It happens to me way too often that after the testing season I become utterly burnt out from all the studying I’ve done during the past year. It is inevitable. Working for too long stifles any inspiration I might’ve had to begin with and I’m left with a creative block like no other. Being an artist myself, I know it’s hard to get back on your feet after one of these blocks, so I’m sharing some tips on how to combat creative blocks after the school year is over.

      A big part of a creative block is fueled by the little voice in your head that says, “you can’t do this,” or, “you are too young to be thinking big,” and, “there are people who are better than you, so why even try?” It is your evil self conscious, which represses creative thinking. In order to let go of that aggravating point of view that tells you everything you can’t achieve, I have learned to begin writing morning pages, inspired by Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way”; a book that I highly recommend giving a read if you want to commit to becoming any kind of artist. The morning pages allow you to let your mind let loose and wonder without thinking. Three whole notebook pages when you wake up that you don’t read back or show to anyone. They serve as a daily bin to blurt out anything before you start your day and help you with the repressive quality of your evil self conscious.

     Summer is the perfect time to unleash this sort of creativity since we are left with a whole lot of time on our hands. As teenagers, we barely know ourselves and are still expected to make life-altering decisions and work that inspires others. Knowing who you are and what your purpose is in this world helps in creating things that you love and truly believe they may change a point of view. Therefore, at least once a week take maybe an hour to be completely by yourself. Go on a walk, swim laps at a pool, draw a picture and think about who you are. The world is ours, what will we do with it?

     At the end of the day, it is up to you whether you break a creative block or not, and once you do it is one of the best feelings in the world. A lot of the times we need help too, so take time to mentally thank anyone who has been there for you in your creative journey, even if they are now strangers. Art teachers, friends, siblings, strangers who complimented your drawing, celebrities who inspired you to be yourself; and accept that you are that person to others. I hate to be cliché but, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” and if you’ve never had that secret superhero that led you on, be that for someone else! 

     In reality, we are all creative in some way or another and deserve to let that creativity flow.