How to Find Your Creative Zen

Finding creative Zen that allows you to reach your height of productivity is a major challenge for all artists. By following these tips you can improve your work environment and overcome what's blocking your creativity.

Using Your Creative Zen to Break Artist's Block
All artists have days when they are super motivated and brilliant ideas seem to flow out their ears. But there are also days when they can't get a single brush or keystroke down. These days are dangerous and can lead to chronic deleting and tearing up of work– or to excessive coffee consumption.

So how do you find that creative Zen, that haven of productivity? The answer is different for everyone, but here are a few tricks for treating artist's block:

Zen your workspace. Creating a well-lit working environment that is distraction free is essential to finding creative Zen.

Try yoga or other exercise. Exercise, especially movements that induce relaxation like yoga or tai chi, can clear your mind and leave you refreshed. Of course some artists find that more extreme exercise like rock climbing or kite surfing brings them inspiration.

Know what inspires you. Do you find your muse in other people or in long walks alone in the woods? Figure out what gives you creative energy and what sucks it out of you. Stick with the former.

Get some sleep. When you have trouble working, it can be tempting to stay up all night smoking cigarettes and brooding. But sometimes your brain just needs a rest– so turn out the lights.

Steep yourself in art. Break. Repeat. Some artists are motivated by listening to their favorite album while others get hyped listening to new, artistic bands. Spending a day in the museum or at the cinema is another way to heighten your creative senses. But being immersed in art can also make you feel inferior. If that happens, take a break and do something totally different, and delve back in when you're ready.