Artist's Block--How do you get over it?
- Thread starter Simon D. Aelsi
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I have four novels on the go at one time, numerous game ideas and dozens of fanfictions I flit from one to the other because otherwise I get frustrated. I also tend to find fanfictions a good way to study the things I want from my original novels, because the characters come preset and I don't have to worry about building them up, and then eventually that gets me into my original stuff again.
Confusing I guess, but it works for me.
Confusing I guess, but it works for me.
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Very interesting ideas. Thanks for the tips!
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For writing, I find ideas in walking. Simply that, walking. Not turning round and around in my home, mind you, but walking in the street: once I reach my "cruising speed" pictures of events and characters come to my mind, so I watch them doing their stuff and listen to them saying their dialog, and I try to remember the most of them, even if I know that they'll change, and often heavily, when I'll write them down. Sometimes, just remembering the mood of the scene is enough. Rimbaud used a similar technique, this is why his verses echo the rythm of his own steps – but of course I ignored this when I began my walking dreams, back during my childhood...
As for drawing... Well, I'm rather the pragmatical/realistic type so I tend to build things according to real constraints; for having a background in industrial design and architecture, I know one thing or two about constructing objects and buildings and this gives me a method. The downside is that the result often is very functional and lacks of soul: that's when references come in handy, to populate the insides or decorate the outsides; also, thinking about who live in the house or what sort of people work on the scene helps to give me ideas about such details. Because I suck big hairy balls at characters, except maybe mechanical ones, I do not do this kind of stuff.
In my opinion, block comes mainly from our own limits. Because we don't know how to do something, or fear we're on the wrong way, or whatever reason. Therefore it's always a good thing to have some database of books, paintings, photos, but also movies, comics, songs/music, etc.: anything helps finding ideas – sometimes I even find myself in the position where I have to make a choice beween far too much numerous ideas
Because, let's face it, none of us invent anything, even the most brilliant creators: we all recycle old things in one way or another, finding new things only by mistake and without even realizing it until someone puts our nose into it...
This is why a creation reflects the mind of its author, like some sort of a photograph of a moment of his life, but that may be an entirely different debate.
As for drawing... Well, I'm rather the pragmatical/realistic type so I tend to build things according to real constraints; for having a background in industrial design and architecture, I know one thing or two about constructing objects and buildings and this gives me a method. The downside is that the result often is very functional and lacks of soul: that's when references come in handy, to populate the insides or decorate the outsides; also, thinking about who live in the house or what sort of people work on the scene helps to give me ideas about such details. Because I suck big hairy balls at characters, except maybe mechanical ones, I do not do this kind of stuff.
In my opinion, block comes mainly from our own limits. Because we don't know how to do something, or fear we're on the wrong way, or whatever reason. Therefore it's always a good thing to have some database of books, paintings, photos, but also movies, comics, songs/music, etc.: anything helps finding ideas – sometimes I even find myself in the position where I have to make a choice beween far too much numerous ideas
Because, let's face it, none of us invent anything, even the most brilliant creators: we all recycle old things in one way or another, finding new things only by mistake and without even realizing it until someone puts our nose into it...This is why a creation reflects the mind of its author, like some sort of a photograph of a moment of his life, but that may be an entirely different debate.
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Having more than one project going at the same time definitely helps. When I hit a block, I switch to another project, or just read, take a walk or even go work out at the gym. Sometimes I get too stuck in my head and things can get very chaotic in there. So a good bout of physical activity helps ground me a bit.
Meditation is also a good way I sometimes clear writer's block. Most creative things come when I'm not actively thinking about them, anyways --- thought by itself is not creative as much as it can take a creative idea and do something with it. Virtually all of the thinking I do on a project is just to implement a nifty idea I had elsewhere.
Meditation is also a good way I sometimes clear writer's block. Most creative things come when I'm not actively thinking about them, anyways --- thought by itself is not creative as much as it can take a creative idea and do something with it. Virtually all of the thinking I do on a project is just to implement a nifty idea I had elsewhere.
