The topic of this design research project is creative block. I explored this phenomenon to understand why it occurs and find ways to navigate out of it. This project was developed with visual artists by understanding their thoughts and experiences.

A creative block is a period of time during which a person experiences a lack of inspiration or motivation to create. They have difficulty in visualising the intended object. This can be a frustrating and challenging experience, as it may prevent a person from completing projects and reaching their full creative potential.

I found that perfectionism is a major cause of creative block. According to research; setting realistic goals, accepting one’s uniqueness, learning from their mistakes and being kind to themselves reduces perfectionistic tendencies. So, I reimagined an artist’s sketchbook as a folder which contains a step-by-step guide to the creative process. There are prompts for self-reflection on the inside and space to store sheets of paper.

This guide would help the artist focus on the act of creating not just the expected outcome. Seeing their progress, having space to play, and discovering their own creative flair would improve their wellbeing and could reduce the effects of creative block.