How I Broke Up with Boredom and Found My Spark
As a creative, I hit walls just like anyone else. We all do. But the real frustration sets in when that block happens right when I’m desperate for a breakthrough. Often, that stagnation stems from repetition—doing the same thing over and over until the magic fades.
That’s exactly what happened after I finished my “Chaos Series.” I hit a point where I felt genuinely bored with my own process. I needed to scrap the blueprint and start over. To fix it, I created the “Rebel” series—a body of work dedicated to going against my own creative instincts. It was a massive challenge, but it was the shake-up my soul was craving.
“To create is to live twice.”
“Break Faith,” from the Rebel Series, by LE BohemianMuse
In the thick of that transition, I rediscovered the “flow.” I felt a renewed awakening, a reminder of why I fell in love with art in the first place. I felt my purpose again. It’s easy to feel distant from who we are, but as creatives, we need versatility and the grace to re-acclimate. Sometimes that takes days; sometimes it takes weeks. I’ve started viewing those quiet gaps as a “Creative Sabbatical.” Instead of panicking, I use that time to consume as much creative energy as possible. Think of it as refueling the artist’s battery. I dive into other art forms or submerge myself in different cultural events. Time is the essential ingredient in the “re-falling in love” portion of getting your juju back.
If you’re feeling a bit empty, here are five fun projects to help you plug back into your creative flow:
5 Ways to Refuel Your Creative Battery
1. The “No-One-Will-See-This” Sketchbook
Designate a space for work that is intentionally private.
• The Rules: No sharing, no fixing, and absolutely no finishing required.
• The Content: Fill it with “bad” drawings, strange color clashes, and visual ramblings.
• Why it works: Creativity relaxes the moment it realizes it isn’t being watched.
2. Art from Arm’s Reach
Create one small piece using only what is currently within your physical reach.
• The Materials: Receipts, packaging, old notes, or scraps.
• The Challenge: Set a 20-minute timer and stop the second it dings.
• Why it works: Tight constraints often force playfulness to reopen.
3. Fall in Love with Color (and Only Color)
Forget the subject matter. Pick one single color and explore it until you know it by heart.
• The Method: Paint swatches, photograph that color throughout the day, or layer it repeatedly without a plan.
• Why it works: Color bypasses logic and speaks directly to your emotions.
4. Revisit a Childhood Habit
Return to a medium you loved before you cared about “outcomes.”
• The Nostalgia: Doodling, collaging, making up stories, or just dancing in your room. Do it exactly as you would have as a kid.
• Why it works: Joy is usually just archived, not lost.
5. The 7-Day “Tiny Creation” Ritual
Commit to making something small every day for one week.
• The Limit: Under 15 minutes, no themes, and no improvement on yesterday’s work. It can be a single line, a phrase, or a mark.
• Why it works: Consistency rebuilds your intimacy with the creative process.
We often think a block is a stop sign, but it’s actually a detour toward a better discovery. Don’t wait for inspiration to find you—go out and meet it with a messy sketchbook and no expectations. The juju is still there. You just have to be willing to play your way back to it.