This one goes out to all the creatives out there. I get stuck sometimes, often, in fact. 

Uninspired, blocked, stopped up. Whatever you want to call it. I was feeling it just a few moments before writing this actually. It sucks, to be frank. 

However, I am a creator by profession, so I can’t really afford not to create. This is my bread and butter, per se (though I prefer pita and hummus). So, what happens when I can’t create?

Do I break down, crash and burn, drink heavily?

Well…yes, sometimes. But more often than not, I try my best to overcome it. Here is my process….

Usually accompanied by coffee, I plant myself at my desk. Once there, I cry a little bit and wonder why I’m not a bartender anymore, because the pay was so, so good. 

Then I snap back to reality and remember I’m living the dream (or at least mine).

Out comes the legal pad; you know those obnoxiously coloured tablets of lined paper? Yeah, that’s what they’re called. I would grab different paper, but at this point I’ve already sat down, and let’s be honest, I won’t be getting up for awhile. 

Then comes the random doodling, scrawling of my name in various fonts, the lyrics from a song I didn’t even know was stuck in my head. This seems unproductive, I know. 

Remember, I said my process…

After all that, I start looking through the many folders of images I’ve captured, I critique a bit and pat myself on the back for a few. That’s when the real work comes in…that’s when I start to analyze. What have I done already? How can I take it further? From backgrounds to shadows, poses to wardrobe. I pop my headphones in, listen to Stormzy, and make some more notes…then…ROAM. 

Yeah, that’s a huge part of my process, I just walk around. I look at things; parking structures, abandoned schools, alleys, trees, textures. I take it all in. I probably look lost a lot of the time, but I suppose, in a way, I am. Lost in the experience, in discovery. I, in no way, claim to be some sort of inspiration specialist, if there even is such a thing. The point behind this somewhat comical description of my creative process is just to say that you can be inspired by anything. The important thing is to get out and focus on something besides the fact that you “can’t” do it.

You CAN, but you won’t unless you try.  This is not my own wisdom. It was imparted to me by many a mentor, but stands the test of time. Keep at it, you beautiful people. Thanks for clicking, scrolling, reading and gazing. 

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure!

You’re the best

Cameron (Troy) Strory