Does Creativity Dry Up?
Unfolding (working title) 36 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas
Unfolding (working title) 36 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas
This is the final product of the WIP in the previous post. While it is not the main series I am working on at the present, it clearly informs that work and allows me the opportunity to keep questioning as I move the main series forward. Do you work on multiple challenges in parallel?
I wanted to share this article with you from the Wall Street Journal. Terry Teachout talks about how many artists go through periods when their creativity wanes. Of course, we are all familiar with the term “writer’s block”, and I dare say many of us have experienced it. I am not talking about not having the time to be creative but about not having the inclination to be creative. In this article, however, Mr. Teachout does say visual artist do not experience this as much as other creative types. He attributes it to being encouraged to work in series until a particular subject is exhausted (which might be years or a lifetime).
The thing is, I also found this quote from Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” As you probably know, Ms. Angelou is a writer, so there is a conflict of opinion between her and Mr. Teachout on this subject.
This all has me thinking here. If working in a series works well for the person who is visually creative why would it not work for someone who is creative in another way? I know the more I journal, the more I am able to write blog posts. Are visual artists the only ones who create in a variety of ways in order to influence their ongoing work shown to the public? I doubt that!
For me, the challenge is not finding the creativity but finding the time to create along side all of the other influences in my life! I suppose I could be wrong – it has happened before, you know – however it seems as though I will never run out of inspiration to create. I do know, though, if I don’t use all of the opportunities which present themselves to me as I move through each day then my creativity will not be as informed as it should be.
It seems to me we all have so much to learn from each other and one of the things we might learn here is life is what informs our art. If we do not utilize other methods of creativity, then we are not going to inform our art and truly the creativity might dry up. If we only work on a single series and only paint, then I think the creativity block will probably happen from sheer burnout. If the writer doesn’t do other things to inform the words, then those words very well may dry up.
What do you think? Have you ever experienced a creativity block? What do you do to avoid them? You can find some of my techniques for avoiding creativity loss in the Pages Section of this blog.
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There are 17 Comments to "Does Creativity Dry Up?"
Dear Kim, thank you for such a thought-provoking posting. Our flow of creativity can vary so much in this roller-coaster life that we lead. I agree with your concept of multiple creative projects, my writing in my journal definitely fuels ideas that are channeled into my paintings and my paintings fuel my writing. I also feel that working in a series is a great way to move forward, but I find myself jumping around – I can’t stand repeating myself in any way – so I need to somehow get my mind right here. I usually work on three pieces at a time, but they are often quite different from each other. I have common themes which keep appearing in my work, so in a way, I am working on a series by allowing the themes to develop.
I have also been through times when my creativity has completely dried up, one period was for two years! The great thing is, I can bounce back from these times and continue as if the drought period never existed, in fact, I often take a giant leap in a new direction after one of these blocks. I now have no fear when creativity wanes, I know it will return.
Hello Dianne, thank you so much for this very thoughtful reply. You know I cannot imagine being able to continue painting without other means of expression being a part of my work, so it is nice to hear you have the same experience. I absolutely work on different paintings along the way. In some way they will fall into a working series, even if I can’t see it when I am actually working on it. Like you rote work is not only boring for me, but truly impossible.
Here is something I wonder, though, during the time your creativity seems to go away, I wonder if you find creativity in another way? Maybe something you are not thinking about even such as something you do on a daily basis… I know, for me, upon reflection I am always involved in something creative even when it is doing crafty things with my children.
Yes, you are right, I understand when the creativity seems to be taking a vacation, it often returns with an energy beyond belief! It is good to hear that is your experience, too. Thanks Dianne! Peace!
Hi Kim! I’m glad you’re back, I missed your wonderful insights! This is a great topic, one that I think we all struggle with at some point or another.
I think creativity is a lot more than just having ideas… Creativity is the drive that fuels us to do what we do. I know that I have about a million ideas rattling around in my brain. Some that I plan on doing in the near future, others that I want to do eventually. Some are very complicated and would require lots of time, special supplies, etc, while others are simple thoughts about my next painting. Still, even with all those ideas, I have times when I can’t create.
Sometimes I feel the need to create but can’t, which is very frustrating. Other times I don’t feel the need and just do other things without worrying about it.
This summer I traveled to England. Before leaving, I was on a roll with my artwork, painting nearly every day. While I was away, I would have killed for my paints. As soon as I came home, I lost it all! I lost my momentum and couldn’t pick it back up. The ideas were there, the need was there, but the creativity wasn’t (if that makes sense).
