Creative Connection #0001: Conquering Creative Block
It can happen to the best of us. The dreaded ‘Art Block’. You could be painting like Michelangelo one day, on the Sistine Chapel, and the next day you’re struggling to use acrylic paints to complete a simple illustration on an 8 x 8 inch canvas. There’s no doubt about it, creative block for any writer, artist, designer or musician can be debilitating. The causes of art block are varied. From a lack of inspiration to create anything artistic in nature, to self-doubt in your abilities due to imposter syndrome.
In a case like this, what do you usually do? Well, I can tell you what I do. I scour the internet for inspiration. My trusted sources are Pinterest and Instagram since they have an extensive library of artwork. Only recently, I had been struggling with this and since they had never let me down before, I figured that this time would be no different…right? Nothing could be further from the truth. What started off as a short “hiatus” for a few days left me creatively drained for months. Nothing clicked! I thought for sure that I was stuck…permanently! Until, I remembered that this wasn’t the first time this had happened and it more than likely won’t be the last (albeit not as long as this occasion).
The Bible states in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” I had completely taken God out of the process! Eventually, I relinquished control over something I obviously had no control over in the first place. The Bible also states in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” I took my eyes off of the situation and began to focus on other things, trusting that God would take care of my predicament. Thankfully, He did! Inspiration began pouring in from unlikely sources at a time when I thought I had exhausted all of my options. To say that I was merely relieved would be an understatement.
When we commit our cares and concerns to God, He always shows up. Even in situations that we may consider trivial or too small to leave in His care. In His time, He turns around every situation for our good and His Glory.