I'll probably regret asking this, but some others may possibly be curious... And it is a serious question... I don't need a personal answer or anything. I dunno. I'm just stressed out. If this is inappropriate, please fell free to delete, I don't wnat to offend or anything...

But I just want to ask you seriously... How do you cope with what you do in life? Being so creative and such... and then the rough patches where all form of creativity dries up and disappears til the rainy season again...

And all the people in the forum that... Really 'believe' (I think is the best word I can pick here) in the music and stuff you create... How does that make you feel? ...

I mean... I feel like I'm just... Medocre at everything. Middle at best. All I can keeping thinking about is "there is no orginal thought..." The few people I speak too, obviously tell me I'm the total opposite of that. But I can never see it...

Do you see the same in yourself?

Sorry. I'm rambling...

Thanks to anyone who answers this.

For me the creativity never dries up. of course there are spells where I don't feel musical that can last for at most a day or two but I feel that if you keep your eyes and your mind open, inspiration is everywhere. ...You shouldn't worry about sounding original-as long as you don't completely rip anyone off. By the time you add its' structure and develop its' tone, the song will be "you" if you're honest.

I think every creative person goes through that at some point. Usually more than once. I've been through more dry spells and creative downpours than I can remember.

Two and a bit years ago my wife and I had twin boys. They were born very prematurely and spent 2 months in hospital. I wasn't completely prepared for the impact they would have on my creative life. A month before they were born I travelled to Europe to participate in a caricature workshop, I was planning to do all sorts of amazing things when I came home, and then.... well, to say my life got sidetracked is a major understatement. I was averaging 4 to 5 hours of broken sleep a night for more than a year, and as such it became very hard to create anything. But - you do what you need to do. Like most creative people, I have a burning need (not a desire, a NEED) to create art and music. Even though I was exhausted from working a full time job (I run my own business) and then helping to take care of the babies for 7-8 hours, sometimes in between feeds I would end up on the computer creating music past midnight. Gradually, I ended up writing a full two albums' worth of relaxing music that I could listen to while bottle-feeding the twins, and just the act of creating the music helped me get through the most full-on, intense 18 months of my life.

If I don't create, or if I can't for some reason, I can get quite stressed out. I love painting, and haven't had a chance to break out the acrylics and canvas for a very long time. Two weeks ago I had a minor meltdown, was stressed out from work, and just had that insatiable need to do something creative. My wife was fantastic about it (even though she's much more scientific than artistic and, by her own admission, doesn't fully understand an artist's need to create) and she organised for me to have a day off, where I could lock myself in my studio and just paint. It was extremely therapeutic and just what I needed. After last Sunday afternoon, I feel all energised again, even though I know I won't get a chance to finish the painting for a couple of weeks.

I often feel like I'm totally mediocre at everything, sometimes so much so that I can actually be afraid to start a painting or a piece of music. I feel like a complete hack, a shit musician, a total fraud and the worst most unoriginal artist on the entire planet. I think that's probably a reasonably common feeling. My advice is to just do something to loosen up. With painting, I'll just doodle for a while, or look through art books to get inspired. Work through it and try to remove yourself from your own expectations. That next piece of art probably isn't going to be a masterpiece. That next painting probably won't hang in the Louvre. That next song you're writing probably won't get played on the radio. Just do something - anything - and eventually the bugs will work themselves out of the system and everything will be cool.

I'm starting to ramble too, so I'll stop. Hope that helps...

Anyone who tries to pursue creativity I think has these moments where the creativity simply dries out for a short time. I’m a writer and musician, and there have been plenty of times where I simply think that I can’t proceed, that I don’t have the talent, or the ideas to express in my chosen field. Relax. You’re with friends on that one, it’s a scary experience to feel like you don’t have anything good enough to create, and almost everyone has gone through it. It’s not something which is unusual, although it can be frustrating and ruin your confidence. It’s sometimes difficult to explain to people the effect of losing your source of inspiration, as other people’s skills aren’t so dependent on a personal disposition. If you are a builder, you don’t suddenly forget your training and experience, so you can continue on with your profession no matter your mood. You follow the method and the job’s requirement, if you’re building a wall, you follow the method until the job is done. If you’re an artist, and you need to refine or find an idea to explore, you can’t just get on with it. There isn’t a rulebook on how to get back into the swing of things, you have to find your own method in which to work, or find something which will spark you back into your art. This said, there are things you can definately do to try and trigger inspiration and confidence in your abilities.

