Creativity Block
 

I have been having this creativity block for quite some time. I used to be able to get inspirations rather quickly. One look at something, even items not related to craft, can inspire me and immediately a number of ideas pop into my mind but not anymore now. I have tried buying new stamps and gadgets but it doesn't seem to help. I am still making cards but the layout and designs are about the same. Even visiting gallaries, books and magazines don't seem to generate new ideas. Any of you experience this? How do you overcome it?

Have you tried just playing and experimenting with your supplies? Seems to help me, even if it sounds wasteful. You can also watch a technique video and follow along to see if you get inspired. Sometimes sketching does it for me. I love going to pagemaps and looking at all the sketches they have and try to see how they will work on a layout or a card. They have a lot of categories and just mixing them up might help. Looking through magazine layouts or ads, searching for quotes or sentiments, stalking blogs of the artists I admire, even mixed media art is inspiring and I am dabling in that. Also look into photoshop on you tube, lots of inspiration there. Hope some of this helps.

I have spent plenty of time just staring at blank cardstock with no creative ideas coming to mind. When that happens, I grab an old stamping magazine or watch/read a tutorial like the previous poster suggested. I sometimes even CASE one if my old cards just to get the creativity flowing again. Have your tried to CASE a favorite card or two from the gallery? Maybe someone else's creativity can help spark your own!

I so know what you mean. I am struggling myself at the moment. I haven't even posted on my blog for months now. I think what did me was doing 2 peoples wedding stationery earlier this year, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but I found the production line repetitiveness of making so many of the design really killed my mojo. As Nannette has suggested, I am just playing with my supplies at the moment, and hoping my mojo is just comatose for a while,lol. I also came across a folder full of images I stamped up a year or two ago- I had a habit of stamping up multiple images on different alcohol inked backgrounds for a while,when I first got my alcohol inks-so I have been playing around with them to see if anything grabs me.

I hear you! My creative machine came to a grinding halt last month, and I have not figured out how to kick start it yet!

I decided to stop blogging, which meant that I didn't have to make cards every day. Knowing that I didn't have to make them, I pretty much stopped making them all together. I needed a birthday card the other day, and the whole process of making it was almost painful. I had less than stellar results.

But the plus side to this creative desert is that I'm not even slightly tempted to buy new products right now. Normally, I had a monthly wishlist and I was on a quest to accumulate. I had a hard time balancing on that rope: have what I need vs. must have more! In the same way, I had a hard time with making cards that I needed, versus making cards for challenges and blog hops that I probably didn't need.

I'm taking the time to be creative in other areas right now. I figure the stamps will still be there when I'm ready to come back.

I use the challenges here to inspire me, especially the sketch challenge. There are also lots of blog challenges.

blah here too. I did 100 cards in 100 days this past summer...now about 6 projects that were on my procrastination list...but when I look at all my supplies in the closet, I don't even want to keep them.

I use brutish force to get myself back into the swing of things. LOL I take those embellishments, papers, and craft items that I don't use very often and set them before myself. Then I tell myself that I can't do anything else until I use these seldom used items. If I really can't come up with something, I make myself RAK the items to someone else who will use them.

Once I've accomplished a card with the difficult items, using my go-to stash is easy. ;)

Here too. Creativity has taken a LONG leave of absence here as well. It started for me with the lust of DT�s and taking whatever was offered up even if the images didn�t suit me and my style. Add that to having my step son in the PICU for 6 weeks�traveling 4 hours one way each weekend�which quickly depleted a huge chunk of savings for us..it also depleted my desire to make anything. Then school started..Soccer..JROTC�scouts..etc..etc. I haven�t blogged other than mini updates as to my absence in months. I actually BOUGHT some birthday party invitations and thanks you notes a couple of weeks ago..and used some store bought birthday cards recently for a few friends. ~hangs head in shame~
I graduated from art school for crying out loud..this is really starting to get to me. I tried just doodling in my sketch book the other day and all I could come up with was my grocery list LOL. I have experienced this dry spell before but never to this magnitude. NOTHING and I mean nothing is inspiring me these days. I actually sat in my studio the other day and thought about what a heck of a yard sale I could have. I feel over whelmed..Inadequate �I haven�t made a post or really responded to any on here in several weeks bar one or two minor insights I might have about coloring pencils. I don�t even feel like I have a whole lot to offer anyone else. Blog lurking isn�t doing it and I used to get so inspired by someone else�s work..but not now. Blah�Not sure what to do about it either.

All of that was to say , don�t feel like you are alone in this gloom..I sure hope that �This too shall pass� applies to me in this instance..

Please don't make any rash moves--ANYONE--like selling or giving away all of your supplies. I lost my mojo and my desire to stamp for about a YEAR. I worked on a few cards for a non-profit group I had committed to during that time, but that was about it. I didn't even have a desire to browse here on SCS (my favorite place!). But I was going through a lot of emotional angst in having to commit my sister to an Alzheimer's facility and putting her stuff into storage, getting her condo ready to sell, protecting her from her abusive adult sons, etc. Several times I even got out my supplies, but just sat staring at them in frustration.

Luckily, I didn't get rid of anything! I didn't push it. I just started browsing SCS again, just reading forums. When I thought I might want to finally try something, no creativity would come. So I CASEd several cards that I had favorited. After awhile it got easier, and I began coming up with my own designs again. The creative "slump" still hits me, but I just CASE something simple again and one thing leads to another.

Good luck and hang in there. Try some of the suggestions other people have listed. If that doesn't work, walk away and go do something else. I'm pretty certain your mojo will appreciate a "vacation" and will be happy to come back! ;-)

Been there too!
 

I once went 5 years without wanting to touch my stamping stuff. I stressed about it. So many supplies and I was not using them. I do many other crafts. Stamping and jewelry are my favourites. Finally I was able to let go, emotionally. It eventually came back.
Sometimes I have shorter " blocks". If I feel like it, I play with my stuff and don't worry about creating anything. I took me a long time to give myself this permission but it made me feel better.
Many different things, events, emotions contribute to our creativity and ambition. Sometimes it's impossible to put your finger on it, maybe because there is no tangible reason we can appreciate at the time.
Just wanted to share my experience.
Here's wishing you some mojo.

I am taking Jennifer McGuire's class that started yesterday called "Kick Start" . It is such a cool class. It is great to see how others think and create and hoping it will give me some new ideas!

Another idea is to maybe use your supplies for different media - mixed media art - Christy Tomlinson and Alisa Burk are fabulous, watch some of their videos, or browse the blogs. Another one is Joann Sharp , she is a doodle artist fantastic inspiration!

Sorry, links: alisaburke
christytomlinson
Whimspirations

Creativity..how do you define that? It comes in waves and comes from inside. Some have it more than others and some have it but don't know they do. I get the biggest thrill out of watching people grow with their creativity. It can be a process....just pick one of your favorite stampers here on SCS and go to their gallery. Look at their very first posts and then what they are posting today. Notice a difference? I know for myself I truly enhanced my creativity when I started to participate in the challenges. You don't have to post it on SCS to still benefit from the experience. Most importantly Enjoy It!

Blocked- sounds sooooo familiar. I got into a funk and gave away all my Copic markers. (Meant to take a Copic class with 'em, just never made it happen.) Then I went to a Fred Mullett workshop in May, and have been on a creative high ever since. Nanettesplace had excellent advice, to try different media. Sometimes music drives me. Turning off the TV and getting away from the computer helps. Trying to mass-produce can be tiresome, but try to find time to play!

Yes, agree. I have been jobless for more than 2 years and this is my source of income. Not that I can make any profit out of selling cards but more to turn whatever supplies I have into cash.