Calling on Inspiration Pt. II: Applying the Work

Reading time: 4-5 minutes

Hello Moonbeams

For last month's article, I talked about the more spiritual sides of finding inspiration and fighting blocks.  It seemed a fitting way to end the year because I spent so much of December in deep, quiet creativity and recharging in my own way.  Now with the new year, I am ready to take my energy and apply it to new things so let us talk a bit about putting in the work to overcome blocks and find inspiration.  

First and foremost, be kind and patient with yourselves.  Yes creating takes work, but it should not be a grind full of pain and punishment.

Finishing Work

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." Pablo Pacasso 

This one has been huge for me. I have heard a couple of other artists mention it before as well but I think it needs to be spoken about gently. In the past, I let piles of paintings stack up endlessly. I would start new pieces constantly on a whim when inspiration struck and never finish them as the inspiration died off. This is fine for the sketchbook, but became a problem when it came to seeing full pieces through. Eventually though, I started applying for things that gave me deadlines. Local art shows, or hanging my work in a coffee shop gave me a reason to finish. Pretty soon, I stopped letting things pile up as much. 

There were many pieces I finished that were honestly a struggle from beginning to end. For me, it was actually those difficult pieces that helped me learn that I could finish work. I might not always be happy with it. It might feel like pulling teeth. But I could do it. That built up my tenacity and confidence in myself. Now, even when I struggle with a piece, I know that I can break through and often that will lead to moments of inspiration flowing back to me. I do absolutely love when I get hit with random inspiration which happens a lot, but I also know that I cannot sit around and wait for my muse's fickle affections. I have to invite my muse in by working. 

As with everything I say though, always remember that feelings of being stuck are incredibly normal. Do take the time to take breaks, walk away and work on something else if needed and take care of yourself dammit. I cannot stress that enough. 

Getting out of Blocks

Sometimes, no matter what we do blocks still happen and they can be nigh on impossible to just push through.  At least not quickly.  For that, I want to take you back to my previous entry, pt. I of this article where I talked about resourcing and recharging.

The two images above are from my Love Across the Astral Plane mini piece collection I created earlier this year.  This series threw me for a unique loop.  I had all my ideas prepared for it, all of which were thumbnailed and I had a ton of inspiration.  Then, just before starting, I suddenly felt totally frozen.  It was a mini burnout that I did not see coming.  Often, I think blocks can be linked to burnout which is why it is so important that we make time to actively rest.  I can be bad about trying to just power through but for this, I knew I needed to act fast if I wanted to heal because I had an upcoming deadline. So I stepped away from the series.  I took a bit of time entirely for myself.  I watched Kiki's Delivery Service, which if you have seen, you will remember the iconic scene where the artist Ursula compares art making to witch's magic and speaks about burnout.  She explains how when she cannot create, she needs to step away from the work entirely and gather new inspiration.  

Although I talked about powering through, as with all things it is so important to remember balance.  Trying to push through for too long leads to burnout and the need to resource.  Refusing to ever push yourself can weaken artistic "muscles" and giving up too easily.  Always be aware of your balance, push yourself, but be gentle as you build those muscles up.  It does take time and your situation may be vastly different from someone else's so try your best to avoid comparison.  During blocks, stepping away from social media is also an essential.  At least for me!

Perfection is Nothing

Although it is good to strive for better, I think it is also important to remember that what we want to do, and what we can do, will almost always have an uncomfortable separation.  I think this is actually a lovely thing.  Knowing that I will never quite achieve what I have in mind reminds me that I will always have something to strive for and chase.  I think it would be much less exciting if everything I created actually was as perfect as I try to make it.   

If we can remind ourselves to do a little better with each new creation or endeavor,  little by little growth will happen. But we have to be okay with letting things go out into the world imperfectly rather than keeping them hidden, or worse, feeling so blocked and afraid that we never make them at all.

The process of making is where a good deal of our love for art should lie.  When we focus too much on just pushing through for the sake of an end product, we miss out on so much joy and bring upon ourselves so much unnecessary frustration.  In the end, I think it is the love of the creative process that has helped me the most with my own blocks.  All the little challenges, the highs and lows, they are part of that process and yes they make me want to pull my hair out at times, but they also keep me coming back.  And I really hope, dear creature, that you feel the same about your own process! 🖤

~Aria