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It's way too easy to over-write, over-paint, over-create. Just because it felt easy doesn't mean that it's bad. In fact, that zen feeling of inspiration *should* feel effortless. Don't let your work ethic ruin something good.
At the very least, step back before you do more. If it needs more work, you'll know the next time you look at it.
At the very least, step back before you do more. If it needs more work, you'll know the next time you look at it.
Sep 1, 2024
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🎨First things first: it doesn't matter the quality, the quantity, or the end result. If you create, you're a creative, full stop! Don't tell yourself you're a copier, think of it as adopting little pieces of the things you love and using them as inspiration to drive you. As long as you're not straight-up plagiarizing, there's nothing wrong with using something you love as a stepping stool to grow your own abilities, or as a palette with which you paint your own world.
Also, it's totally normal to feel stuck in a rut, or unoriginal, or to fall out of love with something you've made, or to feel doubt start seeping in. And it sucks! I'm often stricken with the realization that I'm one voice in a sea of millions, and I feel insecure that people will see me as lesser. Or worse: overlook my creations entirely. It makes me lose momentum in my creative process, and makes me feel more disheartened and nervous to put my stuff out there in the first place. "What if I put my heart and soul into this and nobody sees it?" "What if I bleed onto the pages and the consensus is "it's mid"???" "What if I'm wasting my time, and come back in two weeks and think this is utter garbage?" "What if people think it's too close to <other person's work>?"
But then I remember... we're kind of ALL out here, putting our hearts into stuff, trying new things, throwing around ideas, and hoping something sticks. And that's how pretty much EVERY work of art is made! And while it's awesome to get outpourings of support on the things you make, and recognition makes your work feel worthwhile... nothing is going to make you feel more fulfilled than putting your heart and soul into something you're passionate about, and seeing it through to YOUR satisfaction. Ultimately it's not about what other people think, it's about keeping that passion alive in you, and cultivating it so that it never dies.
So what can we do about burnout? Or lack of inspiration? Or when the hope levels are too low? Unfortunately all my "tips" are more abstract than practical step-by-step fixes.
Personally, I recommend steadily and eagerly engaging in the things that you tend to "copy" in the first place. Stop for a moment, and picture the word "enthusiasm." What comes to your mind? What makes you feel that way? Chase that feeling down like it's your most treasured keepsake floating away in wild rapids! Watch shows with artstyles you aspire to. Listen to songs that get you daydreaming. Get out in nature during the sunrise/sunset. Go see animals in a zoo/aquarium, or go people-watching in a mall/park. All the while, don't stop THINKING and MAKING THINGS. Doesn't have to be cute, or fleshed-out, because the beauty is in the moment. Snap candid photos, sketch freehand vignettes of what you see, jot down prose inspired by your surroundings, do whatever you can to keep your momentum without losing the joy associated with it.
The more you let yourself create freely, the more comfortable you'll be in the future when faced with the dreaded Block, the bumps, the discouragement, or anything else that may try to slow you down. And honestly? If you still find yourself stuck, good news: you're still a creative! And that will hold true as long as you desire to be.
TLDR: Don't stop making beautiful things, and if you get to a point where you feel you can no longer make beautiful things, make "ugly" things and surround yourself with things you see as beautiful.
Also, it's totally normal to feel stuck in a rut, or unoriginal, or to fall out of love with something you've made, or to feel doubt start seeping in. And it sucks! I'm often stricken with the realization that I'm one voice in a sea of millions, and I feel insecure that people will see me as lesser. Or worse: overlook my creations entirely. It makes me lose momentum in my creative process, and makes me feel more disheartened and nervous to put my stuff out there in the first place. "What if I put my heart and soul into this and nobody sees it?" "What if I bleed onto the pages and the consensus is "it's mid"???" "What if I'm wasting my time, and come back in two weeks and think this is utter garbage?" "What if people think it's too close to <other person's work>?"
