Pondering a Creative Slump

If you were to ask me how my artistic process is going, I would tell you that I’m currently stuck in what I would describe as a creative slump.   I have not been inspired to create anything that really makes my heart sing.  I have been spending a lot of time pondering on what my next big artistic endeavor will be, but nothing comes. There are ideas dangling at the recesses of my mind but I can’t seem to let one of them come forward to the part of my brain that helps me formulate how to make my ideas into a reality. I know that there is an idea waiting to be turned into art within me. Over the years, I have learned to be patient with myself.  Any extra pressure I put on myself to create is futile.  I am continuing to learn how to lean into the unknown and just be present with the uncertainty of what’s next artistically.

I have kept my hands busy by continuing to create very small spring and summer garden scenes. Creating flowers is something I know how to do very well and while the small garden scenes serve their purpose, the reality is, I need to be challenged a little more.  I enjoy when my comfort zone gets to expand in order to create something new and different.

Sometimes exploring new ways of doing art work is exhilarating!  I find myself taking what I comfortably know and tackling it in a new way within my creative process.  Creating something by experimentation means that there is always a chance that the finished product may fall short of my expectations.  This has happened to me many times. However, when it does work out, it takes my art to a new level of creative expression that makes me glad I took the time to achieve.

As I wait for this creative slump to turn into creative success which I know it will.   I hope you enjoy this little spring garden “By the Old Stone Wall” that I created from the fabric I painted and shared in our last newsletter.

 

4 Comments

  1. Kathryn Firsching

    Hi Ana. Have you thought about studying garden design and visiting different gardens or outdoor spaces ? I think these would be wonderful muses for inspiration.

    Reply
    • Ana

      Kathryn,
      Thank you for your email, and your ideas! Yes, they are my go to when I get stuck, I did spend sometime the other day going through garden magazines and it helped, but I think I have cabin fever, and I am longing to go see the gardens at the STL botanical garden, but I am waiting for the weather to cooperate and get warmer and for things to come into bloom. Then you won’t be able to keep me inside, and just going out to explore will definitely lift up my creative spirits! 🙂 Ana

      Reply
  2. Judie Howard

    Hey, Ana!

    I believe you are on the brink of creating something that is very new for you.
    I can’t wait to see what it is.

    Reply
    • Ana

      Judy,
      Good to here from you! I agree with you, and I am believing the something exciting is around the corner! Can’t wait to see it too! 😊 Ana

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Ana Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Act of Creating

"Awakening into Beauty" Chaos is a good way to describe the first two months of this year, so many things are happening which are so confusing that it is easy to do nothing but be paralyzed by the uncertainty of what may happen next.  Instead of being powerless, I...

Internal Exploration

Exploration has been a core theme in my art, especially when it comes to exploring the outside world and all it has to offer in inspiring my next creation.  Since I have been in school, exploration is taking me to look on creating art through the lens of technique,...

Wind of Change

It is that time of year when change is evident as a new season arrives.  Where I live it is fall, and looking out the window, I see trees transforming from green to vibrant yellow, oranges and reds, and it is beautiful, but at the same time it reminds me that life is...

A Whole New Light

It is always a bit frightening to share a part of who you are as an artist especially when you feel like you are not being the best creative version of yourself self that you can be. I was feeling stuck in a creative slump when I wrote the last newsletter.  As most of...

Dance with the Imagination!

Creating art is a dance with the imagination!  You haven’t heard from me in a while, because I’ve been in a deeply creative space, dancing with endless possibilities of expression. It’s a place where joy overflows. In a world where chaos is so prevalent, we all need a...

Thinking Outside the Box

I am finding out that approaching what I do with a different twist allows me to see the beauty around me and what I create in a beautiful new light.  This does not mean totally changing what I do, it just means bringing different elements into the picture, for example...