Dear Uninspired Artist, Welcome the Recharge as Muse

Winter's long, dark days invite an ice-frosted gloom for many of us. Living in New York City, my physical preparation for the brutal cold is only half the battle. The solitude of this slow season welcomes the harsh realities of feeling uninspired. Across the world, winter has us battling external elements and internal emotions as daylight stays scarce. Staying motivated (or even joyful) when the winter chill sets in is a very real mental crisis.

Personally, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a yearly struggle. The cold is jarring! I don’t want to leave the house, nor do I feel motivated to do so. I’ve often joked about my hermit-like winter habits as my “hibernation” (see you when it gets warm!)—but making light of my isolation has never eased the symptoms of solitude. The winter is hard for me. I feel limited; not wanting to face harsh inner city winds, I barely leave the house unless completely necessary. Drowned by thoughts of unstarted projects leave me feeling disappointed or worse: unproductive. 

What I could silverline as a time for rest and recharge, I have often looked at as disenchantment. I find myself thinking the worst—am I really an artist if I can’t create? Often, it’s hard to be kind to yourself when you feel low, but the resilient community of artists worldwide won’t rest for too long. Through any slow season, the spirit of art will always reinvigorate us to be innovative and kindle light through darkness. As we navigate our season blue’s the best we can, let us make this vow: 

This is my season for recharge, I will welcome it as a muse. 

Dispelling the Myth of Endless Inspiration 

Ask any artist if they’ve had a drought of creativity, and they could lend you a laundry list of instances the well ran dry. Most commonly known as the “creative block,” this psychoanalytic phenomenon can be best understood as an unsuccessful attempt to tap into your heart's expression. 

The idea that humans are constantly inspired is a myth. Our emotional and artistic lives are linked. If you’ve ever had difficulty translating your ideas into art, or have ever lacked the motivation to create altogether—a creative block was a chapter in your artistic story and a recharge was more than critical. 

Not to fear; some of the world’s greatest artistic minds—like Georgia O’Keeffe and Pablo Picasso—are among the many who have suffered from creative blocks. In 1935, O’Keeffe’s creative block was amplified by a mural commission from the Radio City Music Hall. Anxious about public failure and criticism, she fled to Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. The vivid landscape of Pedernal Mountain (often depicted as red and gray hills in her work) provided the recharge she needed for her art. The rest of the story is that she went on to make history as a global female artist. 

Georgia O’Keeffe, My Front Yard, Summer, 1941

Picasso, who was no stranger to tragedy, found an alternative outlet for life's trying times. One of the little-known facts about the Spanish painter and sculptor was that he was also a poet. Turning to poetry after the divorce from his first wife, Olga, Picasso could barely look at his own work. According to artist Jaime Sabartés, a close friend of Picasso, words were able to translate his artistic desires much like a brush and easel. Similar to his canvases, Picasso’s poetry is filled with symbolism that mirrors the ebbs and flows of the human experience. 

Knowing the world’s greatest artistic minds experience creative blocks and welcome their own recharges is a bit comforting. It shows us that sometimes, the well of ideas runs dry. Sometimes, we can’t bring ourselves out of the pits of sadness with the same tools of creativity. Whether we need a change of scenery like O’Keeffe or have to abandon our safety nets altogether like Picasso, enduring the emotional valleys is critical for the restorative creative peaks that await us. 

Your New Affirmation: Embrace the Recharge!

Adding yet another affirmation to the list is easier said than done—literally. Feeling uninspired and unproductive often feels like a gut punch to our creative pride. As artists, we want to be “endlessly inspired humans” who never run out of ideas or motivation. “I’m too creative to need a recharge.” That is the true life of an artist! Right? 

Fortunately, no. 

The anxiety of unproductivity is nothing more than a ruse of modernity. Very often, artists are expected to be undying wells of ideation—constantly creating and forever inspired. This very expectation dilutes the essence of humanity and art itself. People are people, not robots. We emote based on connection to the world around us, not a downloaded algorithm. To be your most creative, a recharge is more than necessary: it is essential to your well-being. 

The perception of perpetual artistry imposes unhealthy amounts of stress on us. According to experts, self-imposed stress is a complex psychophysical mechanism where negative emotions, like fear, anger, or anxiety, can cause irritability, lack of motivation, and insomnia. As the stressors of life can be heightened by world events, seasonal changes, or personal struggles, artists need avenues of rejuvenation and release. 

Rather than force inspiration, take a step back. Explore your emotions. Confront your anxieties. Reconnect with your innate creative instincts. It’s time for a recharge. 

Nurture Your Creative Soul

As artists, we often forget the therapeutic roots of our work. Creativity is wellness and seldom is creativity a symptom of impatience. In an effort to keep up with deadlines and the world’s incessant innovation, patience can seem counterintuitive. As the old adage goes: patience is a virtue. Without it, we undermine our creative potential and our mental health. 

Traditional Turkish Tile and Ceramic Artist, Fatma

For the many works of artists we idolize, their wonders were brought to fruition by the slow process of organic development and resilience. Take Paul Cézanne: the French Impressionist painter was shunned by the artistic community for 3 decades before he held his one-man show at 56 years old. The best painter of his time, Cézanne knew his true brilliance and devoted time to the creative process. His legacy stands as a testament to the transformative power of patience in fostering true brilliance and artistic fulfillment.

Recharging our creative energies can look different for everyone. As you learn to embrace the recharge as an artistic muse, I urge artists everywhere to center their art as therapy. The artist community is an abundant global space of connection and discovery. When your recharge is imminent, lean into the marvel of this space to discover alternative means of release. 

What takes you to your happy place? For me, it's the smell of Carolina magnolia trees. The sweet musk of the blooms takes me back to my youth: unafraid of the unknown, ready to take the world by storm. The moment I need a recharge, I light a candle. The fragrance grounds me and the anxieties ease slowly. 

Our olfactory senses are greatly tied to memory. Our emotional response to smell has the ability to transport us to times of discovery and happiness. For VAWAA artist and L.A. perfumer, Persephenie, scent is a source of innovation and global connection. Inspired by global recipes, Persephenie can foster connections with the LA community and beyond. Consider the endless possibilities of exploring a new sense of inspiration instead of holding firmly to our safety nets.  Perhaps like a clog in a dam, whatever stumped your creativity would flow downstream, into a new well of possibilities. 

Los Angeles Perfumer and VAWAA artist, Persephenie, in her workshop studio

The New Muse

It’s essential for artists to prioritize the recharge to replenish their creative energy. Vacation With An Artist is a vibrant, global community of creative thinkers and makers who are no strangers to the creative lull. The process of adding a new affirmation and change in mindset to your routine can be unnerving, but when we lean on community we permit ourselves to reignite our creative fire. VAWAA’s master artists have honed their skills and are eager to share their craft. Dare to step outside your comfort zone! 

When we position art as therapy, its restorative potential reconnects us to inspiration. Embracing our creative droughts supports our mental and artistic well-being. Find inspiration through experimentation—try new techniques or mediums that can reignite your creative process. Take a page from the poetic playbook of Pablo Picasso, who famously said, "I am always doing that which I cannot do, so that I may learn how to do it." Push the artistic boundaries you’ve set and lend yourself to unexpected discoveries. 

Creativity thrives on curiosity and openness to new experiences. Artists must cultivate patience and compassion toward themselves when inspiration is idle. Recognize that periods of stagnation are the life of an artist—and are temporary! Growth often comes from embracing the journey rather than fixating on the destination. Trust in the cyclical nature of creativity, and use the dark as an artistic muse to re-emerge as the creative phoenix you are!

Written by Tyler Pharr

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