Inertia Begone, Tackling Creative Slumps

So we’ve all been there. In our minds we know that we have to work, we have to knuckle down, take the bull by the horns and get on with the business of getting the work done. However, the problem is that nothing seems to get you moving. The more you think about getting on with things, the harder it seems to do so. Procrastination has taken hold.

The reason that I’m choosing to write this particular blog post is that I’ve been here so many times before and will most likely be there again in the future. Especially when it comes to illustration.

Sometimes I should be inspired, there are a million and one things that I could be working on yet getting started and staying focused can seem like trying to push an extremely large boulder up a hill.

There are many possible reasons for this. It could be the amount of distractions that are now readily available to use such as the internet, the television set or even the old fashioned excuses that we readily provide ourselves with when we really just don’t feel like working.

However, over the years I have managed to to find various methods of overcoming these mental obsticles. Below I’ve listed all the ways in which I am able to successfully combat that dreaded mental state that is inertia.

Positive Visualization
This is an interesting one. It is very often all too easy to forget why we are doing all this in the first place. One of the main reasons that I got in to illustration in the first place is that it was just incredibly exciting to produce a piece of work that exceeded my expectations for what I could achieve. It was nice to surprise myself.

My advice is to picture as clearly in your mind how it feels to do something that you know has raised the bar for everything you might have done in the past.

It’s not my wish to sound too airy fairy or anything like that but this approach is a hell of a lot better than just picking up a pencil and trudging to your drawing board out of some grueling sense of obligation.

Simply identifying what you want out of the process or reaffirming your motivation can be all it takes to regain your focus.

Revisit Your Original Sources of Inspiration
One of the best ways to break free of any kind of slump is to get outside of your own head and look around at what others have done. Get a fresh perspective. I usually do this by randomly thumbing my way through my collection of art books that live on my shelf.

I remember years ago, regularly sitting on the bus at about six in the morning on my way to some dead end job. Instead of reading the free tabloid newspapers that would be scattered across the seats I would look through one of my art books and remind myself of a reality that didn’t closely resemble the hell that I was currently experiencing at that moment. It worked!

The 25 Minute Trick
This is a good one. With this method we accept that our brains demand at least a bit of distraction every so often and so we come up with a compromise with that in mind. It’s the equivalent of running a series of sprints as opposed to a long grueling marathon.

Instead of sitting down to work for something like four hours straight, instead, set a timer for twenty five minutes and work solidly for that period with no distraction. After the timer goes off, give yourself a break for maybe two or three minutes and then set the timer for a further twenty-five minutes and go again.

This method can be ideal for first thing in the morning or when you’re about to start a project from scratch and all you want to do is procrastinate and seek distraction.

Draw With Your Weaker Hand
When you’re resolved to do your best work it can be extremely motivating. However, it can also lead to procrastination if you end up being so afraid of failure and imperfection that you put off starting anything at all. Before you know it, the very idea of picking up a pencil, a pen or reaching for your mouse fills you with dread and you’re off surfing youtube whilst simultaneously telling yourself that you’re just not in the mood to be creative.

If you feel yourself getting so tight in your application and in your way of thinking, try drawing with your weaker hand and see what comes of it. You might even surprise yourself with what you come up with.

Change Up Your Environment
Get out of the house/studio. Sometimes going to another place to work-if that is a practical option-can trick your brain into going into work mode. I don’t always opt for this one I must admit but it does work well for some. It can help those who opt to work from home and end up suffering from cabin fever as a result.

Of course, I can’t promise that they’ll work for everybody or indeed anybody but all I can say is that they have worked for me.