The Block is the Brief
The creative constraints we resist are often the ones that shape our best work.
We all run up against things that keep us doing what we want to do creatively. Lack of time, space, light, materials, tools, and the list goes on. Creative blocks if you will.
We distract ourselves with other tasks, and use these roadblocks as a reason NOT to do the work…to avoid the creative journey.
I’ve been a longtime listener of hilarious and talented Andy J. Pizza’s Creative Pep Talk podcast. In one of his latest episodes, he normalizes the creative blocks so that they become the catalyst in your next project.
Such a simple, but profound idea. This is how it works (and it works across a lot of disciplines—art, design, architecture, etc.):
The Block: Lack of time
The Brief: A 10-minute sketch of whatever is around you.
Use only your sketchbook and a pencil.
The Block: Everything feels repetitive
The Brief: Use one tool you've never reached for before.
The Block: You keep scrolling instead of making
The Brief: Create something before consuming anything else.
Twenty minutes. Airplane mode.
The Block: Decision fatigue
The Brief: Limit yourself to one color, one brush, one pattern, one room.
The Block: Budget
The Brief: Source materials and pieces that have patina and story, not necessarily the brand name.
This summer, the block for me has been the lack of routine. The calendar feels different everyday, which could be exciting or very daunting when things have to get done.
After running around most of June in reactive mode…I’m choosing to lean into the block. Create smaller pieces and studies when I have a 30 minutes here or there. Or if I’m running kids around, stop into the antique shop or store I’ve never been to and peruse. At the ballfield, take a walk around the park (while there for many hours).
And oddly enough (things always happen like this if you look for them) the book I’m reading, The Imagination Muscle by Albert Read, talks all about the danger of routine. The mental autopilot we rely on to move through everyday life gradually dulls our imagination by keeping us inside familiar patterns and predictable thinking, limiting what’s possible.
So, embrace the block. Let it lead you beyond routine and into new creative territory—the kind you never would have discovered if you'd simply stayed comfortable.
Best,