But then I remember... we're kind of ALL out here, putting our hearts into stuff, trying new things, throwing around ideas, and hoping something sticks. And that's how pretty much EVERY work of art is made! And while it's awesome to get outpourings of support on the things you make, and recognition makes your work feel worthwhile... nothing is going to make you feel more fulfilled than putting your heart and soul into something you're passionate about, and seeing it through to YOUR satisfaction. Ultimately it's not about what other people think, it's about keeping that passion alive in you, and cultivating it so that it never dies.
So what can we do about burnout? Or lack of inspiration? Or when the hope levels are too low? Unfortunately all my "tips" are more abstract than practical step-by-step fixes.
Personally, I recommend steadily and eagerly engaging in the things that you tend to "copy" in the first place. Stop for a moment, and picture the word "enthusiasm." What comes to your mind? What makes you feel that way? Chase that feeling down like it's your most treasured keepsake floating away in wild rapids! Watch shows with artstyles you aspire to. Listen to songs that get you daydreaming. Get out in nature during the sunrise/sunset. Go see animals in a zoo/aquarium, or go people-watching in a mall/park. All the while, don't stop THINKING and MAKING THINGS. Doesn't have to be cute, or fleshed-out, because the beauty is in the moment. Snap candid photos, sketch freehand vignettes of what you see, jot down prose inspired by your surroundings, do whatever you can to keep your momentum without losing the joy associated with it.
The more you let yourself create freely, the more comfortable you'll be in the future when faced with the dreaded Block, the bumps, the discouragement, or anything else that may try to slow you down. And honestly? If you still find yourself stuck, good news: you're still a creative! And that will hold true as long as you desire to be.
TLDR: Don't stop making beautiful things, and if you get to a point where you feel you can no longer make beautiful things, make "ugly" things and surround yourself with things you see as beautiful.
6d ago
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⭐I think a big hurdle with creative stuff (especially in the age of social media) is the pressure to constantly create something great and to post about it. It's healthy to acknowledge that just because you're making something doesn't mean you need to commodify it or even share it publicly at all. When I was in the early stages of things, I really wasn't ready to open it up to judgement or critique. I think that would have dissuaded me from it entirely. Even accomplished artists that have made a living off of their work still have to make "bad" pieces from time to time, and it's ok to take time to find your voice and what you enjoy making. Critique groups are a valuable thing and often very positive, but if you need to incubate your ideas within your close circles for a while, do that! Also, I'm recovering from a migraine, so I don't know if any of this is coherent ✌️
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🏃setting a timer for ~20 minutes and just writing without stopping until the timer goes off is *really* good - because at the end of it you have a draft you can revise, which i think is easier and feels a lot more like making progress than emotionally preparing to write something you might not like.
dan harmon has this quote that i think was really helpful to getting me to see the value of just getting the reps in (without all the self-loathing):
*“My best advice about writer’s block is: the reason you’re having a hard time writing is because of a conflict between the GOAL of writing well and the FEAR of writing badly. By default, our instinct is to conquer the fear, but our feelings are much, much, less within our control than the goals we set, and since it’s the conflict BETWEEN the two forces blocking you, if you simply change your goal from “writing well” to “writing badly,” you will be a veritable fucking fountain of material…Prove it. It will go faster. And then, after you write something incredibly shitty in about six hours, it’s no problem making it better in passes, because in addition to being absolutely untalented, you are also a mean, petty CRITIC. You know how you suck and you know how everything sucks and when you see something that sucks, you know exactly how to fix it.”*
dan harmon has this quote that i think was really helpful to getting me to see the value of just getting the reps in (without all the self-loathing):
*“My best advice about writer’s block is: the reason you’re having a hard time writing is because of a conflict between the GOAL of writing well and the FEAR of writing badly. By default, our instinct is to conquer the fear, but our feelings are much, much, less within our control than the goals we set, and since it’s the conflict BETWEEN the two forces blocking you, if you simply change your goal from “writing well” to “writing badly,” you will be a veritable fucking fountain of material…Prove it. It will go faster. And then, after you write something incredibly shitty in about six hours, it’s no problem making it better in passes, because in addition to being absolutely untalented, you are also a mean, petty CRITIC. You know how you suck and you know how everything sucks and when you see something that sucks, you know exactly how to fix it.”*
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