We're all probably familiar with the idea of writer's block but do we ever think about Artists getting stuck or stalling out in their practice?
I was familiar with artists getting stuck or stalling out but I hadn’t experienced it before… well… until the current election in the US. I felt betrayed by my country. It struck deep to my core and felt like we were even more racist and hated women more than I truly understood. Whether that was true or not, that is what I felt in my heart.
I had fear for women, for BIPOC communities, for the LGBTQ+ communities, and for the poor. I also feared we were on a path to loose democracy. These things struck me to my core and you know what I truly lost my interest to waste time creating beauty in what felt like a cruel world that embraced horrible actions and ideas even if only for cheeper groceries and gas.
Anyhow, this was new territory for me I was not motivated or excited to create any more. I felt broken because although I have only been painting since October of 2023, I was a pretty active painter that created fairly consistently.
My intent is not to make this a political article but explore artists blocks and share my own experiences with it (although it was only once where I experienced a pure loss of interest to paint).
In some artists communities this is a topic that comes up and so I wanted to explore it a bit to try to understand it a bit and reflect on ideas that might cause this issue and maybe share some ideas to overcome this issue.
For myself, I created a painting to release some of my frustrations and anger, and fears. I just let that energy flow out into a painting I already had started and a painter friend shared a prompt or idea to try a painting where I’d add disruption and contract to my painting and so I ran with these ideas. I was okay with ugly and just went in an unleashing of energy and frustration where I created a black bar across a painting that was bright and colorful and exploring a new technique I was using and that was fun for me.
Then I added the words “HATE Will NOT WIN!” and I put a heart in the center of that disruptive black bar. I will not say it is a beautiful or a great painting per se, but it did help me break my painting block and got me back on the horse so to speak. Again, I only share my personal story as an example. I certainly am not an expert in this area (meaning I have only had this one experience, but I can say even this one experience sucked).
Anyhow, I thought maybe this story could be helpful to others. I hope it helps and here is the painting. Not great but I just did something and pushed through and this seemed to open me back up.
If you want, check out my other art to see a comparison of my typical work.
Now let’s dig into an Artist’s Block a bit deeper and move away from my story. Artists can get stuck or stalled in their practice for a variety of reasons, both internal and external.
Some common causes include:
Internal Barriers that Cause Artististic Block
Perfectionism –
The fear of making something “bad” can stop an artist from creating anything at all.
I will say that I sometimes have a short block based on wanting to create something cool but then I often lean on curiosity and what I called intuitive painting which is just painting to paint and trust my gut instead of being focused on creating a final and beautiful product.
The last one is a lesson I learned from Whitney Freya you can gain great insights from her book Rise Above.
Self-Doubt & Impostor Syndrome –
Feeling like your work isn’t good enough or comparing ourselves to others can be paralyzing.
Creative Burnout –
Overworking without rest or play can lead to exhaustion and a loss of inspiration.
So, again, I only have a year and a half in at this point so maybe I haven’t been painting long enough to get to a burnout phase but I kind of feel like this often happens due to expectations and intentions not aligning with you practice.
For example if I shoot for getting into a NYC gallery this year, I could easily head into burnout mode by trying to set high expectations or goals that might be out of reach right now. For me I do not have any expectations and am going with the flow.
This seems to keep me just accepting what comes but has also offered plenty of great opportunities for me and I just grab on to them or let them pass if they do not feel right. I call this being in the flow and it is different than my 25 years of business where I had big expectations and goals. I hit burnout over there.
My painting feels more like play than work though and I really like this. Could this work for others? Maybe. Share your thoughts in the comments.
An Artist's Lack of Motivation or Inspiration –
Sometimes, an artist simply doesn’t feel excited about their work, often due to boredom or lack of new challenges.
I haven’t seen this and for me I have so many things I want to try to paint and so many styles I want to try that at this stage I am excited to keep exploring ideas. I wonder if I will be able to keep this up for 20-30 years.
Fear of Artistic Failure or Artistic Success –
Fear of not meeting expectations (or even the pressure that comes with success) can stall creative work.
I believe failure only happens when we stop doing whatever we do. As long as we continue to paint than we’ll never have failure.
I never understood fear of success, but maybe this is based on limiting beliefs (maybe even some I have and unaware of) that keep us from going for big wins or opportunities. I wonder do we ever really know when we fear success? Hmmm… How could we flush this one out. Any thoughts?
