When I started a local street photography account on social media about seven years ago, I was already producing more material than I knew what to do with. I was out shooting a few times a week or more, and it was easy to post new images almost daily. There was definitely no creative block to overcome. 

The account started to become more popular, and I wanted to reward its followers with as much fresh content as possible. While that worked for a while, I realized at some point that the account was no longer just a place to put my photos. It was becoming my reason for taking photos. The IG account had become a hungry beast that needed to eat. I was trying my best to keep up with its appetite, but the problem was that my photography started to feel less spontaneous. 

Fast forward a number of years. I have taken a step back from street photography. Some of the reasons why are obvious – for example, the pandemic – although I did adapt some ways to continue shooting street photos during a lockdown. But if I’m being honest, I wasn’t shooting for high quality anymore. I realized that I was chasing “likes” more than aiming to create original work. This is not an ideal approach to evolve. You end up creating content that you know will resonate with your audience, rather than exploring something new. It’s a recipe to stunt your artistic growth in my opinion. 

So what do you do when you hit a creative block? At what point do you abandon your chosen craft when you hit a wall? Or do you?

Is Creative Block a Signal for Change?

If you’re a professional artist, you may not have the luxury of “stopping” and trying something completely different, although some artists have reworked their business models during the pandemic. However, you need to honestly examine the reasons why you are struggling. For example, street photography requires dedication, the right headspace, and time. With my added responsibilities during the pandemic (one of them homeschooling our son while local schools are shut) there is less time to practice. For me, shooting street photos is like a muscle that needs exercise or else it becomes weaker. 

“There are basically two ways to approach a personal problem that is interfering with your creative work — either solve the problem or find ways of coping until it passes,” notes Mark McGuinness in an Adobe article. “It helps if you can treat your work as a refuge – an oasis of control and creative satisfaction in the midst of the bad stuff.”

There definitely is a meditative quality to street photography when I’m in the zone, thus it becoming a refuge. However, since the “zone” has been elusive of late, forcing the process can be more distressing for me than rewarding. 

The same Adobe article talks about “the emotional barrier” getting in the way of your best work. In short, it’s about the fear of being creative, especially when you’re pushing boundaries. It takes bravery to produce your best work. But if you’re human, you’re not always at your most brave or confident. 

In my case, there has been a positive spinoff to backing off on photography a bit – I have started to explore other types of art that I can do at home. More specifically, I’m starting to hone my digital art skills (mainly in the form of creative memes for now.) But with the rise of crypto art and NFTs tied to the creator economy, I will be dedicating more of my time to creating digital compositions to sell or give away. So far, it doesn’t feel like I’m “forcing it,” so I’m hoping this becomes a long-term relationship and not a passing obsession.

There’s an added bonus. Since I have a (badly-kept) database of thousands of images from over the years, I am pulling together elements of my older photos to create new digital compositions. I don’t have many finished pieces as of yet, but I have some ideas that I’m excited about. In short, I have rekindled my passion for photography through an entirely new pursuit. 

Keep Making Art in Some Form

This is not to say artists who are struggling should quit or take up a new craft. But there comes a time when you have to be honest with yourself about the reasons behind your creative block, and whether it’s something you can overcome. 

“Creative block can leave you feeling helpless, whether you’re an amateur or an experienced artist, and its demoralizing presence can linger for weeks, or even years,” notes Ingrid Christensen on Artsy.net. 

Christensen suggests in some cases, the fix might be something as simple as cleaning your studio. But changing disciplines is also on the list of possible solutions. 

Experienced photographer Dano Pendygrasse offered me his take on the subject. He suggests pushing ahead with your craft even if you’re lacking inspiration. “Work through it. Make bad art. Keep making things. Make things people hate. Just keep doing it,” he noted. 

Digital artist Ghozt, who I connected with on the CulturePledge Discord server, also finds ways to stay sharp when the tank runs dry. “Sometimes I excel under pressure… but mostly it’s a matter of flow-mode. When I just do things, better things start popping up,” they noted. “But if it’s a hard block I do non-creative things with joy, as I assume I lack inspiration.”

However, in my opinion, your relationship with your art is like your relationship with a person. If things aren’t working, at some point you have two choices: push ahead despite the pain (and hope for a breakthrough), or realize you’re wasting your time and need a change. 

Knowing how to best use your creativity is an art in itself.