In any creative life there are dry seasons... A drought is a rebellion. (…) In a creative drought we must approach ourselves indirectly. — Julia Cameron
I see creative inspiration as a continuously running tap. Sometimes we are lucky and the tap flows abundantly. We create plenty and feel full of ideas. During those times, we need to make the most of it, enjoy the ride, but also manage the flow in preparation for future droughts.
In her famous book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron talks about the seasonality of creative energy. She writes about creative winters: those periods when inspiration feels blocked or dried up. During these times, we might feel disconnected from ourselves and from our creative work.
Drier creative periods will naturally come. We simply can’t sustain our highest energy forever. We might get absorbed in other projects and neglect our personal creative practice, we might run out of energy, or get bored, or life may simply get in the way and force us to rebalance our priorities.
There are many different ways to get stuck in a creative drought, but here are, however, some things I have recently put into practice to help move through it and reset:
1. This too shall pass
The first tip is a cliché but is very true: it is indeed to accept the temporary and cyclical nature of creativity and the different seasons our work and practice might go through. Accepting the timeline is the first step toward taking action and using this period to our advantage.
We have creative seasons, and this drought, too, shall pass.
2. Don’t let the tap dry (entirely)
Even if only sporadically, keep showing up. Keep drawing badly, keep going on Artist Dates, keep doing something, even if it feels ridiculous, silly, or you can only do it from time to time.
If the mood is not right, take it easy. Learn to be kind to yourself and make it easier for yourself to show up.
3. Plant small seeds
As the song goes: you’re going to reap what you sow.
Use this slower time to plant small seeds for future projects. Artist Dates are wonderful for this. Meet with friends, connect with other artists, learn about what they are doing, and allow yourself to be inspired.
4. Take the time to reflect
If producing work is not on the table for any reason, another way to make use of this dry period is to revisit old projects. This might spark new ideas or bring back some inspiration that was effective at that time.
If you are moving forward, you are going in the right direction — Delphian
I recently went through a dry creative period for about a year, since I got pregnant until the end of the so-called fourth trimester. I had to refocus my energy on taking care of myself (morning sickness is no joke) and my baby boy, once he was born. I made a conscious decision to put The Sketch Club and other personal creative projects on hold, to slow down and rest.
Although I wasn’t producing much creative work, I made sure I didn’t let the tap dry entirely. I turned inward and used the time to fill the well. Even if only sporadically, I journaled or did a sketch here and there (such as the one above I did in Paris). I kept reading without pressure (piles of unfinished books during this time), and allowed myself to keep doing bits and bobs on my own terms and at my own pace.
I continued going on Artist Dates from time to time, visiting exhibitions and documenting things that grabbed my attention. Some of the small seeds I planted looked like this: buying a book I didn’t read last year but am reading now, journaling about how I felt at the beginning of my matrescence, doing boring admin tasks like organising files, tidying, and clearing the flat.
These things helped me sustain a low-key creative practice in the background while also giving myself the space and time to rest and focus on myself and my body.
The change of creative season happens gradually, until it suddenly compounds. For me, it goes something like this: little bits here and there, recovering some sort of craving, and then, when I least expect it, I’m suddenly back with bursting creative energy, drawing and writing daily, reading several books at the same time, and getting out and about to see exhibitions. In reality, all these things influence one another and create a compounding creative effect, bringing together another more productive season.
One final note: I’m incredibly fortunate and deeply grateful that my current situation allows me to pause work for almost a year to take care of my little one, while also using some of that time during the day to explore more of London, something I simply can’t do while working a 9 to 5 job. We’re also lucky that our little one is a decent sleeper (sometimes…!), and that my partner and I can take turns on different nights, so we each get restful nights for at least half of the week.
Rest, good sleep, and good mental health are fundamental to overcoming any creative obstacles. Before moving on to any creative project, we first need to start with taking care of ourselves and our wellbeing.
If you’re also lucky enough to be going through the beginning of a more inspirational season, enjoy it and make the most of it while it lasts! (This too will eventually pass…!)
✏️✨
Happy sketching!
Ana