When inspiration disappears: how I find my way back

Have you ever had periods of time when you seem completely unable to have any new ideas? No good ones, no bad ones, nothing. 

You sit in your studio, you tidy up, you go through your wool, through books, through images and notes you’ve been collecting for future projects, and still nothing comes up. So, that terrible doubt comes creeping in: what’s happening? will I ever have any good ideas again? 

If you’re anything like me, these moments aren’t that rare. They sneak up in between projects. Often after something that took a lot of energy. 

Sometimes it’s just because you’re so wrapped up in practical stuff that you can’t seem to make that connection with the part of you that’s creative. It’s like your hands want to do things, but your mind won’t cooperate. 

There’s this myth that an artist has a constant flow of inspiration. But that’s not how it works. At least not for me. While there are phases when you’re overflowing with ideas, there are also moments where it feels like you dried up. 

So, when this happens, does it mean that you’ve lost it? I don’t think so. 

It can mean a lot of things: that you’re depleted and you need to rest, that you’re getting too many outside inputs and you need to spend time in silence, that you’re comparing yourself to other artists and you need a break from social media, that you’re putting too much pressure on yourself and you need to create just for the sake of creating. Above all, it’s important to stop and listen to yourself. Try to listen to what wants to come up. 

I’ve noticed that these moments often coincide with life changes like grief, burnout, personal growth, or even creative growth. Sometimes your old ideas don’t fit with the person you’re becoming anymore. So, you need to give the new ones time to show up. While this feels very uncomfortable, it’s also necessary.

In the meantime, while you’re waiting for the new ideas to emerge, you can just give your hands a chance to play. No goals, no expectations, no judgement. Just play. Like small kids. 

A couple of years ago, I went through one of these. I had been felting wearables like shoes and scarves, and hats, bags and all sorts of practical things for years. I knew I didn’t want to go on doing that. I felt stuck in a model that wasn’t me anymore. I didn’t want to be constrained by the shapes and the sizes that come with making wearables. But I had no clue where I was going next. 

So, I stopped everything I was doing, and for a month, I decided to create one piece everyday with the same round resist. I remember not really knowing what this experiment was going to look like. But somehow every day I had a different idea. 

This was a super exciting project, and out of this came a completely new direction in my felting work. I started making sculptural felt, and actually, out of this my signature program THE DODO HUB was born. In this program, I take other felt makers through a journey of 12 techniques in 12 months. The one I went through myself. 

And the most amazing thing happened. The fact that I was limited to creating pieces based on a different technique every month, made my mind explode with ideas that I had never considered before. 

Now I’m going through one of these phases again. While it’s kind of scarry, I now know that there is a way out. And I’m excited about what I’ll find on the other side. But I’m also excited about the journey that’ll take me there. 

What about you? Have you ever gone through a phase like this? What have you done to connect to your creative self again? Feel free to send me an email if you'd like to share your experience. 

If you’re going through a creative crisis, I hope this was helpful.