“Ughh,” I said quietly, my poor brush feeling the huff as I placed it down on my art table with a tad bit of purposeful force.

It wasn’t always like that, I reflected. That was a cool response compared to what it used to be when I felt like an artistic fraud.

For most of my life, I felt like art was my identity. It was who I was. It was what made me unique. It was my biggest offering to the world. And to feel as if I had lost that was to feel like I lost who I was. The reason I was something. The reason I was created. (Yes, I know that it was a false sense of identity but that’s where I was at the time.)

All artists experience it . . . those dry days. The days when your artistry feels defeated or perhaps impossible. The idea is in your head, but you just cannot get it to paper. Or perhaps there is no idea. It can happen for many reasons. Perhaps you have exhausted your creativity in one area after doing too many paintings in a row or perhaps you are afflicted by emotional turmoil or physical fatigue. Regardless of the cause, it can completely devastate an artist if not prepared. It can feel like you have lost all of your artistic ability. On those days your vision is blurred. Your perfectionism heightens. Your expectations intensify. On those days your art has died.

Boldly scribbling on paper, ripping up artwork, smashing the brush bristles into the paper, throwing pencils. Sadly, these were some of my past occurrences when I hit a dry patch. I had no idea when the creativity would return, or if it would.

It’s not easy when it happens. But it saves a lot of heartache if you walk away and come back. Sometimes hours later. Sometimes a day or two later. Sometimes a week or more. I’ve learned to be more attentive and proactive of my limits, so those dry moments don’t push me into frustration. Another way to handle it is to switch mediums or arts (like music or writing). If you don’t have one, try something new. And then come back to your original.

It’s important to remember, the dry artistic spells are fleeting—they are temporary, and the creativity does return. And when it does, all will be okay once again. And sometimes your refreshed outlook creates even better art.