Moshe Tress: How to Prevent Art Block and Increase Creativity

Art block is the inability to create or finish work or a fear of creating art. It can occur when a person is stressed, working with poor lighting and deadlines, or simply have little creative drive. If you find yourself getting stuck in a rut and facing creative block, there are ways you can increase your creativity and prevent art block at work again. By understanding how it affects you and learning how to stop getting blocked, you’ll be able to regain control over your workflow and increase your productivity. In this article, New Jersey-based artist Moshe Tress will discuss the key principles of creating art that cause creativity to go out the window, as well as tips on how to increase your creativity and not get blocked at work.

Don’t overwork yourself

We get that you want to get that project finished, but doing so while also managing a full schedule, coming to work with a head cold, or just not feeling well can make it difficult to create. Overwork can be scary because we feel too busy or overwhelmed to do the work at hand.

Moshe Tress struggles with this problem a lot. When you force yourself to draw something you don’t want to, you will burn out. Overworking yourself is not the same as pushing yourself. Making yourself draw until you want to cry is different from stepping outside of your comfort zone. When you feel tired, slow down.

Take breaks

It’s easy to get into a rhythm working on a project and not realize you’re running out of time until it’s way too late. To avoid this, try to take breaks throughout the day. Get up, walk around, take a nap, etc. When you’re back at your workspace, pause for 15 seconds before resuming. This break will give your brain time to decompress and allow you to come back with a fresh slate of ideas.

Set aside time for creative activities

Nothing feels better than creating art when you’re not feeling too busy. However, we all get stuck in a creative rut and find ourselves too busy to create when we want to. To break out of this creative rut, try to find time for creative activities that will help you stay creative. For example, instead of putting all your energy into a single project, professional painter Moshe Tress recommends trying to find a side project or two you can sink your teeth into.

Better safe than sorry

If everything is fine at the moment, but you know that you may suffer from attacks of a creative block (or you are simply worried that this might happen to you), it might be helpful to get into the habit of looking for things in the world that you find unusual, interesting, or attractive. Collect these things in a scrapbook (snips from newspapers or magazines, photographs, descriptions of things you saw or dreamed, sketches of your thoughts, or summaries of conversations you had online or in person) to have on hand when you feel you need a little more inspiration. The collection doesn't have to be organized or coherent, although it can be (and if you feel it best fits your personality, then it should be that way). The point is not to waste those bursts of ideas that come when you're too busy to use them at the moment, and to save them for when you have more time or need a boost of creativity.

An important aspect of finding your way is simply working hard. Even if you don't want to draw or paint, or spend time in the studio, it is essential that you keep your skills up to date and that your creativity stays active by working whenever you can. Many of the things you try during this time may not lead to anything: don't worry or feel bad about that. It's part of the process of figuring out what you want to do. Do not be discouraged and do not give up, because everything you try will give you more knowledge and take you closer to your destiny.