Having a personal creative block

[crankyoldman]

At least, I think I am. I've been ruminating on this all morning, because well, I have free time now that I've been working. And while I've been doing a lot more creative stuff at this job, it's not you know, MINE exactly. And I find myself not wanting to do much at all in my free time.

Rest is good, of course, but am I just in a lazy mood... forever? I haven't felt the need to write, or sew, or even play around with graphics or anything outside of work. I just come home and watch TV and if I'm feeling extra with it I read a book or play a videogame. I was starting to think it was because I stared at a screen all day, but that just doesn't seem to be the case MOST days (some days, like yesterday where I spent an entire day in Illustrator on a hugeass flow diagram... that counts as needing a break).

Ladyfriend pointed this out, because well, my participation in anything hobby related has dwindled. It was within the context of fanfic and while I maybe thought that hobby was simply something I was no longer interested in, that's really not the case. I still get stupid excited over reading fic and seeing reviews and things...

Any of you sorts out there know how to pace your creative energy better between a job and hobbies? Am I becoming unable to concentrate or something? It's just really weird and I think that it's a little more than a simple "not feeling into it".

Comments

[whitemage]

You may consider retraining your brain on why you're doing creative hobbies. For a long time, I know you were feeling vastly unfulfilled in your program/career, and you had a lot of life things you needed a major outlet from. Your hobbies (even the ones you had been doing before all that) were a way to help you survive, then to feel accomplished and engaged to make up for what your professional life lacked.

You don't have that as much anymore, because you have a more stable personal life and a program/developing career that fits your talents and inclinations much better. It's still not necessarily that you no longer need creative hobbies, but that your reason for doing them now has changed somewhat. So it might take finding a new reason or goal for whatever creative thing you're wanting to do?