how to be your creative self during an artistic block

The photo above is a weave that was done for a project. Fun story behind it: it's a representation of my love for children and test of patience. 

Here are a few ways I keep my creative juices flowing, especially when I'm having an artistic block:

1. Take a break.

Sometimes when were are working too hard and too long on a project, we loose the ability to think of other ideas. I don't know the correct term for this, but I just know this happens. For me, often times the best thing is to take a break. Take a walk, go get coffee, go on a drive, just leave the house. Fresh air will do you good!

2. Work with other people.

A lot of extra stress is put on when you know you are the only one being accounted for. If you are an anxious person like me, you'll get to stressed out that you'll get to the point where you just can't do any of it. I find that sometimes I need to be in the company of other people...particularly people I am friends with. In this day and age, feeding off of each other's ideas can really create something. Many jobs want to see that you can work with others! 

3. Ask for a critique.

Sometimes you don't know when you need to stop and when you need to fix something. We get so caught up on what needs to be done we forget about the quality of the project. Taking a break and asking someone (maybe a classmate, friend or professor) for their honest opinion is always a good idea. Hopefully the words "constructive criticism" come into play.