Retreat to a New Treat- Take a Break from Your Project

Now I know I have been saying this entire time to take an hour a day to create everyday if you can. However, let’s face it. Sometimes the project you’re working on doesn’t seem to be going your way, and you have reached a creative block. When it comes to that point the best thing to do, is to just walk away. Take a break…RETREAT! This is not surrendering to the creative block warrior; this is just your time to reassess. Come back later to create magnificent work!

There is a musician that whose work I enjoy, her name is Erykah Badu. After having many successes in creating awarding winning albums, and she reached a point where she was experiencing a bad case of writers block. So to seek inspiration she did a year and half tour called “Frustrated Artist Tour.” Now we all may not have the ability to do a music tour like Ms. Badu. Although, you can create your own trip for inspiration, vacations exist for a reason and they can be creative ones as well. 

For example, I am planning a trip to Art Basel Miami, the trip for me is the gain much inspiration from a new city, and from this huge artist haven of an event.  Even though that is months away, when I need inspiration now I seek it locally. Thus seeking either a new play, search for a new musician, or attend a sports game. The break from that project helps immensely, and it usually comes out even better then when I started, because I took a moment to walk away.

Here is my impromptu idea for the week: Take a mini vacation, inspired with creative ventures. Meaning, plan your very own “tour,” that is filled with seeking creative outings. See a play, seek a new book, go to the movies, etc. The important factor is making sure it is a “tour” where you are seeking out inspiration. Then return to your project and conquer that nemesis called creative block.

“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way"
- Edward de Bono