art shelves cure art block

A few years ago, I got to a point in art-making where I needed to take a break and so I built myself some art shelves to keep all of my supplies organized and off the floor. My room has extremely high ceilings and so storing upward clears up a lot of working space. It's sturdy enough to climb on, which is good, as I tend to climb to get to high shelves ha ha.

All it took was plotting some rough plans, getting the wood at the home improvement store, cutting it up, screwing it together, and painting it. (Or maybe I painted it before I assembled it; I forget). Home improvement stores almost always have cheap cans of paint that they mixed incorrectly. I got one of those.

A lot of people try to cure burnout through various methods geared toward getting back to work as soon as possible. It usually doesn't work. This kind of art block is no more a disease than the body being tired after a long run. Stressing it will just make it worse.

The best thing one can do is take a big step back, let the batteries recharge, and work on something which doesn't take the same kind of creativity that art takes. Cleaning and organizing are two things I like to do when I feel creatively drained. It gets my space ready for when inspiration strikes and is important for efficiency.

So, the next time you feel burnt out on art, stop trying to force it. There are a lot of things you could do to become a better artist that aren't making art. Clean, organize exercise, order some new books, etc.