Maybe I was chaneling my creativity elsewhere, like you mentioned, without even realizing it! I know I was working on my website at the time, so maybe that’s where it went? Interesting thought…. is there only so much creativity that if you invest too much of it in one place you won’t have enough for another?
Anyways, just my two cents! Thanks for the great post
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kim Rodeffer Funk, Miranda. Miranda said: Does Creativity Dry Up? http://bit.ly/50MMge great ideas and some great discussion [...]
Hi Miranda! Now I think your thoughts are worth MUCH more than two cents! You are so right creativity is so much more than ideas and you never know when the best one is going to hit you! Actually, your comment again reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s talk on Ted where she talks about what creativity really is and how it comes out. Like you, the ideas are always there for the plucking and I find if I just begin, it all seems flow in some way. Of course there are times when I wish I could get involved with painting when it is just not possible. Often, I have to be in a particular place to access particular bits, too. In general, however, for me the creativity has always been there. I do worry, sometimes, about it leaving me. Mostly, however, I just remain open to the possibilities each step along the way. You are right, it is best to not fret over these things as that worry will REALLY stop the flow!
I can understand your creativity poking at you when you were in England. When we lived there, I painted up a storm and to this day those paintings are attractive to many people. I am not sure all of the reasons, but it sure helped me to understand all of those artists who love(d) working in England and France!
Thanks Miranda – I love your insights and truly appreciate the time you make for sharing them here! Peace, my friend!
I am wondering if creativity goes about in cycles. also, who says that if you are highly creative producing a lot of work (whatever the media) at age twenty that you have dried up if at age 40 you are not doing that work anymore. Who says we have to be any one way or thing all of our lives. We are not babies all our lives, does that mean the babiness has dried up? We might love to read during one phase of our life and then not. Has reading dried up? I used to write reams and reams of words, now very few. I do not view it as drying up. I view it as that was then, this is now and I feel no need to go on and on doing the same or similar art work for my entire life else i be deemed dried up.? I think it is just natural for some of us.
Writers of course do repeat in a sort of series, some of them. Such as Anne Tyler who tends to write about the same quirky characters over and over. Or Steven King who does horror over and over.
I myself feel I do not repeat or do series either visually or in written word. I am always jumping from one thing to the other. I’m not saying this is good, but it keeps my creative juices weeping.
Although there is a lot of repitition in my life in terms of eating times, sleeping times etc, in my creativity there is jumping around doing whatever feels right at the moment and if sitting and staring at the wall feels right…that’s okay. Interesting questions, Kim
What an interesting conversation you have started here, Kim! I have so enjoyed reading what Miranda and Suki have to say. We are all unique and feel the flow of creativity in different ways. When I went through a block for two years, I was in a bad space due to external factors and I found that every inch of my creative juices dried up and I just couldn’t do anything creative. I realize now that I need to be in a balanced state of mind, body and spirit – homeostasis – in order to be creative. I am now learning and discovering ways of how to keep that balance and hopefully not let outside circumstances affect me like that again.
You know, Suki, I think creativity absolutely might be cyclic for some people. That makes a lot of sense. I love your approach and find I similarly try to go with the flow with life in general. Why should creativity be different?
You make a good point about writers working in series. I guess it depends on what you are looking for in your writing career if you do that or not. It is similar to acting, I suppose, in some writers do not want to “type cast” themselves and others are happy to create that niche which works well for them. As always you make very good points.
Suki, I think it keeps the creativity flowing when you jump from one thing to another, so it is a good thing indeed. Again, I suppose that is what works for some people – I know it works for me, too.
Here is a question for you…do you find the repetition in your life powers your creativity and maybe in some way gives you permission to follow your muse? I am just curious!
Thanks Suki for your wonderful insights. I always love to hear your thoughts as your creative experiences are so varied. I love it!
Thank you so much for returning Dianne! This is the kind of thing I hoped for with this blog. I really love these conversations and the insights from everyone. We all are so different in our approaches to our work and we have so much to share. I would feel so successful if someone was able to walk away with any helpful information.
You bring a very good thought to the table about external factors having such a huge impact on our creativity. I think, for me, it was during one of these times I learned journaling helped me to quickly come back around during these times. I was even able to use my painting to grieve for a lost friend. I guess what I am trying to say is for me maintaining these other venues have helped me to generally hold the balance in place for the most part. I also might find, at some point in the future, I am wrong or what I thought was right all along no longer works. Maintaining the balance is challenging, isn’t it?
