An artistic plateau is a recurring issue for artists as a point in time where they’ve experienced a slower rate of improvement. This stagnation usually appears as a dip in their creativity, where innovative and interesting work becomes dull and over repeated.
For example, a musician might say their only one genre can’t seem to compose new pieces that touch the heart or a painter might say their canvas has lost its color. According to a research published by the American Psychological Association, plateaus like these are caused due to a dip in your skill and creativity growth, which may be caused due to many factors.
Artistic plateaus are necessary to understand as they assist in lifting creative blocks. Knowing you’re experiencing a plateau can help you take control and look to inspire yourself, allowing your art to reach other levels. They say the idea of an artistic plateau is nothing new, as it is deeply rooted in psychology as an integral segment of the creative process, and because of this, it makes the idea of stagnation much better. Why? Because the frustration is lifted.
The Working Process of A Painter
Changing your style is crucial for a continuously growing artist. After getting over an artistic plateau, artists invest all their time towards expanding their creative boundaries, resulting in their art making huge steps in growth.
To illustrate, the illustrious Pablo Picasso went through several stylistic changes during his life such as in his Blue period and later his shift to Cubism. These shifts were crucial in maintaining relevancy in his art, calling attention to the necessity for change in an artist’s life.
As more research confirms, changing one’s style may be the key to greater appreciation of his or her artistry. Psychology studies indicate that artists who do not change their styles get personally discontented. Furthermore, research published in the Journal of Creative Behavior suggests that artists who wish to change style often experience isolation in their creative lifecycle.
Recognizing Artistic Mesas
What is an artistic mesa?
An artistic mesa can be best described as when there’s a setback or stagnation as one reaches a certain level of expertise. If that plateau remains for too long, it might even devour all creative juices while the growth of skills tend to shift to a very slow pace.
As per the National Endowment for the Arts, plateauing often happens because an artist has become so good that their methods, tools and practices do not yield any further significant enhancements. It is unreasonable to assume however, that the plateau does not become a point of concern. It only adds to the agitation of trying to ensure that all the hard work put in, generates results.
Plateaus in art are also termed as barriers by the artists themselves. Such plateaus in creativity during the artistic process can be easily diagnosed and catered to in case the artists pays heed to these obstacles. When a writer finds it hard to come up with new words to pen down or when a musician composes music that’s rather dry with no feelings, they encounter a plateau.
Common Sense of a Plateau
The most common indicators that you have reached the peak in artistic progress includes the following:
Repetitive Work: When your work begins to feel formulaic and lacks originality, For instance, a photographer might notice that their photos start to look similar and lack new perspectives. Trying to explore different facets is key to bringing growth and development to your work.
Lack of Inspiration: emotions such as lack of motivation or the inability to formulate new ideas are an indicator that one is going through dry spell and plateau. This is a strong sign that your regular inspirations, too, are failing to deliver.
Diminished Enthusiasm: A noticeable drop in enthusiasm and motivation towards your artistic practice. Another sign of a plateau is lowering passion towards projects. Lowered passion eventually translates into improper focus and less concentration on projects.
A survey carried out recently by Artforum observed that majority, i.e. 65% of the artists at least once in their practices observed a plateau which is also termed as a lack in inspiration. Keeping monitoring these indicators in your processes closely and comprehensively can make a significant difference.
In my humble opinion, artistic plateaus can truly be very excruciating. As a creative individual, there is nothing worse than hitting a wall with your work and not being able to push through it. Having said that there are reasons as to why an artist goes through a plateau.
Causes of Artistic Plateaus
Lack of New Experiences: In the absence of novel experiences or stimuli, your innovative capacity could become less dynamic than it should be. For instance, an artist who specializes in a single medium may experience stagnation when they cease to seek out novel approaches or topics.
Routine Practices: Again, becoming a creature of habit can lead one to a plateau. A musician who plays the same scales and types of music that he knows will undoubtedly get fatigued by the embellishment.
Insufficient Creative Definition of Success: No ambition to set the bar high or into the realm of discomfort will most likely bring no growth. For example, a painter that only ever uses black and white paints self restricts their expansion.
However, research featured in the Journal of Art & Design demonstrates ways in which artistic plateaus can be undermined by attempting different sorts of creative activities. This study also reiterates a fact most artists are aware of: that trying various techniques and approaches can restore inspiration and support artistic growth.
Strategies for Breaking Artistic Plateaus
Exploring new techniques
Techniques that are new to an individual can breathe a tremendous amount of life into their creativity and help them escape the monotony of their work.
Digital sculpting tools could add a dimension to the practice of a clay sculptor. Likewise, oil painting artists can consider employing watercolors or mixed media to alter their approach to creation.
A study published in the Journal: Creativity Research shows that pursuing different types of activities can help improve creativity. In this sense, the study indicates that artists that work with a variety of practices have 30% more creative production than those that practice one activity.
These methods can cover an array of digital art, 3D model making, and experimental thinking to the already familiar art subjects. Using these in your work can bring new ideas, ripe ideas that promote the growth of art.
Keeping an Eye on Other Artists
Working together with other artists or looking at various types of art can also give you ideas and inspiration.
Exploring abstract art, vintage artworks, or modern photography pieces might give you ideas and techniques you can use in your work. Working with different artists often inspires a flurry of different ideas making the work different and interesting.
People who adhere to communities are likely to derive additional 25% inspiration to create and develop their ideas, says Art & Design along with a blend of styles and art techniques, this explains the 25% boost.
Art exhibitions, art groups, and workshops offer a considerable number of engaging perspectives that help you reconstruct your artistic voice, and provide the motivation you need to evolve the best in you.
