If I’m truly blocked, I write down what’s stopping me on a list I have hanging in my studio called “LEARN.” It’s almost always an issue of needing to spend time with a technical skill, rather than a lack of inspiration.
Other remedies for block:
- Ongoing lists of ideas for projects.
- Switching materials to something I rarely use—collage is a great way to shake things up.
- Paint something I’ve already made in a different medium.
- Have a snack—a lot of my frustration can usually be attributed to hunger.
- I have a special sketchbook that is designated for “play ” and only for testing things out, or trying different styles, and it’s cheap mixed media paper that doesn’t feel limiting by being too precious.