The first thing to do, as into the voigtex pointed out, is to relax. Creativity is suppressed and quashed by an inability to take a chance. If you want to make good art, and feel like you are really producing something of worth, you have to take a chance. Give yourself permission to do whatever the damn hell you want. I’m studying creative writing, and one of the first things my lecturer told us to do, was to say this. “I have permission to write shit.” And you do. After all, you’re not going to play the perfect masterpiece the first time. You aren’t going to get anywhere without doing anything. And no-one’s recording what you’re doing, so go wild, be creative, experiment and have fun. It's your life, and you can judge and appraise yourself on your own standards.

I truly believe in what I do. I’m still at the very beginning of all of this, I haven’t produced much at all that I’m proud of yet. But I know it’s what gives me purpose, and what will be the method that I make my mark upon the world. I just know that this is the way it's going to happen. Even if I didn’t think that I wanted to pursue a career in all of this, I know that playing music and writing gives me so much joy and fulfilment, I don’t want to ever give it up. Art is a way of making myself feel better, like I’m getting somewhere in life, that I’m producing something original, which is absolutely me. Otherwise I feel depressed that I haven’t made anything, that I’m slipping into being someone who I don’t want to be. My friends always help me when I'm feeling down about it, by making me simply play, or write. Even if I haven't produced anything original, if I'm just practicing music or just writing for the sake of writing, I'm doing something. And sometimes that's enough to make you feel better about yourself, and motivate you to make something which you are really proud of.

Remind yourself about why you picked up exploring an art form in the first place. Was it a song? A performance? An idea? A mood? A friend? How does your art make you feel? Because, if you look at the reasons why you do what you do, you mind find yourself getting more motivated to create, and having more confidence in your abilities. What really motivates you? And where do you get your ideas from? Try and find the source of what drives you, or explore something new which you normally wouldn't. Find the right enviornment for you in all things.

And most of all, relax, and take solace in the fact that you’re never alone in this feeling, and that people will always be there. And If you want someone to chat with about anything at all, just pm me and I'll send you my msn address, sometimes problems disappear once you've talked about them. But then, you opened this thread up, so hopefully that in itself has helped. =)

Eh... Not really sure what to say here.

I think everyone goes through these kinds of periods. Writing, drawing, music - whatever. Everyone thinks they're a hack at some point... and the ones who don't are usually the ones who're the most wrong. Creative dry periods happen to everybody, too...

I've been in one for quite a while... been unsatisfied with my guitar playing, mostly. I'll come up with one or two things I like, once in a while, but be completely unable to connect them to anything. I know for a fact I'm not all that technically accomplished, but I can come up with things I (and those people I show them to) enjoy, and that's enough, I think.

The key with creativity is not to try to be the best. "The best" is subjective, and doesn't really exist... you just need to be able to get what you have in you, out. Whether that's music, art, acting, or whatever. The drive to be the best can be a motivator for a while, but ultimately... trying to be "good" isn't important. All that is, is that you're able to satisfy your own need to get your art (whatever the format) out.

Every single thing you create does not have to be amazing. It's just statistically impossible. For every song a person hears on a record, there's a dozen others that were thrown away - a thousand riffs that were written off as "not good enough." For every painting you see an artist sell, there's fifty other attempts to create that same mood, that feeling, that presence on canvas. For every chapter of a book you read, there's a hundred plot points that were changed, or rethought, or invented on the spot, or completely discarded as the author crafted the chapters around it, and the book as a whole.

I think I'm rambling now, like everyone else...

Basically, just don't worry too much about what YOU think of what you're doing. Ask for someone else's opinion - share what you're doing, and see what they think. An artist is always their own harshest critic. (Good way to spot a hack, actually - look for someone with an ego the size of the planet. )

I think there's a great difference between creativity and talent- creativity is more innate, cannot be learned, and thrives on inspiration. Talent is learned (and sometimes also natural), and can be technically executed without the slightest personal investment in something. Creativity also has more to do with new ideas and unique innovations-those capable of this (such as Dev) are very rare, whereas there are plenty of talented people in the world. So, I think that feeling uninspired and feeling mediocre are completely different things. If you feel untalented, it's just a matter of practice and learning. If you feel like you bring nothing new to the world in terms of ideas, the most you can hope for is to find what inspires you; to find how you work best, what your ultimate goals, visions, and uniqueness are. Whenever I find myself in a creative dry spell, I usually go through a few steps: first, I try pushing through it, trying to work anyway. This usually isn't effective for me. Then I resort to trying something radically new-usually something expressive. For me, this often means getting messy with something like ink or charcoal on soaking wet paper, drawing with my hands. When this doesn't work, I try to find external sources for inspiration- music, other people's art, etc. But this usually doesn't work either for me, and I shift into a sort of self-hating stage. Ultimately, the only thing that works for me is dramatic, life-changing experiences- I've had most of my "artistic breakthroughs" after events like breakups, emotionally taxing events, or periods of intense stress. Also, being in an art school where the stress is crazy, I find the constant stream of pressure extremely conducive to creation. In the words of my principal: "When in doubt, do something new. Invent. Always invent." In other cheesy quote news, you can't push the river. So if you feel creatively dried up, don't try to force it... and most importantly, don't get down on yourself. It's probably something that will come with more life experience and practice. I figure everyone finds their own vision eventually. And, as someone who apparently stalks you and has seen your DA, I can certainly say that you seem very creative and talented... so keep at it! Chin up, girl!

