideas and by the time I’m done I usually feel better.

It also helps to do some form of movement each day (usually a walk), make sure I eat three meals, and get the right amount of sleep. I even decluttered and organized my room and art supplies to pass the time.

tips on overcoming a creative block:

• read a book
• watch a new movie, or one that has always inspired you
• watch a documentary about another creative
• page through some magazines
• make a collage
• try a different medium than what you normally work with
• paint, sketch, journal
• write three pages in the morning, whatever is on your mind
• go for a walk
• take a yoga class
• organize your room
• move your artwork around
• clean
• listen to music
• listen to podcasts
• go get a coffee at a café
• visit a new café or store
• explore a neighborhood you haven’t been to
• visit an architectural site like a cathedral or church
• declutter
• simplify your space and your routines
• peruse pinterest

Today the sun is shining and there are blue skies for the first time in awhile (another thing that really helps my mood) so I’m hoping this Monday is off to a better start. It’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, and so this afternoon I’m participating in the MLK Day of Service that the Biden Inaugural team is putting on. I signed up to write letters to patients currently recovering from COVID-19 and in nursing homes with the Women for Biden team. I love writing letters so I’m happy to help with this project!

Later this week, we will have a new President and Vice President and that is super exciting! I am praying that everything goes smoothly and safely for the Inauguration in D.C. and elsewhere across the country. I’m also so excited that Lady Gaga will be singing the National Anthem. I love her and Joe’s relationship, haha!

I’m hoping Wednesday will be a bright spot for all of us, an expression of hope that will flow into the rest of 2021. It was such a relief when Biden was announced the winner of the presidential election, and it was then that I realized how much I missed living with hope.

I have been feeling in limbo lately because I’m job searching hard, and researching my options for grad school. I feel like I’m on the precipice of big change, which is exciting. The page is blank, and I get to choose how to fill it. I’m hopeful that everything will work out as it should, and I’ve asked the universe for a sign to lead me where I should go next (and the universe delivered). So I’m hopeful on that front, too!

Plus with the vaccine and things opening up a little more here in Minnesota, I think by spring we will be in a lot better place. Even if I’m not totally comfortable with it yet, it feels hopeful that there are people in cafes and restaurants again, a little more life to the city which is much appreciated during the winter especially.

I hope you all have a good week, and I hope this post marks the end of this particular creative block! I have much to say in 2021…