The Unexpected Benefits of Artist's Block
I Am Reborn, 8 × 8 in., oil on ACM panel
In an unexpected way, the art block I'm currently going through coincides with a period of my life that I can only describe as "growing pains." After two years of surviving a pandemic and all the social, political and economic upheaval it has brought to our lives, I find myself at a crossroads.
That crossroads is also present in how I approach my art. Even though I tend to be very analytical, I've always considered myself a spiritual person. I love learning everything there is to know about mysticism and psychology. It's why the works of Alphonse Mucha and Carl Jung speak to me in such a visceral way; they express a spiritual truth that my inner Self recognizes and resonates with.
Zodiac by Alphonse Mucha
I'm finding that my analytical mind has held sway over my thought process for so long that it has pushed back my intuition, my spiritual side. If you think about it, it's understandable. You need all your powers of analysis to make a ton of risk assessments when you're living through a pandemic day after day. To mask or not to mask? That is the question, ha ha. But having your mind be in super analytical survival mode does put a damper on your creativity.
Which is why this block has been a blessing in disguise. It's given me the gift of time, and the space to take a breath and look back. I've been thinking about how much I've allowed myself to explore that spiritual truth in my work. How far have I taken it? Can I push things further? Are there other ways of working, of employing technique, that better match that spiritual essence that I want to achieve? I've found that the answer to those questions is a resounding yes.
Why haven't I just gone for it before? Well, there's a lot of reasons for that. But the one that stands out the most is the fact that I've been censoring myself and didn't even realize I was doing it. Unfortunately, that self-censorship sneaked its tendrils into my artistic expression. In other words, I was afraid. It's a fear that has lived with me for a long time, but that I now find myself strong enough to face and overcome.
Le Pater by Alphonse Mucha
"Art exists only to communicate a spiritual message" - Alphonse Mucha
I no longer want to let fear stop me from communicating my spiritual message.
Where do I go from here? That's still a big question mark. I'm figuring this out as I go. One thing I do know for sure is that my work won't be the same. It'll take some time for me to get over this fear. But with each step I take in this new direction, the more I feel myself getting closer to becoming the artist I was meant to be; closer to fully expressing my creative spirit.
I hope that you enjoyed this peek into my brain, ha ha. If you've been following my art for some time, thank you for following me on this journey! I appreciate all of your support through the years.
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