A close friend of the great American artist, Edward Hopper, once said of him, “He was emotionally depressed with long periods of unconquerable inertia, sitting for days at a time before his easel in helpless unhappiness, unable to raise a hand to break the spell.”
It is a fact that one’s creative juices can ebb and flow. It’s not pleasant when they ebb, particularly when you make your living being creative. I’ve experienced a few slumps in my day, thankfully, never to the degree of Mr. Hopper. It’s not always clear cut, and I certainly cannot be dogmatic about Hopper’s depression, but I believe the root cause of depression can be spiritual.
People are surprised to learn that creative slumps are even possible with someone they consider to be an accomplished painter. But it’s true and is certainly not uncommon among creative professionals. That is itself an important point. It’s not uncommon, so it’s a truth that first needs to be recognized, and then accepted.
Inherent in every creative slump is self-doubt, a feeling that you’re losing your creative ability. Of course, that’s not true but it certainly feels that way. It just reiterates what I’ve said many times…if we rely on our feelings to be aligned before doing anything, we will accomplish very little.
During a particularly bad episode a few years ago, I remember entering the studio and realizing I couldn’t even remember how to start a painting. I felt I had forgotten everything. I mean it. Every attempt at painting just added to a growing sense of hopelessness and frustration.
Knowing I’m not the only one that experiences such self-doubt and lack of confidence, I asked a few OPA Masters what they do when encountering creative slumps.
Jeremy Goodding OPAM– Creative slumps can be one of the most difficult things for an artist to overcome. It’s good to acknowledge this so it doesn’t catch you off guard.
In my case creative slumps are usually a matter of diminished mental and physical energy. They come from one of two categories. First is fatigue from regular life. The second is fatigue from the creative process.
We all go through things in life that sap our energy and affect our creativity. I have weathered Illness, loss of a loved one, travel fatigue, problems with cars and many other things that life throws at you. It’s important that we allow ourselves time to rebound before we expect our best creative work. Good sleep, diet and exercise really help me weather life’s challenges. Also, taking time to do things that I sincerely enjoy can be healing. I like spending time outdoors, cooking, music and dreaming about some new adventure I’d like to take. These things help me reset and find initiative. It helps to have faith that God will see you through too!
On the creative side, large complex paintings and balancing deadlines with competitions, collectors and galleries can leave me feeling seriously stretched. I have to be careful not to overcommit. It’s hard to maintain creative energy when you are pulled in too many directions. I make it a point not to miss deadlines. When the dust settles, I have to rebuild my focus and visual sensitivity to move past the inevitable slump. Smaller paintings really help me get back on track. Completing easier projects really boosts confidence. They are a small reminder of what you are capable of and they help set the stage for something bigger that will take most of your creative energy to complete.
It’s important to embrace the ups and downs of the creative process. It’s normal to reach new heights only to have a slump soon after. Don’t be surprised by it!
Deborah Tilby OPAM– My “slumps” come in the form of a drop in confidence rather than a lack of creative energy or ideas. Really bad slumps will have me feeling like a fraud and “who am I kidding?” I find this goes in cycles. I will go along for a time feeling pretty good about my work and thinking that just maybe I actually do know what I’m doing.
This will be followed by a period of dissatisfaction and frustration, I suppose because I always strive to be a better painter, so I move the goalposts. To deal with these slumps, I look at the work of other painters whom I admire, painters working in all sorts of interesting ways, usually nothing to do with the way I work but inspiring nonetheless. Then I choose subjects that are familiar so that I can put my energy into exploring other ways to handle them, other ways to use my tools…and the paintings will be much smaller so that I have many more chances to work my way out of my dissatisfaction.
I always arrive at a good place again, feel confident again, and go for many months consolidating what I’ve learned before the cycle repeats itself.
It isn’t fun being in a slump but I’ve come to recognize that it is an important time for growth as a painter. If a painter always loves everything they do, never questioning or having doubts, there is a danger of stagnation and they can end up painting the same thing in the same way over and over again.
Lori Putnam OPAM – There seems to be insufficient time to explore ideas when deadlines and responsibilities are looming. Sometimes it feels impossible to be creative, and I start questioning not only what to paint, but why to paint.
A quick scroll through social media, a visit to an art museum, or a perusal of art books can do one of two things: 1) Inspire me to take more risks with my work (yes!), or 2) Leave me thinking I am just not good enough (ugh). Once I allow myself to have thoughts about my lack of ability, I am doomed. If I am spiraling into a creative slump or experiencing a lack of confidence, my paintings show it. They are uninspired. They look too contrived, overworked, and lack life and energy.
Trying a different medium, playing with color, loosening my expectations, or working on small studies can reduce pressure and open unexpected doors. Reconnecting with the initial joy of creating—without the need to produce a painting worthy of exhibiting—often leads to surprising breakthroughs. Sometimes, allowing space for rest and observation in nature, without a brush in hand, is just as vital as actually painting it, giving my mind a chance to reset, and new ideas the freedom to surface naturally.
Louis Escobedo OPAM – First look at your Composition, Drawing, Values and Color Intensities, and check if everything is correct…or close to it. Then, look at your overall piece, GO BACK AND SIMPLIFY TO A BEGINNER’S BLOCK IN…TWO VALUES ON EVERYTHING, or where it needs it. Forget the detail and you will begin to see the Big Picture of where you went wrong. This is the way I chose to solve problems and a way of understanding Chaos!!!
MaryBeth Karaus OPAM– During the last two winters, I have encountered not just creative slumps but full-on blocks. I couldn’t get my heavy arms and legs to stand up and walk in the studio. I thought, it must be the studio’s fault. It’s really just a small 8×10 breezeway. Who can get any work done in there? I have to roll the easel around so I can go in and out of the doors.
If not that, then it’s the weather. The skies are gray in Ohio in the winter like a heavy blanket. That must be it. Seasonal depression. Whatever the problem is, I’m noticing a pattern. Next year what can I do?
Once the daffodils start blooming it’s over. Then here come the peonies and roses. Creative block disappears into thin air! So, the source of inspiration is missing! How can we draw it in when we need it? Here are some suggestions that I plan to try next year.
- Open your photos on your computer and reevaluate your reference photos by cropping differently.
- Head to museums or art galleries. Get away from the studio.
- For still life painters, search through antique or grocery stores for inspiration.
- Keep an inspiration list in your phone under your notes. Here you can add photos and drawings when ideas are coming right and left. Something like…do a still-life with all yellows, or try a hi-key painting with a light blue pitcher. Store these ideas away for when your creative juices come to a slow drip.
- Try very small paintings done in one day of a single thing- one cup, one rose, or one apple.
- If all else fails…Clean and organize. Sort paint, brushes, canvases, frames or do the worst job ever- clean your turp can and scrape your palette clean.
I find this quote motivating- “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working” Pablo Picasso.
Let yourself off the hook. If you can’t paint ITS OKAY to accept it. You can still work doing other things that move your painting projects forward.
John Pototschnik OPA – My usual procedure for overcoming these discouraging slumps is to start something new, create many small studies (4″x 6″ range) of possible future paintings, or get outside and paint on location. Many artists, when going through such times, have expressed that they have always come out on the other side doing better work…let’s hope that’s the case for all of us.
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