The turning point of the creative process

I don't know about you, but when I'm in the middle of an artistic project there always comes a time when I start to feel insecure, full of doubts and wanting to set everything on fire, even if the result is looking good.

When I reach this stage, I feel trapped. Simply putting that work aside and starting another doesn't work—I stay in this bitter-artist mood for days, weeks, or even months. I want to never touch another paint, pencil, canvas, sketchbook, or even see any kind of art again because the only feeling in this resentful little heart is that art was a plague sent into the world to destroy all my dreams.

This feeling stays inside until something comes along and breaks the cycle - and there are several things out there that can do this: it could be a talk, a kind word, a phrase, a video, a person, an inspiring story, a book, or a movie, but they can all be summed up in one word: motivation .

I know many people have a certain bias when it comes to this word; I've been one of those myself. The thing is, there comes a time when we have to accept that without it, we won't get anywhere. And this motivation doesn't even have to come in the form of traditional inspirational speeches: the fact is, there's something in everyone that keeps them wanting to keep moving forward.

The strange thing is that there's a divide: you can have greater motivation to continue doing your daily activities and still feel stuck in your art. Why does this happen?

For me, we demand more of ourselves than we should every time we do something that somehow seems to validate our worth to ourselves and others through aesthetic standards. Specifically, with art, which is already a field often overlooked, this fear of not being enough only increases. And even if, yes, this validation exists and plays an important role (neither good nor bad) in our integration as individuals into society, we need to stop holding ourselves back so that things can move forward .

And that's no easy task. We often need someone else to stop us from stopping ourselves. Confusing, right? Let me explain: if the conflict is within us, there will always be some kind of self-defense mechanism that will prevent us from getting out of the hole we've dug ourselves into. After all , our brain wants both things at the same time: to get out and to stay in the hole . This mechanism also ends up being activated when people we know personally try to motivate us (like family or close friends), and we try to justify everything they say to us with affection.

That's why motivational quotes and speeches work so well in this case. It's someone who doesn't necessarily know you, telling you exactly what you needed to hear, and you believe them, of course. Honestly, who wouldn't believe in Beyoncé, Feminism, or Isaac Newton?

It was with all this in mind that Empório's newest product was born.

The idea is simple: a small box to leave on your desk or take with you around the world, filled with messages for moments of artistic crisis. Developed by artists for artists, the Motivation Box for Artists in Crisis is a breather.

Besides, I don't know if you believe in magic, but we're sure that the little piece of paper you get through the wind of luck will be exactly what you needed to read to continue proving to the world that there are things that only you can create.

With love,
Re