Thank you so much Dianne! It means a lot to me for you to return to this conversation.
Kim, thanks for your question. I am not sure about my daily habits repetition. It is something I learned from my parents who were very regular in their daily eating and sleeping habits and my brother is that way too. Although of course I could have rebelled when grown up and do the opposite and be very irregular with eating and sleeping. I did rebel in many ways except for, eating times, sleeping times. I feel my life has been insecure in many ways, and do think my habitual tooth brushing patterns helped ground me so that I can “fly” with my creative being and also with the insecurity that comes with living on the edge for so long, with no home owned, little income etc. PS I just love your comment on my blog post. You say it so well. Would I rather live in a small house in the center of things or a bigger (and cheaper) house isolated far away from things. (my rephrasing). That is it in a nutshell!!! Thank you.
Hello Suki, it is interesting to consider what makes us the way we are, isn’t it? I also grew up in a family full of routine and married a man who can’t seem to function at all without it. Yet, I can’t seem to make a routine of anything no matter how hard I try! You are right about routine making life more secure in a lot of ways because we have things to depend upon. In some ways, I wonder if I rely on some of these people to establish my sense of dependence on life? I find it comfortable to eat when I am hungry and sleep when I am tired. I can do that when I am alone, but I can’t when others depend on me for particular things. I think you and I have similar routines, but in different ways…you depend on yourself for them, but I depend on the routine ones in my life for them. It is interesting to contemplate.
I am glad you liked my comment on your blog. I know you are really trying to make some major decisions there and how hard that can be. Hang in there…you have lots of friends pulling for the right thing to happen for you.
Kim, interesting take on your own lack of routines. Letting, in a sense, the others around you set the routines. Sort of like I tend to do socially. As i am very shy and would often rather stay home, I seem to have a lot of gregarious friends who do all sorts of organized social things to which they often invite me. Then, I dont have to organize these social things, I can just tag along if I want to. So , in fact, I have never really learned to organize social things myself for othersf. I do have dinner parties sometimes. And i can organize social alone things for myself. But have a hard time issuing invitations to events I have formed and set up. Often when I do anyway, no one comes. Not a boo hoo, but just an interesting dynamic that occurs between me and my friends.
Hi Suki, as I read your comment here it made me think how we all have particular things we are good with and not so good with…being individuals, really. It seems to me it takes people who are comfortable with themselves to take the risk to be creative and (not always) the extrovert is sometimes one of those people who just isn’t comfortable unless they are with someone else. Like you, I am an extreme introvert, so organizing social occasions makes me step way out of my shell and constantly be “on”. It takes a tremendous amount of energy for me to do these things, however with my husband’s work I am called upon to prepare and/or participate in such events from time to time. The point is here, that we all have our gifts and the challenge is to claim them and utilize them for ourselves, those we love and the world. We all can’t provide everything, but together we can have a great deal! At least that is the way I see it. You are so wonderful to keep this conversation going. I love your insights so much!
I find it hard to think that a visual artist could possibly dry up…as they see art and beauty in all they are exposed to – it is a constant energy. I do feel they can be exhausted, or have periods of depression for one reason or another that may determinet they are not in the mood. I agree with Ms. Angeluou – and I also believe there is a time and season for everything…My season came after the death of a loved one and the children were all grown. An artist must have alone time…as I feel an artist is creating – no matter the medium, is what is in their being at the moment. What we see and what we paint carve or draw s a living creation…and knowing that, there is no question there will be times of what I prefer to call silence…Great Post…
Thank you, Donna, for your wonderful insights here. I know what you mean, it isn’t so much a drying up as it is something else which is going on in the creative person’s life. Isn’t that true for everyone, though? I also loved what Ms Angeluou said and it is true there is a time and place for everything. It is true, we often are pushed into bursts of creativity with something which is normally one of life’s greatest challenges. Finding and living with the silence (often along side the loudest noises) helps transport us to those places of wonderful creativity.
Donna, I sure hope you will find your way back and post here often. Thanks Again!
I believe artists of all kinds–visual as well as writers and musicians–go through dry spells. It’s possible, however, that a visual artist’s hands may push the inner doubter aside more easily. It’s a body versus head thing.
Ah, San! This is an angle I did not think about. You are right, with visual artists it is more of an whole body experience! Does that mean it is easier to keep the balance. Writers, more like professors, are so in their heads, it stands to reason it takes a toll so some part has to close down for healing! I love this thought and think you are absolutely on to something. It sounds like a great psychological study. Thanks San!