When the Slump Hits

I know I am completely guilty for neglecting to blog in a long time. I am working on a few things, but they are all taking a long time to complete and even longer now that I am in some type of slump. So I rather took this slump as inspiration for a blog post.

Artist, Janet Botes once sent me this link (click here) when we were discussing similar issues. This post has always been in the back of my mind, reminding me that it is okay to sometimes be "not be okay". Every once in a while, we all hit a slump and when that happens, allow it to work itself out.

Acceptance

Before anything can happen, you need to accept that something isn't quite right at the moment. You might find yourself working perfectly fine, but the quality is a little off. Others might find themselves unable to do any work at all. The effect of your slump will show its head in one way or another and once you notice it, you have one thing to do: accept it is there. After acceptance, you have a list of other things to do!

Action

You have accepted your fate, but surely it won't end there. How did this happen? How do I solve it? These two questions are both important.

The Why

How did this happen? For some people this question won't really help, as it just happened, but for others there was some type of trigger. It could have been from lack of sleep, a tragic event, an ongoing problem that seeps your energy, bad diet, unhappy situations or an unhealthy relationship.

The short way of putting this question is to ask yourself why. It is such a simple question, but it allows you to really think about the reason behind it, rather than just forcing yourself to do something when you don't feel up for it.

It is a good idea to take a walk, meditate or do some sort of quiet, calm activity by yourself. If you have a pet or a good listener by your side, that is fine too; as long as you get a chance to open up to yourself by being completely honest.

You know best on how to make yourself think. Do whatever it takes to find the reason behind your artistic block, slump or whatever you want to call it. Once you have the why or multiple of them, you can write it on a paper and put it up somewhere for you to recognise.

The How

How do I solve it? You understand what caused your slump, but you also need to take action to cure it. If you are able to change the situation, you should try to, unless of course it will end up in you being unlawful.

If you are unhappy where you live, but you are able to move to a better place, then move. If you really need a vacation, then save up for it (even if it means to make a few changes to get there). If you are in a position to take action, then you should.

For those who are unable to change the situation, things get a little more complicated. I also count people with addictions in this category, such as food addictions. With addictions, there is a lot more going on under the surface, so in that case you need professional help, especially if you have tried getting over it yourself a few times.

You will need to find your own happy place where you can be at peace even in the midst of chaos. If you can't find this happy place, and the situation continues, you will fall deeper into this sinkhole of a slump.

Sadly, I can't tell you how to find your happy place, as each person is different. Some people will find happiness in exercise, others will find it in playing games. It is all about your own personality. Find a healthy hobby that will make you feel good.

Sometimes your slump will get worse because of guilty feelings. You might feel that you could be doing more. If you start feeling guilty, you need to either start working (if you weren't) or find something else to occupy your mind, such as going for a jog. It also helps talking to a good friend who went through something similar, as they might have a few pointers.

These tips together with time, will hopefully help you get through your slump. Just remember that it is okay to relax and not work until you are ready. You need to learn what you need and not what someone else thinks you need (unless they are right and you are going into a worse direction than before).

I hope this helps you work through your slump or artistic block! Feel free to tell us about your own techniques.