The question

What do you do when you feel creatively blocked or stuck?

Originally asked

The Creative Independent, to working artists, its interview series

A recurring Creative Independent question whose wording distinguishes a lasting block from a temporary impasse.

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Others on this question

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Justin Chon Film director, writer and actor
Oh, my god. Every day. I listen to a lot of podcasts about artists, screenwriting and stuff. Some people say they don’t get writer’s block. I’m like, “What the fuck? How?” I get writer’s block every day. I get stuck all the time because you always hit a road block. You think what you planned before was going to work out so smoothly and then you start writing and it doesn’t quite flow the way you want it to, or the structure may not be working. Happens all the time. But for me, I have a lot of people I trust and can bounce ideas off of… I’ll send the script to other filmmakers and ask their opinions. I have a lot of people that I trust and that I can really talk things out with. I think the thing that’s helped me the most is being able to talk it out.
Recorded Elise McCave, The Creative Independent, 12 September 2019 source ↗
Adam Zagajewski Poet and essayist
This is a French expression, silence radio, which is used in the navy, for example—when you cannot use the radio because the enemy is near. It’s not an expression I use regularly; I used it once, maybe, to describe my period of inner silence, which mostly happens when I’m back home, coming from Houston. The long weeks or months of silence. So it’s the opposite of inspiration; it’s the time of doing other things. Waiting.
Recorded Todd Samuelson, AGNI Online, 25 April 2003 source ↗
Okay Kaya American-Norwegian musician
I’m not sure. I haven’t actually felt very stuck creatively or sonically. And when I think about it in hindsight, it’s just been on the forefront of my mind and what I think about. That has meant that I haven’t really thought about a lot of the other things that I do. But I think knowing that I have this thing that I can come back to that is interesting for me in my time here on Earth is healing for me, and makes me able to go out and do a lot of other things. It’s a bit of a lifeboat. So it helps having creation in music, but I don’t know if it’s implemented in the other practices. It’s like I have a sweet little invisible cat on my lap that I can stroke in the real world.
Recorded Lior Phillips, The Creative Independent interview source ↗
Perfume Genius American musician
Just realizing that the block’s part of it. There’s always a week or two, or even a full month, where I’m convinced I’ll never write again, that everything was a fluke before. Or I’m writing, and I can’t tell if it’s inspired or shitty, but I don’t really freak out like I used to. I know that it’s just part of eventually figuring it out. It used to make me panic, but now I know it’s just what happens.
Recorded Brandon Stosuy, The Creative Independent interview source ↗

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Question What is the part of your job that people would be surprised is most of your job? Craft & work
People always want to assume that, as a singer and as a woman, you’re simply the voice. I produce music as well and I’m doing all the artwork and all these other very unglamorous things, like going to marketing meetings. It’s sort of a constant every day process, working on all aspects of the band and the business.
Recorded T. Cole Rachel, Conversation, The Creative Independent, 23 January 2017 source ↗

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