Creative Block

[goingonfortynoelectricshocks]

Does anyone else have or has had this problem (and if so, how did you get over it?).

Pre DCs I had a good career as an artist and illustrator and over the last few years I?ve juggled it with being a SAHM. Now my youngest is at school you would think the world would be at my feet again but GAH! I can?t concentrate on anything creative, I feel so uninspired and feel as if I?ve burnt my bridges with old contacts. My studio is in my house which is a big mistake but I?m struggling to find anywhere else I can afford. I?ve become almost too comfy in my little house in my little village ? does that make sense?

I'm so intent on making money i end up doing stuff i don't want to do but if i do what i want there's no guarentee of success - which makes me not enjoy it. I'm going round in circles!

Help / support / a kick up the backside all appreciated .

Sorry if that sounded like a self indulgent rant - i know my probs are nothing compared to some on here. Feel a bit better for it though .

sounds a lot like me ! I work in my house,in a tiny bedroom..but I only ever get down to work when I have a paid job to do (sadly few and far between) otherwise I avoid going to my desk,even though I should be working on stuff to boost my portfolio and thus increase my chances of getting decent jobs..arghh ! My son is 11 and at secondary school so I no excuses not to be beavering away. Am an illustrator too btw

Hi MaryAnn - i've seen you about the boards and i knew you were an illustrator. Frustrating isn't it? I too should be putting down stuff that's in my head or doing pictures to bump up my website.

Do you think having somewhere to go that isn't in the house would help?

might do - the act of going out to work rather than being distracted in the home ! My parents have just moved to the house backing on to mine and are building a studio there which I will be able to use, so am hoping to be inspired by that ! What kind of work do you do ?

Hi goingfor(etc!)
Am taking a break on mumsnet to procrastinate creatively think . I too work from home (picture books). I had a go of hiring a studio but I tend to think a bit, mooch a bit, then work a bit and I feel more comfortable and less pressurized at home.

Am interested in you thinking you had 'burnt your bridges' with old contacts. I too had a 'bringing up kids' break from work but have now got back into it - and my work now is purely through old contacts.

I was hesitant about getting back in touch with people ( I hate 'selling' myself) but was surprised and pleased to find that they were surprised and pleased to hear from me.

I think if you have a good track record with someone and they know you can deliver good and reliable work, that counts for an awful lot.

If you had a good reputation before, don't throw away your head start. People can only say no. Does that kind of make sense?

MAS - it would be great if you could let me know if it helps you?

Merry - thankyou for your comments. I've been doing a bit too much mooching sadly! I'm not terribly good at selling myself either. I had one bad exp with a graphic designer who used my work a few times then huffed and puffed when he found out i was expecting - saying all his artists were getting pregnant etc. To be fair that was prob more his issue than mine LOL!

Perhaps i should contact some publishers etc. that have used me in the past.

yes I will, and yes, do go back to former clients - as merrylegs suggests - I bet they'd be very pleased to see you.
I do like working in my wee room, but only if I have a proper job, then I get down to work and get the job done - but any uncommissioned work gets very neglected. When I am working on a job I still mooch about but the mooching is just really to have a breather, think, step back from the drawing board etc

When I had my studio I found it stifled my creativity because I was thinking 'OK I only have this space for x amount of hours and am paying x for it, I'd better get on with it.' And then I'd panic and have a complete block and just get frustrated.

Actually who am I trying to kid? 'Stifled my creativity?!' I'm also a lazy so-and-so which was part of the problem! Like MAS - I only really focus when I have a job (which is now, so, argh!).

Then I give myself the excuse 'oh I can't posibly do my own stuff because I'm working on something else'. But then that something else is my own stuff, because although it is commissioned, it is still my work, iyswim?

I think these conflicts are just the curse of being a free-lancer.

it's a comfort knowing I'm not alone with this !! I am a complete lazy arse really.

I was going to say "I'ts nice to know it's not just me" but i thought you might take it the wrong way .

(Merrylegs really has to get on with it now before school pick up. Darn kids, coming home and stifling all my creativity.)

good luck merrylegs !