When you have to schedule time to make art it can feel like: ready, set, be creative! Then nothing flows. A lot of the time the only part of the day you can carve out to work (play) is when you are physically and mentally depleted. What can one do when you JUST FEEL UNINSPIRED? Ugh. This self imposed pressure plus a creative block can really negate all of the mental health benefits of a daily creative practice.
Here are my suggestions to deal with creative blocks:

Lately I have been seeing so many of the “Little Miss” and “Mr. Men” illustrations on social media based on the Roger Hargreaves books I used to love as a kid. I still have a small collection. It was always my number one choice at school book fairs, even when I got into chapter books. I love this series and original illustrations so much. A few years ago I even bought a “Little Miss Sunshine” t-shirt. I am definitely not cheerful all the time (ask my family) but love the irony of that coupled with the retro, positive vibes of the shirt.
The “Little Miss” illustration I saw recently on Instagram or Twitter that that made me laugh out loud was “Little Miss Doesn’t Know How to Pump Her Own Gas”…

This week I created an American flag illustration “Patched Flag” using a grid structure I use often in my paintings. I wanted it to look like an embroidered patch you might sew onto a hat or denim jacket. Our country has endured so much division. As I reflect on the state of affairs this Independence Day, I am praying for the United States. We need great leaders to both conserve what was founded in 1776 and progress forward as our wants and needs have also changed since the Constitution was written.

Parents are the most creative people I know. We are artists. We are also con artists sometimes, just to get our kids to do what we need them to do. God forgive me….but…parenting fatigue…it is real and frankly, depressing at times.

This list isn’t just for creators, makers or artists. We ALL suffer burnout. It is the feeling of being on a hamster wheel or experiencing “groundhog day”; unmotivated, uninspired, hopeless, unproductive, cloudy, depressed, self doubting or self loathing…there may not even be a rational reason for any of these feelings. “On paper” life might actually be pretty swell. You might be getting sleep but still feel tired. Your mood might ebb and flow. No matter what the circumstances, I believe these tips are helpful for anyone with a pulse, even our children.

1. Get all 7 types of rest. I buy in to the idea that there is no such thing as lazy.

The invasion of Ukraine has affected me on a cellular level. It took me several weeks to begin to process it all. Everything, including my art practice, felt irrelevant, disrespectful to the suffering and just indulgent. I sort of froze for 5 days, staring wide-eyed at the news and consuming podcasts to understand what was happening in Ukraine, to Ukrainians and my extended family there. I am going to save the topic of inherited trauma and my grandparents’ war stories for another post.

10 Podcasts I love and Keep Me Sane. If you’re not listening to podcasts, do yourself a favor. Discover the glorious escapism and joy that come from podcasts. Here are my favorite 10 shows.

How did I get here?

What’s that doodle?