As an artist, I know all too well the ups and downs of harnessing your talents to pour into your creative outlets. Finding your flow, overcoming blocks, and staying inspired sure can bring up a lot of new energy, especially when you are first starting out.
So here I ask three artists that I very much admire on how they do it. A common theme? They create because they have to. Here they share a bit about their work, how they stay inspired to keep doing what they do, and some good tips on how to work through blocks. I hope these three ladies inspire you to keep creating like they do for me.
Frewuhn, Houston, Texas
Frewuhn is singer, songwriter, writer and educator. You can listen to her album Stupid Carnival here on Spotify. She also has a book published with her poetry called The Color of Frequency.
What’s your medium? Can you tell us about your work?
My medium is communication, I do that through music predominantly, and through language. I would like to identify myself as a multidisciplinary artist.
When is your best time to create?
I am a night owl. I find I can sing and write all night, but I value the energy of waking up early and operating in the flow of the day. I feel like I am more productive.
How do you get yourself in the mood?
MUSIC gets me up and going, but before that, I have begun over the past few years really carving out a time of devotional preparation at the top of my day. That looks like claiming space and time for myself before I show up in the world that day.
What inspires you the most?
I am inspired by joyful spaces and people, I don’t believe you can force that. It’s a genuine thing, and where there is joy I find surrender, and I’m really inspired by this type of freedom.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
…sometimes a nap, I usually just stop what I’m doing completely and do something entirely different, even if that’s nothing. Sometimes the mind and spirit need rest.
What keeps you creating?
There is a need to. Expressing myself keeps me present, and also allows for me to be a conduit and a partner to people also doing similar purposeful work. I can’t imagine a life without creating.
Emilie Shapiro, NYC
Emilie is a jewelry designer that runs her own successful business. She is also a published author, with two books about jewelry design and entrepreneurship.
What’s your medium? Can you tell us about your work?
My jewelry is crafted with recycled brass and 14k gold, and rough, natural gemstones. I carve my sculptural pieces using carving wax and hand tools to take away and add material and texture. I then cast my wax pieces into metal using the ancient lost wax casting method.
When is your best time to create?
I create most of my work in the 11th hour, always before the deadline is approaching. As a designer, it’s challenging to create on demand, so I do a lot of experimenting with different materials and motifs, and all of a sudden everything just comes together and I can’t stop. Most of my ideas come to me as I’m walking out the studio door or falling asleep, so I just try to let the process flow through me and run with it.
How do you get yourself in the mood?
This is a really challenging one, but generally I’ll pull out a bunch of stones from my (extremely large) collection and just allow myself to play.
What inspires you the most?
Textures in nature, and the elements. I spent 20 years of my life as a dancer and movement is something I always look at – movement within the piece, movement with the piece and the body, and the fluidity of the piece itself.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
I just keep experimenting with different materials, shapes and colors. I try to allow myself to just play to get creative juices flowing.
What keeps you creating?
It’s really all I know how to do, and I can’t stop 🙂
Dina Roudman, Toronto, Ontario
Painting, photography, acting, and modelling are just some of the things Dina does. She has had two successful solo shows in Toronto and recently produced a short film that focuses on mental health and being an artist, called Process.
What’s your medium? Can you tell us about your work?
I don’t have one medium. I disperse myself into different mediums and constantly push my boundaries. I like to constantly explore and experiment.
I think my work speaks for itself, it’s my way of communicating with my audience and observing their reactions to each body of work. My work provokes different feelings to each individual.
When is your best time to create?
I don’t have a specific time to create, it happens sporadically. Sometimes I paint at 3am and sometimes I don’t look at a canvas for weeks.
How do you get yourself in the mood?
Classical music has been a big one for me. I like to stimulate my brain constantly to get the juices flowing.
What inspires you the most?
Life. I live observing the world constantly. I see colours, textures, beauty, and ugly around me and use it in my work.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
I think you have to live through the blocks. I can’t force myself to create if it’s not in me. It does push me towards other outlets. Like photography, sculpting, acting or modelling, and from there I always find myself feeding into new inspirations.
What keeps you creating?
Constantly challenging myself to try something new and trying to never judge myself in the process.