Challenging Yourself To Grow
An achievable challenge is the best gauge of an artist. Goals drive individuals and help them push past their borderline.
Painting series after series with an unexplored theme or a strength you are yet to master helps in progressing and overcoming plateaus. Such goals and challenges serve as fuel for motion and propel the artist to reach the next level.
Self-imposed goals as per Journal of Creative Behavior lead to a boost up in creative efforts by 40% due to specialization in the required areas. This observable boost can also be sourced to personal drive along with targeting conserves.
New techniques or engaging in art competitions poses a significant threat to bar your growth, however embracing them allows you to considerably develop.
Taking Breaks and Coming Back with New Thoughts
To handle the weight of contemplating certain things, sometimes it is essential to surrender a bit from work as this will help lessen the mental burden and generate a few ideas that penetrated subconscious mind.
Taking a break helps you separate work and spend that time trying something different which can give you insights which would not have been possible while you are at your desk. And there is a good chance that insight can lead you to greater discoveries.
Studies in cognitive psychology advocate that taking breaks would boost creativity levels. It was revealed that those who worked on creative tasks and had regular breaks had 20% more innovative and creative ideas than those who worked without breaks.
Some good break strategies are hiking, reading, or mindfulness exercises as these activities disconnect your thoughts from art and somewhat incorporates new thoughts and energy into the idea which helps in the creative thinking process.
Real-Life Examples
Case Study 1: Mixed Media techniques
Maria Gonzalez, an artist struggled to paint and was stuck on one plateau for couple of years. To jump pass this slump, she started playing around with Mixed Media which blended oil painting and digital components. Merging different practices together enabled her to create a new brand of art that freshened up the older style and made it exciting for both the art critics and selller.
Maria’s innovative approach shows that attempting out different artistic techniques can encourage one’s growth and even foster the overcoming of a creative block.
Case study 2: Unconventional Subject Matter
Lee faced a creative stand-still because of the limiting subject matter present in his portfolio. As a way to gain a new sense of inspiration, he decided to delve into more unconventional topics such as urban decay and abstract reflections. Further, James worked with other creative talent including visual artists and fashion designers in order to present new approaches through his work.
James’s freshly found thrill for photography and of what he created emphasizes strongly on the idea that new subjects and collaboration alongside people with different outlooks can revamp creativity that one has lost.
Case Study 3: Setting Personal Goals
Clarke the painter was also stuck as for her there was no new plateau for her aims. She decided to set her own objectives into experimenting different methods and styles such as abstract art or mixed media. By setting up these goals, she was able to push herself out of her boundaries and try different approaches.
As a whole, Emily’s attempts to try with art led to her achieving considerable improvement and growth within the artistic field. Her depth and complexity levels went up for her works showcasing how outlining challenges within themselves can help eliminate an artist’s low points.
FAQs
How can I quickly snap out of a creative block?
There are many prudent ways to overcome an artistic low. Some of them are:
Trying out new techniques or styles can help ignite your creativity. For example, if you are a painter, then try switching to digital art or any other medium you haven’t previously used, this will add novelty to your work.
Looking for inspiration or ideas from these sources: attending exhibitions, reading different art blogs or joining new art communities can greatly influence and change your focus.
Competing with yourself by placing certain goals or challenges in front of you, such as the creation of a certain number of more or less similar works, can aid you in replacing persistent stagnation.
According to recent studies found in the Journal of Creative Arts: Artists, especially those who tend to try out new experiences and set up targets are – 35% better equipped to deal with creative blocks than those who remain in the same position.
How often must i shuffle my artistic style?
Evaluating and ensuring how often you should or must shuffle the artistic style that you have is also key to progress, regular checks on your style guarantees movement.
While some changes should be instant, there is no exact time when those should be put into action. However, looking back at what you did prior is recommended after every six to twelve months or so. This also gives you additional time to consider your evolving goals and even creative needs.
According to the research compiled by the Creativity Research Journal, it has been claimed that reprioritizing various techniques and styles from time to time can boost an artist’s creative productivity up to 20 percent. It is vital to review goals regularly as it helps with progression and refines ideas.
Does working with others help surpass an artistic stagnation?
Definitely, collaborating with other artists has the potential to facilitate movement during an artistic stagnation.
Working alongside other artists allows for new angles, methodologies, and thoughts to be presented which broadens one’s mind. For instance, multidisciplinary artists can assist with offering new techniques and problem-solving strategies within the creative process.
According to an article in Art & Design, collaborating with fellow artists helps boost creativity up to 30 percent. The increase can be explained simply due to the mutual exchange of ideas and machinery resulting in a different but effective approach to a problem at hand.
In summary, switching gears is a way to break through artistic stagnations but here are some other approaches:
Using other tools: A simple change in routine by switching up tools or methods could potentially spark up a different side of creativity.
Looking for a spark: Collaborating with other creatives and experiencing different art forms can expand your artistic perspective.
Establishing goals: It is essential to blame oneself for failing to meet unnecessarily defined objectives or timelines – it is then that significant growth can happen.
Now and then, permit yourself a pause: By forgetting about the work for a while, it becomes possible for the subconscious to come up with ideas for breakthrough solutions.
It’s essential to take proactive steps to evolve your style and overcome creative blocks. By applying the strategies discussed, you can experience significant artistic progress and continue to develop your unique artistic voice. Embrace these methods to push past plateaus and elevate your art to new heights.
- “The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life” by Twyla Tharp: This book offers practical advice on fostering creativity and overcoming artistic challenges.
- “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” by Austin Kleon: Provides insights into developing your unique style by exploring new ideas and techniques.
- “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” by Julia Cameron: A classic guide to unlocking creativity and overcoming artistic plateaus.
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