Sorry for the rant and personal, irrelevant info.

its an interesting question that you ask, Amber.

I think it can be hard sometimes when you are creating. many of us are products of our environment. right now, im in a situation where i have not been able to make music for 3 months and it has been driving me insane.
creativity can come and go at times, the best thing for me, is to usually catch a train and just go somewhere away from the city that inspires me to create. i usually find that when i am in an environment with less distractions, i can start to build more ideas. what is your main creative outlet?

I'm fine - thanks 8^)

Friends. As much as I want to withdraw, I go to my friends. In them I see everything that makes me a clone. And in them, I see everything that makes me original.

[The Dev]

If you subscribe to the idea of 'Infinity'...no matter how far you go in any direction, you're always in the 'middle'

...So maybe the middle is the ultimate!

I hear that Buddhists say any sort of extremes are bad , artistic or otherwise...

Be happy, yer awesome!

d

When i think I suck at guitar i watch devs ziltoid bonus cd then i feel even worse lol

but seriously no matter what you do in life theres gonna be someone whos better than you or accomplished more the best thing is not to compare yourself to others and to be happy of what you have and realize life could be alot worse

in my early teens i was a big fat stoner with no motivation to go to school or work it took my long time gf to break up with me to get my life back on track i really hit rock bottom

i always felt no matter what i did how much effort i put into things there was someone better or doing it without trying like i had

what im trying to say is realize life is not fair and be happy that your living in it and build yourself something to be proud of like i lost alot of weight since my teen years finished school and just took life for what it is and took on every challenge with a smile on my face and motivation to succeed

i know how you feel amber we all feel that way sometimes but it only gets better time always tells

i have been quite lucky that i can lend my hand to lots of different types of music so there is usually always one part of my musical mind working weather it be classical or death metal lol

it must be scary for a "proper artist" (i.e one who makes it his/her living) because it the gold mine dries up, then the shit hits the fan (i assume)

EDIT: Just to clarify i mean fan as in the cooling down sort not the supporter of a band etc, cause that would be wrong

Heehee thanks guys. I love all the answers. They are awesome. I know what you mean. I'm sorry if I kinda threw anyone off. I was just...phew. I dunno!

No worries about anyones ranting or anthign, I kinda started it. I do apologise.

I was just genuinely curious, as some times life really can feel over bearing, espeically in creative aspects... It's like being hit with a tidal wave or something sometimes. It's either a huge flood of ideas at once, or then just nothing but blankness. It really is... frustrating.

But yeah... I'll totally take all this on board.
I'll try and relax a little... God that's gonna be hard. I can't remember the last time I felt fully at peace.

Really though, thanks guys. You've all made me feel slightly more normal. I mean that in a good way of course.

Haha feehan - I would of thought about 'shit hitting the fan' that way, but now thats all I'll think of when I hear that! hahaha.

If you subscribe to the idea of 'Infinity'...no matter how far you go in any direction, you're always in the 'middle'

...So maybe the middle is the ultimate!

I hear that Buddhists say any sort of extremes are bad , artistic or otherwise...

Be happy, yer awesome!

d

You've just made me giggle like a 12 year old at my screen. I'm so embarrassed! Heehee! Thanks so much though Dev, and it is funny you should say about infinity, I've been thinking about that a lot recently. In fact, so much so this occurred:

Really bad picture though. That's webcams for you.

And yeah. Extremes of things are bad. It just does you over entirely.

Thanks again everyone.

Haha i think you deserve some kind of magic life points for the fantastic tattoo reveal. That was smooth, well done miss.
I do have much more to add to your origanl post, as the others here have done a great job writing long (too long for this time of the morning ) messages to you.
But i will say this, he crappy periods were you don't feel creative, will always give way and sometimes fuel moments of massive creativity. It may last 6 months or 6 minutes, but they make the everyday drudgery worth it.

Anyhoo take care all.

When you mention the "dry spots", I know excatly how you feel.
When you do anything creative it it happens.
Don't worry about those spots though because, the biggest inspiration comes right after.

Also, don't worry about being in the middle. Be humbled.
I feel this way all the time with my music and my band. There is always going to be someone better than you.
Don't look at them like, "Oh, I will never be that good". Look at it as, "Look how good I will be".

That always helps me.