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Inspiration

Last week I left off on a [hopefully] provocative note when I made the analogy that "Inspiration is as important to an artist as a car is to a taxi driver. And we need to keep the meter running." This week I hope to elaborate on this point, as I believe that it is vital to understanding the complicated and somewhat whimsical creative process that artists and designers of all sorts have.

Creative block. We've all experienced it, artists and non-artists alike. From simply staring at a blank page or canvas, to deciding what improvements you can further make on a project that you are still discontent with. The creative mojo just doesn't seem to be there. As an artist, this is disconcerting at best; debilitating at worst.

There are several common factors that can cause this. It may be a stifling work environment, overworking, poor lifestyle choices, stress-inducing personal issues, and a litany of other variables. The most likely case is a nasty combination of several (or all) of the above. Let's look at each one closely to identify and remedy the problem.

Stifling Work Environment

This can mean several things.  For one, if your work space is sterile, dead-silent, and without visual decorum--there is little or nothing immediately around you that is helping ideas sprout in your head. For two, if you have co workers/employers that are dull, unengaging, unproductive, overly critical, and unconstructive--this will be a burden on you (and your creativity) and will also likely rub-off on you...making you that guy.

Solution:

Improve the atmosphere of your work space. Artists, designers, animators, musicians, writers, and other creative professionals are typically very audio-visual thinkers. And so, it's important to fuel this cognitive function with your surroundings.

• Put some posters on your wall, some figures, toys, bobble-heads, and statues on your desk(s)/shelves, life-size cutouts...--anything that you find visually interesting into your studio/office.
• Be bold and creative on how your work space is lit. If you just have some dull, typical room lighting like incandescent or *gasp* fluorescent light, it can adversely affect your mood and creativity. Try some colored lights, Chinese lanterns, Christmas lights, etc.
• Have music or ambient sounds playing.  Dead silence is highly destructive to reading, thinking, learning, and creativity. As a general rule of thumb, it's best to play something that's not very attention-grabbing (aka distracting) in the background, and at lower decibels. However, if you find that a certain type of music/sounds help you most--perhaps at higher volumes--go for it.  It's a personal thing.

Of course, this isn't so simple if your job requires you to travel, but then again, you are travelling. Find interest wherever you can. Visit landmarks, museums, and other points of interest. And bring music. Always.

As for the problem of less-than-helpful co workers, colleagues, and employers, there are a few moderate and extreme measures that you can take.

• Moderate: Take the initiative to reduce or reverse the effects of nonconstructive people in the workplace by personally facilitating better work practices amongst your fellow collaborators. Infect them with your passion, enthusiasm, ideas, etc. I would even go so far in bond-forming to engage them outside of the workplace. Offer to help them with personal projects, invite them to partake in weekend recreation with you.
• Extreme: If you know that your work-partners are causing a lot of unneeded issues that are adversely affecting your ability to accomplish your goals, then you may want to consider the alternative work options at your disposal. If possible and practical, you may very well need to shed the dead weight of your coworkers. I know such decisions are no light affair, so be sure that it's what you truly want.  And when the time to part ways comes, be kind, be tact, and leave on a good note. Your reputation will always proceed you. But first consider this: are you the real problem? Food for thought.

Overworking

This is a very common creativity-dampener. You are likely working furiously to get all of your work done by a deadline, working many after-hours, and into the weekend with virtually no breaks. Your subconscious thoughts rationalize that the more you work, the more you will get done. While this is certainly true for many jobs, both "white-collar" and "blue-collar", the creative professional does not have such linear control over productivity. So much work is mentally and physically fatiguing.  It causes "task-oriented" tunnel vision. All you are thinking is "...get it done...get it done...get it done...", rather than actually thinking about what should be done and how.

Solution:

Take a break. It is so tempting to just keep plugging away at your work and power through your problems, but your work will greatly suffer from doing so. Just stop. Get out of the studio and do something that will clear your mind, relieve stress, and inspire you. Here are a few suggestions:

• Go for a walk, run, or do some kind of workout. This relieves stress, releases chemicals in your brain, and surrounds you with different scenery. Don't try to think.  Just let thoughts come let you.
• Go on a leisurely photo shoot. Take pictures of anything that inspires you. Landscapes, architecture, events, people, wildlife, plants, etc. This forces your brain to observe new visual imagery, think about the best way to portray/compose what you see, and feel productive at the same time (especially if you are a professional photographer).
• Read a book. More specifically, read imaginative literature. You don't need to hunker-down and read a book from start to finish--just read a little bit to slow down and focus on something other than your work.
• Grab your sketchbook and go to the coffee shop to draw from life, sketch out ideas, and simply sit and think. Contemplate. Meditate. Everything about a coffee shop is conducive towards kindling creativity and new ideas. The sight of tasteful interior design and [usually] local art hanging on the walls, the ambient noise created in the background of the bustling employees and chatty customers, and the taste and aromatic scent of coffee are incredible aids to creative thinking. And let's not forget the pervasive effects of caffeine...

Poor Lifestyle Choices

This converges a bit with the overworking concept. When overworking you tend to deprive your personal life a lot. You tend to get very little sleep, eat quick/unhealthy foods, and skip workouts (or don't workout at all). But for many people, there are lifestyle choices that aren't exactly related to overworking. There are a potentially unlimited number of time-sinks grabbing for your attention. From trying to catch up with your peers in watching a certain television series, excessive gaming sessions, YouTube binges, you name it. While these things all have their time and place, if they are controlling your life or causing unneeded stress/loss of time--changes need to be made. I don't want to be too preachy on this as no one has the same problems, but here are a few things that you can do to improve the affect your lifestyle has on your creative workflow:

• Get more sleep. This may seem obvious, but you aren't doing yourself or your work any favors by pulling all-nighters or even just lessening the number of hours that you hibernate. Your mind will be less foggy, it will be easier to get up and get to work in the morning, and your productivity will vastly improve. The amount of sleep needed differs from person to person, as does the time of day that you are most productive, so it's up to you to find that out and adjust accordingly. Listen to your body.
• Eat healthy. Even if it takes time (and let's face it, more money) to eat healthy, just do it. Your mind and body will thank you both in the short and long run. You might be thinking "I hate healthy food", but you will actually start to prefer it to unhealthy food after you get used to it. And there's nothing like the peace of mind knowing that what you are eating is healthy. You may even feel a little disgusted and nauseated the next time you walk or drive by a fast food restaurant and smell the food.
• Workout regularly. It doesn't matter if you think that you are in excellent physical shape. Do it anyway. Again, like adequate sleep and eating healthy, your mind and body will thank you tremendously.  As stated earlier, working out clears your mind, relieves stress, and releases chemicals that act as turbo mental-kickstarters. All of which open the mind for wild imagination and creativity.