Bad habits broke me free

Have you ever felt like you are out of ideas and unable to do anything creative or productive? That’s a creative block -a common phenomenon among artists, photographers, and other creatives. The block can be a result of many different factors including exhaustion, lack of inspiration, or feeling stuck in your work.

This was precisely what I was feeling last fall when we were trying to decide how to proceed with our company. Too much work, too much stress, and no inspiration to create anything new. A frightening feeling for any creative!

One day I went out for a walk and just started listening to music, this time it was Ed Sheeran’s album. Listening to “Bad habits”, my feet were already moving with a lighter step and I realized that I’m actually feeling better already. Walking along deep in my thoughts I tried to figure out where my creative block was coming from and if I could do something about it. I started thinking about the words “Creative block” and suddenly I saw in my mind this HUGE concrete block, and me next to it trying to break it down with a sledgehammer and power tools… And just like that I felt inspired again, already planning how to make this image a reality. I made a quick audio note about the concept to my iPhone and rushed back home. I did a rough sketch of a concrete block that is half torn, showing a lightbulb inside. That was the concept I needed to create, soon!

However, even though I had this great idea for an image, it took me over 6 months to find the willpower to make it happen. As always, it takes many different things coming together in the production phase. Ideas are just ideas -you need to invest time and effort to make them into reality.

For this image, I went full-on craft mode and made various concrete blocks myself, placed a lightbulb inside of them, and in one I put a battery-operated lightbulb to get realistic light and shadows to the elements. Hours of crafting, planning, photoshoot, and retouching, even modeling, since it seemed only right to be the one portraying the frustration that started all this.

I made it over these hurdles every creative artist needs to beat, and here is the end result: image called “Creative block”, visualizing a giant concrete block that you need to break in order to find your inspiration, reminding me that you might need many tries to break your block but it will be worthwhile in the end.

So finally, I got this image out of my system, and hopefully, it will inspire also others to break their “Creative blocks” and start creating something new. I sure did!

More info: anttikarppinen.com

Creative block

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