How do you proceed when your creative flow state just doesn't happen? That's the state I've been in for the last year. Not exactly burnt out, but in a sort of creative purgatory, existing somewhere between a crippling lack of effort and an unattainable amount of ideas. I've become Shrodinger's artist, both creative and uncreative, both productive and unproductive. It's got me thinking, how does one move from one creative flow state to the next without burning themselves out, particularly in a creative field? Are all artists doomed to suffer the mental strain of constantly striving to achieve newness? Why does it feel like our creativity is wasted if it's not spent on a completely original idea? Finally, what really counts as creativity?
I suppose most of those questions can be summed up as: how do we achieve a consistent flow of creative energy without getting crushed under the weight of our own standards? This feels especially relevant in the world of fashion. This industry is known for its critics, to the point that a critical attitude is an expected character trait. The expectations placed on new and upcoming designers continue to reach unattainable heights partly due to us as the audience demanding a near constant stream of concepts, creations, behind the scenes footage and original ideas to fulfill our inherent need for instant clickability. Yet in contrast, and in direct contradiction we also expect designers to maintain craft. I can't help but come to the conclusion that the troupe of the suffering artist is likely more about being unable to achieve the standards society has set for us and less about "artistic mood swings."
How do we find the inspiration to keep creating? There's and old saying often used in computer science, "put garbage in, get garbage out." Basically an updated version of "you reap what you sow." If you're spending your evenings doomscrolling, rewatching the same show you always put on, or fixating on your favorite fashion designer without taking in anything new eventually you'll outgrow the box you've put yourself in and get stuck.
So how do you find inspiration outside the box? The best advice I've been given is to find a hobby outside of your chosen medium and do it with no intention of getting good at it. Drawing, birding, dancing, macramé, even sports, something you enjoy so much it begins to feel rejuvenating. Then begin intentionally looking for inspiration outside of your niche.
Something to remember is not everything that you will begin to find inspiration in needs to result in a new project. It's enough if it only brightens your day, it doesn't have to lead to a larger workload. This mindset alone opens up an entirely new way to consume media and appreciate beauty, by separating it from the pressure of needing to use everything all at once. If it's truly something that inspires you to the point of creation wonderful! However, this exercise is meant to help you learn how to pace yourself, if you already have a full workload consider simply snapping a picture and adding it to a moodboard for later.
At this point you maybe wondering where we're going to find all of this amazing inspiration. The answer? Everywhere! All around us there's always something to notice if we look closely. Even if you struggle to notice something exciting or beautiful, inspiration can come from anywhere and creativity can spark from any emotion.
Mundane experiences and familiar habits can also lead to new ideas when examined under new light. My current favorite example of this Daniel Pemberton's score of the film "Project Hail Mary." He's stated in interviews the basis for all the music he wrote for the movie came from one squeaky faucet he heard while while visiting a friend's house in the country. Can you imagine writing and entire film score based on the screeching of old pipes? A sound we don't even consider pleasant?
In the fashion world a good example of using inspiration from the mundane (albeit, not as extreme of an example) maybe S.S. Daley's ongoing infatuation with English school uniforms. Daley has managed to create a beautiful aesthetic surrounding the idea of the classic uniform, while also keeping each collection fresh and worthwhile. Its not an easy feat to achieve such firm personal branding, particularly so early in one's career.
Now that we've laid the framework for finding inspiration, when does "inspired by" cross the line into "ripped off?" As a rule, the safest way to avoid the pitfalls of unoriginal ideas is to play it safe by not taking inspiration from within your own medium. However, there's exceptions to every rule and even the example I just gave of S.S. Daley's designs breaks this one. You can also be guilty of playing it to safe and missing the point of referential fashion and art. We've seen some delightful collaborations and homages to artists and designers over recent years. Unfortunately, we've also witnessed some that felt less inspired and more like merch from an art museum's gift shop. I'm specifically thinking of Louis Vuitton's 2027 Cruise Collection. Not exactly a rip off, after all, I would be delighted to find some of those pieces in an art museum gift shop, but a high fashion runway show didn't feel like to proper place for some of the designs. I'm not sure if it's encouraging or disheartening that even big name designers like Nicolas Ghesquière can lose sight of their audiance once in a while.
What I do find encouraging is how every piece of art seems to have an audiance, while some people will inevadiably dislike your creations, there will always be others who enjoy it. It's only a matter of finding your people. No matter where you are in your artistic journey, please continue to create, consume, and encourage art in whatever feild you find yourself in.
-Coco Elouise Marie