Feeling Stale
What do all of you who watch me do when you feel artistically stale? This is different from past creatively difficult periods that I’ve had. There’s no real creative block. I can still produce, but the fresh feeling is gone. There has been a drop off in my comments on RB, but I’ve been having trouble commenting, too. The work is just as wonderful. I’m just having trouble making myself comment. Is this a sort of creative midlife crises? Is it the horrible economy? My life is busier than ever. Could it be the feeling that no matter how hard I try, I’ll never get everything that I need to do done? How do all of you deal with these slumps?
revad
I am in a similar state re RB and comments.
I long went past the need to comment in order to receive comments back, so now I only comment when I really must – when the work forces me to say my piece :-) This attitude has seen comments on my own work drop off rapidly. This is fine because the comments I do get (from your good self for example) are now highly valued.
I don’t feel stale, indeed I am maintaining a high degree of activity. This is just as well as I approach the last month in the second year of my BA drawing degree.
When I do have a slump in output it is usually because I have become bored with what I am doing. The answer is invariably that I must try something new: work with a new medium, think about a subject I have never dealt with before, think outside the box. Often a good start is to look at an artist or artists I have never researched before, this often supplies the right sort of inspiration.
As for getting everything done, well I look at it this way, if I am ever able to complete everything then there would be no reason to carry on making art – and what a sorry state that would be :-(
Good luck with finding the inspiration to move forward again.
Patricia L. Ba... replied
It’s not just art, but life where I’m running way behind. Thanks for the input. This such a hazy feeling of frustration. I can’t pinpoint the source.
Dave Moilanen
I know how you feel Pat. Sometimes the issues of life take over. When the feeling of being stale hits me, I found the best thing for me is to find some other interest off the computer. Being off the computer for a week or two really does help me feel more fit, so to speak. :-)
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Thanks, Dave. I’ll write more on this feeling later.
Jen Cannella
I feel like that constantly! I try to force myself to try to make something, anything, in hopes of getting that good feeling back. Somedays I just feel as if some sort of creative, rb and life depression is directly connected to the amount of stuff that I have to do that I am not doing!
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Oh, how true!
butchart
i think part of it is sensory overload…... we see so much here on RB that we get anesthitized to what we are acutally looking at…..... very little stands out… and then we start to feel that about our own work… lately i’ve been inspired by moments in the everyday…... learning to see the inherent beauty in the things i see or encounter on a daily basis… then it becomes a challange to capture that essence or mystery….....
as far as being busy with life and getting things done…. i see it as an ever changing process….. as we accomplish things on one end.. new goals /duties/projects are added to the other end…... it’s all part of the journey… which is what it’s all about…. more so than the final destination…............ just some of my thoughts for you to ponder…......b
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Thanks for the input. My mother always said that I born busy. As a toddler, I planned more ways to play then I could get done in a day. I’ve always hated going to bed at night for that reason. Sleep seems like such a waste of time. Mentally, I’m feeling fresher today. I’m bumping up my gym time and trying to take your advice and look at everyday objects in new ways. Thanks for the interesting advice.
Douglas Hill
In New Hampshire we call that feeling March.
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Here in Carolina, it’s called gray cloudy rainy weather for day on end!
Graeme Pettit ...
Perhaps Pat, it is as I and Simon (unclewiggley) have found…....
When we started, our need from RB, was approval and acceptance – now flying strongly, we need that less. Also, we are both more discerning on what we comment on and like.
Other commitments take precedence at times in our lives, and they need more of our attention at the time.
As your watchlist grows, with only so much time available, your attention given to the work of any individual, or the chance to find new members, diminishes, and that which grabs your attention, has to stand that much taller amongst the crowd.
For the fresh feeling, sometimes pastures new works well, or a different approach. Perhaps a challenge to stretch your abilities, or a project to concentrate the mind, may help.
Thing is, when you are not at one with the world, the world is rarely at one with you. Accept that which is, love it, and make the best of it. Perhaps this is ill put, but you will get my drift….....try something like running naked in the rain with your eyes shut – feel it, hear it, taste it, smell it – dont just look at it.
If you do landscapes, try macro for a while…............................................................
Inspiration will soon come back once you are at peace with your surroundings – worked for me when I went to Scotland in November, and that has caused?/developed into?/(use suitable phrase) some pretty major events for me for this year which will keep me ticking for a while yet
As beautiful as Winter is, the darkness of days can be oppressive – but Spring beckons.
xxx
G
Graeme Pettit ...
Oh, and comments to work on RB, this have slowed down across the board for many of us – quite noticably…............I visited the newcomers for a day last week – inbound comments, though not solicited, soon picked up – I think it was through courtesy.
Perhaps RB is getting so big, the percentage to each of us has to drop over time, so dont be disheartened.
xxx
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Thanks so much for the input. It’s everything that you mentioned and a few more things. I’ve spent several hours a day for the last three days at the gym. That does help. I plan projects on the track. I am finally getting my direction in photography. Haven’t done much recently because I didn’t have direction. It’s slowly all coming clear. Thanks again. You always give me good input.
Holly Cawfield
Patricia, it’s so interesting that you’ve posted this. I’m not sure that I’ve seen anyone else actually say it. I’ve felt that way many times myself regarding making comments and it’s usually at a time when life is so busy that by the time I get to the computer I’m just too tired to think of anything to say. I find it also happens when I’m a bit bereft of any motivation photographically. There is one thing that pushes me to post comments though when I’m feeling like that. It’s the fact that comments are what keep others encouraged because our words have more power than we often realize. Sometimes just knowing that a comment is a form of encouragement to someone else is enough to help me soldier through the malaise.
Patricia L. Ba... replied
Thank you for your thoughts. You are right about comments. I try to take on “younger” RB members from time to time.
Lorraine Creagh
Wow, I thought it was only me. I look forward to re-visiting this journal to see how others deal with this type of situation.
kafka
Nearly all of my comments these days are about encouraging the artist when they are trying something new or if they are young artists still finding their way. I also still comment on work that really grabs me, but it’s got to really make me want to say something. After over a year on RB my watchlist is huge – there is no way that I would have the time to comment on everything!
Feeling stale…….we’ve all been there at some time! I deal with it by doing something completely different – take yourself outside of your normal comfort zone for a while – with me it seems to shake the fog loose and when I step back in the studio a few days later I am firing on all cylinders again.
Patricia L. Ba...
As a part of my continuing effort to pull myself out of this feeling that I’m stuck, I’m trying to set up a table top photography studio on a very limited budget. All sorts of things shot on white backgrounds are the rage in microstock photography. The more I study lighting, the more I can see why. The light reflect off an Arctic white background gives things such a bright look. I’ll be posting more on my continuint effort and frustrations learning lighting without owning any! The end purpose is for more and better food photography. I have more creative ideas than I can execute. Often, it’s easier to think things up than to do them really well. That’s part of the frustration. Photography is prop heavy at times.
picketty
stale at least 805 of the time. sit with it and pounce on thecreative times