Don't get me wrong. I'm very aware of how frustrating it is when your creative juices seem to have run dry. But truly, sometimes, it is just you, sitting in your own way, making excuses. I know this because I've seen it in myself, and I've seen it in friends and fellow artists online, on other platforms.

So this post is going to be all about how to, first:

• determine if you are truly creatively blocked, or just blocking yourself with excuses

and then, second,

• how to overcome either situation.

and then later, I'll share with you an epiphany that was shared with me a long time ago, which helped me increase my creative productivity A LOT.

Now this may seem rich coming from a lowly Steemit minnow, but please know that I've been doing my thing since way before Steemit, or even Instagram, and whether you're an art veteran or creative n00b looking to learn, I'm sure you'll find something valuable here.

So! Right to it! Are you truly blocked, or are you full of shit? ;P

This all comes down to one thing: Self-honesty. Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Am I very busy with other things in life right now?
2. Do I have free time that I'm using for other things (e.g. reading, playing games)?
3. Am I avoiding going into my studio/workspace?

Because, here it is: The only way you can be sure you are truly experiencing authentic artist's block is if you are actively trying, every day, to be creative and end up not being able to produce anything.

So if you aren't occupied with other pressing matters, have the time, but are using it for other things, you are definitely full of shit ;P

The solution: There's only one thing to do. Be firm with yourself. If you're serious about this, get to work. Because it IS work. All the creativity in the world might be swirling around there inside you but no-one's going to know until you do something about it.

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Alright, so you've passed the test: You firmly believe you are not full of it, and genuinely are experiencing a terribly dry and cracked up spell of artist's block... What can be done?

And what about the epiphany? Don't worry, I'll get to that soon.

 
I've put a lot of thought and googling into this, and have condensed the best solutions to artist's block according to what has been most effective for me throughout the years. If there's something you do that works for you and is not in this list below, please comment about it below.

• Challenge yourself with a time limit. This can be really fun. Draw ten drawings in half an hour, write 5 haikus in 10 minutes. Anything like this! =) It was certainly effective for me last year when "Inktober" came around and I challenged myself to participate (one piece of art a day for 30 days). I only managed to stay abreast until day 11, hehehe. But the point is, it helped me a lot. I learned new things about the tools I use and saw for myself that if I wanted to, I could create great stuff every day.

• Ask a friend to give you theme words. Nothing like a mind that is not yours when yours doesn't seem to want to work ;P ... The ideas from your friend will often hit you from an angle you're just not used to! Channelling this can be highly effective. I will soon be posting a great example of this in my own work, where my brothers gave me themes for gifts I wanted to create for them.
  

  
  
  

• Realise that originality doesn't exist. Or almost doesn't, at least ;) I always link to this article when talking about this. To quote from the author:

The best artists can do is to offer a unique adaptation of ideas that have likely already been explored at some point throughout the course of art history. The truth is that original art works all borrow in some way from the rich visual history of our collective past.

The lesson here is to not feel shy of looking at others' work and trying to imitate them. Everyone learns this way, and artists' egos love it when you reference them as a source of inspiration ^^

Was that the epiphany I promised? No, not yet. ;) We're almost there, though, promise!

• Participate in contests. Honestly, I don't do this one enough, but there's nothing like some competition to get that creative blood flowing. Everyone loves being the best, and are usually willing to go the extra mile to prove just how good they are ;) Luckily, there's no short supply of them here on Steemit so go on, what are you waiting for? Go find one!

• Change your workspace. This is a simple one, easy to accomplish for most, that can have a drastic affect on your psyche. Everyone knows how fresh you feel after changing around your room, or living room, giving everything a nice clean and putting up new ornaments, etc. Do that to your workspace and see what happens ;)

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There you have it. I hope that you are now ready to face your proverbial blank canvas once again! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten the promised epiphany... ;) Here you go:

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Finally, I'd like to give a shout out to a fellow artist, @william-syrus ... I discovered him by accident when looking around Steemit for artist's block experiences, and found this most intriguing post in which William shares a particularly interesting method he tried of getting rid of his block ;) ..... You'll see.

I'm also happy to say that I found the rest of his blog intriguing too - he has a unique, if somewhat eclectic, style ... An artist still discovering himself, like many of us, I'd say. Do check him out.

Once again, thank you to @markrmorrisjr for his tremendous effort in putting #dolphinschool together and helping us help ourselves. This post is the result of me taking part in Dolphin School Lesson 2 =)