How to Overcome a Creative Slump

 

'Wish' - a scrappy
mixed media
collage 

December can be a very hard month for me emotionally. I worked very hard at the beginning of the month to prepare for my first Craft Fair. I was filled with anxiety and expectations about how things would go. It went okay, but not as well as I had hoped. My fiber art work sold better than my mixed media work. Then again, I didn't see a lot of shoppers walking around with purchases. Other vendors mentioned poor sales as well. My inner voice reminded me that not everyone might like and appreciate my artwork, original artwork can be seen as expensive, and most of all the economy isn't doing well. The most important thing that my inner voice told me was that it wasn't a reflection on me or my sense of self worth. 

I can honestly say that loads of people stopped to view my art and compliment me on it and express how talented I am. That went a long way to quell the inner critic that was also jabbering away in my head. 

Once the show was over, I kind of went into hibernation mode. I kept knitting, but I didn't spend much time in my studio working on my mixed media and watercolor work. Like I said December is hard as I've suffered some losses and challenges over the years during the run up to the holidays. I turned to working on prepping for the holiday. 

Once Christmas was behind me, I started puttering about in my sketch book. Once I gained access to my studio again, it doubles as a guest room, I returned to a work space that was rather a mess. I saw it as a challenge. Taking out an older art journal, I decided to create collages using only the odds and ends on the table - no new supplies. Thank goodness there was some paint and washi tape to give me some pizzaz. 

'Use the Gifts' -another 
scrap collage

I am a bit shocked by how much material had piled up on the table, and I'm glad I didn't take a photo of it to share with you. But I'm happy to share some of the results. These pages were a great way for me to jumpstart my collage work. Before I knew it I was absorbed into the flow, time flew by, and it felt good. Making a major change in my life to retire from teaching and pursue a creative life was the highlight of 2022. It has been scary and exciting. Most importantly, it has been healing. 

If you're stuck in a rut or facing a creative block, try something new. Do something playful, something that has low expectations because that is a way to trick that perfectionist streak that many of us have in our personality. Perfectionism can cause you to never get started. In the past I might have continued to avoid the studio, but that spark that being creative has brought to my life wasn't snuffed out. It may have been quietly smoldering waiting for me to feed it the fuel necessary to blaze brightly again. Find what fuels you and burn bright!!