External Barriers that Cause Artistic Blocks
Financial Stress –
The need to make money can make it hard to focus on personal creative projects.
To be honest financial expenses almost kept me out of the painting game. I got started for around $200 maybe but I really went back and forth on making this investment and jumping in. I went back and forth for a year before I said screw it I’m going to try painting.
That said… I’d also like my painting practice to pay for itself as there is ongoing expenses of buying paints and canvases. I have been pretty lucky though in finding ways to make my art support my practice but I totally see how it could stop some people if they are not in a good place or confident about their practice.
Time Constraints –
Balancing art with a job, family, or other responsibilities can make it hard to dedicate time to creating.
This is an area I feel pretty blessed in as I have more free time than most to be able to get after painting more frequently.
However, I will say that setting up a mini-paint studio that is always ready to go really makes squeezing in 10 or 20 minutes of painting much easier to fit into a busy life.
Lack of Community or Support –
A feeling of isolation or not having other artists to connect with can be discouraging.
This is where I feel artist communities are so important. Having at least one really good artist friend can make all the difference in the world.
I am working on creating an artist community that at this time I am calling the Mindful Paint Club where you will get to paint with me from time to time. I hope it is a cool, fun supportive painting community. Stay tuned for this group it should be a great way to find more community and support if you are an artist.
Negative Artist Feedback or Rejection –
Harsh criticism or a lack of recognition can sap motivation. It is funny I am in a few art groups and most are truly supportive and great to participate in.
One art community recently had a bunch (or maybe just a few but even a few feels like a bunch) of naysayers and complainers as well as people not truly supportive of other artists.
Here is my mindset…
Art and creativity can be learned.
Kindness and being supportive can also be learned.
I hope that my community will allow newbies to jump in and share their work and ask for feedback because we are non-judgemental following my lead and we find ways to cheer folks on. We certainly do not need more negativity or rejections in our lives.
Ways to Overcome Artist Block…
Set Small Artistic Goals –
Breaking work into manageable steps makes it easier to start.
I started with a 21 Day Challenge and so I trained on the idea of doing 10-20 minutes per session for 21 days. I do not think I followed that completely but the short bursts of painting consistently really worked for me.
Give this a try and see if it helps you out.
Use Art to Experiment & Play –
Trying new mediums or approaches can reignite excitement. Even trying new styles or even just colors can create new excitement. Art at it’s best is just play. Learn to play like crazy and you’ll never get stuck again. Ha! or So I think at this time.
Take Breaks –
Rest and outside activities can provide fresh perspectives. For me I just move on to other life things like spending time with family, reading, or doing some walking meditation.
Seek Community –
Engaging with other artists can provide encouragement and inspiration. Maybe call an art friend up and go to a museum, and art store, or just grab coffee or lunch. Sometimes talking to another artist can help inspire you. Ask them about what they are working on or what is one of their favorite pieces they recently did.
Embrace Imperfection –
Accepting that not every piece needs to be perfect can free up creativity. I have a few paintings that I haven’t completed or signed yet because I am not sure they are done or I lost interest. Sometimes the painting just sucks. That is okay.
One thing I love about acrylic painting is it is easy to just paint right over things. If you want you can gesso things and completely start over, but I often just create a new layer over something old I do not like. Either solution can be a way to get moving again.
Other Ideas –
I thought this video offered some other ideas to help understand and also “cure” artistic blocks.
Conclusion…
Creative blocks are a natural part of an artist’s journey, but they don’t have to be permanent roadblocks. By recognizing the internal and external factors that cause stagnation, artists can take intentional steps to reignite their passion and continue growing.
Whether it’s through experimentation, seeking support, or simply allowing themselves grace, there are always ways to push through. The key is to keep moving forward, even in small ways, and remember that every artist faces challenges—what matters is how they navigate them.
I believe that staying creative and exploring or playing without expectations are the key. If you find joy in your art practice I think you’ll break through your artistic blocks. You got this and I hope a few of these ideas helped.
Good luck and happy painting!
Thanks for reading!
If you have ever had an artistic block share your experience in the comment section below and if you have a good tip for overcoming artistic block that I did not mention, by all means please share it with my readers.
