One of my favorite things about being in California is being surrounded by so many different kinds of creative people! I write poetry, one of my really good friends is a photographer, another is in a band, and another plays the guitar like a goddess. Although, at times, it can seem as if you have no idea what to do. Sometimes no idea works or no colors go together or that one line in your song really doesn’t work. I’ve been there, writer’s block is the absolute worst. So for my fellow artists, here are some things that I’ve learned to get myself out of those funks.
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Go to open mics- even if you aren’t performing: This has helped me greatly since being at LMU. The Monday night Open Mics are my favorite things to perform at but also to observe and get inspiration from.The energy is incredible. I’ve gotten inspiration for many of my latest works just from watching the other talented people that populate LMU. It’s so cool to observe people doing what they love and just being in their element.
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Stop being afraid to make your art ugly: I feel like there’s so much pressure to make the first round of something absolutely perfect. Whether it’s a song or a painting, it never comes out exactly how you want the first time around. Lose the idea that your first round has to be gallery ready or stage ready and focus on making it a truthful version of yourself. It helps in the long run.
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Break out of your comfort zone: I’m not saying go out and do something you normally wouldn’t, but surround yourself with art that is new to YOU. Listen to music that you normally wouldn’t listen to, go to museums, go to plays, do anything creative! I wrote my some of my favorite pieces of poetry listening to songs that were recommended to mme by friends that I never thought I would like. But, Jon Bellion really helps me get out of my writers block!
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Let your art make you, not the other way around: This is the best piece of advice I ever received. I know that personally, I get stuck in this “I am an artist, so I need to make some art” mentality. That gets me NOWHERE! I have grown so much not just as an artist but as a person as well once I got more and more into writing, and my writing genuinely got better and more truthful. That is my biggest piece of advice to any struggling artist or anyone who wants to pick up a new craft.
Keep on creating!