BENGALURU: Do you ever feel the inability to do something you love – be it art, music or the written word? Do you feel a barrier within that restricts you from being creative? Creative blocks can happen to anyone and it can come from anywhere. It’s perhaps the most dreadful phase for a creative professional to get stuck in. It is not just frustrating but it can damage one’s career too. Apparently, it restricts you from accessing your creativity thus impacting one’s physical and mental stability. There are a host of reasons as to why these blocks surface, some being illness, anxiety, self-doubt among others.
“I have found that creative blocks most often sort themselves out if I give them enough time. If I encounter a block in one art form, I usually don’t engage with it more than I need to,” says Sangeetha Alwar, a freelance illustrator. When asked about how she deals with these blocks she says, “I usually work on something else during that time.
I read or paint traditionally and sometimes even cook.” Alwar also engages herself in “automatic drawing”, where she closes her eyes and scribbles on a piece of paper and then, tries to make a design out of it. According to her, the biggest enemy is the “worry”. “Trying to forcefully get past a creative block only pushes you deeper into it. Rest and recuperate, work on other skills, and just try to ease yourself back in,” she adds.
Preetika Parashuraman, a journalism student in Bengaluru, says that she encounters blocks when she’s not confident about what she’s going to write, especially when the deadlines are tight. It is an uphill task when she has to force herself to think creatively, and the added pressure of meeting the deadline is not helpful. She says, “I read short stories or longform articles, listen to a podcast while I am out for a long walk, or I write about my day. Sometimes sleep really helps.” Nikhil Pillai, a dancer, says that being stuck in the same environment makes it hard to be creative.
The 20-year-old from Bengaluru has tried to counter creative blocks, but his methods work differently each time. “I go on random walks and listen to music I’ve never heard before without thinking about dance and something just hits me. I try to meet new dancers and practice with them, and try different dance forms that I don’t usually practice to get some ideas and attempt to incorporate them into hip hop,” he says, when asked about how he tackles his creative slumps. “Sometimes all I need is a little break from dance. And when I get back, it’s all good,” he adds. So, if you’re unable to get into that creative groove, don’t worry. Give yourself some time and while you do that, have fun with your art.