As artists, we accept many day to day challenges as part of the creative process. Even though we all feel frustrated at times, we know that problem solving is how we grow and achieve our goals. Solving creative problems can bring great satisfaction, but some studio struggles are also very difficult and soul-wrenching. Artists at every level experience these times of defeat or despair that go beyond daily frustration.

These serious struggles are often triggered by a lack of ideas, but they can also come from too much input, leading to confusion and lack of focus. In this episode Rebecca shares a recent personal experience of creative block of this kind, and the ways she has been working to resolve it. In her situation, impactful travel experiences along with the demands of an exhibit with an entirely different focus led to a frustrating tangle of ideas. It has taken her weeks to find a way forward-- involving introspection, confronting some unhelpful beliefs and fears, and considering the advice of a friend.

Although most of us recognize these struggles are essential to the creative process, we may have to relearn to accept them over and over. It is a challenge to truly understand that they are times of incubation and are part of the cycle that also includes creative flow. We hope that this episode of the Messy Studio podcast will provide some ideas for coping and moving forward during these difficult but important stages of our process as artists.

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