Creative frustration is the sound of a writer slamming their head into a keyboard, the sight of a performer frozen to the spot or the musty smell of dust-covered painting utensils. A common diagnosis for this proverbial brick wall is so-called block, its mention alone enough to evoke images of brain fog and a fundamental lack of knowing ‘what next?’. Those who experience it often feel hurt, inadequate and helpless, and know that overcoming it will be challenging. Then there’s the question of supposed treatment. Should you follow the advice of some sports coaches to simply ‘walk it off’ and push yourself to keep going? It’s an option that will work for some, but in my experience, it led to a different issue – burnout.
Unlike block, burnout comes not from being unsure or unable to write, perform or paint (though it can be a sideeffect), but from pressuring yourself to the point of fizzling out. For those artists who have no choice but to cram their creativity into the gaps between earning a living, nurturing relationships and looking after others (while achieving societalimposed standards of perfection) it can be easy to give too much in the pursuit of artistic passion, dismissing tiredness as procrastination and feeling guilty about unused moments. It’s often at these times that the inner sports coach starts yelling to ‘suck it up and pick up the slack’ even if that leads to disaster.