Whenever I hear about people saying they have "art block" they don't seem to elaborate on it much and this kind of seems to suggest that there is only one kind of "art block" but I don't think this is really the case, I think that an art block is probably just anything that sort of inhibits us psychologically from making more-- It develops from some sort of internal cognitive dissonance that pulls but also pushes at the same time, resulting in frustration and eventually giving up.

My biggest and most frequent "art blocker" is the idea that whatever I make just isn't going to be good enough: That it won't get enough favs, that my client won't like it, etc etc. I think this is an easy one to fall for, but it's also the most frustrating because if you don't continue to make something it becomes self-fulfilling if you don't try to work through a piece. I think this one happens because I must have convinced myself at one point or another that unless I was some prodigy at whatever I am trying to do, there is no point in doing it at all, but this isn't restricted just to art making and seems to spill into all kinds of crap I do.

I also get a much less frequent one which is kind of hard to explain. Basically it involves realizing that I've put a lot of hours of effort into arting, and a lot of people have gotten some enjoyment out of what I made, but I haven't been directly compensated for their enjoyment. And when I say "compensated" I don't strictly mean money, which might not make sense if you haven't ever made something for free that a lot of people liked and gotten nothing but praise for it, but think of it like this: Say you run races and you get medals for doing it, except that the medals you get aren't made out of any valuable metals and one day you sort of ask yourself "why am I collecting these? are they even worthwhile?" and by doing this you kind of lose track of what you are doing. This is easily explained with the extrinsic versus intrinsic motivational theory of reward-based behaviors, but because of this it can be a somewhat easy art block to beat by sort of tricking your thought process into seeing other motivations in it. The only time it sucks badly is when you run into motivational hazards-- Like the prospect of thinking you might get your art stolen.

Like I said, I think there are probably a lot of different "art block" types out there, these are just the ones that usually get me. If anyone else has any "art blocks" of their own I'd like to know what they are, so I can try to either figure out ways around them or just maybe to think about as something I have not encountered myself before.

Ozelot said:
My biggest and most frequent "art blocker" is the idea that whatever I make just isn't going to be good enough: That it won't get enough favs, that my client won't like it, etc etc. I think this is an easy one to fall for, but it's also the most frustrating because if you don't continue to make something it becomes self-fulfilling if you don't try to work through a piece. I think this one happens because I must have convinced myself at one point or another that unless I was some prodigy at whatever I am trying to do, there is no point in doing it at all, but this isn't restricted just to art making and seems to spill into all kinds of crap I do.

I can relate to that, except I tend to inhibit myself for a lack of planning or research when considering some unfamiliar or seemingly taxing venture. The block comes from never fully completing the plan or research, so that makes a very convenient excuse for never executing the idea in question: "I'm not ready/as ready as I can be" and "I should do [A] before starting ". That excuse compounds with the seemingly reasonable consideration "if I couldn't even manage to finish [A], then I probably wasn't motivated enough to finish the project anyway" or "I wasn't serious" for short. This mental block is basically the next step after realizing "I don't have the immediate ability to do this (well)", which is what you seem to be describing, before reaching the same terminal procrastination.A very long time ago when I was just a kid, I had the breakthrough realization that many, many people act impulsively, guided almost solely by basic instincts and emotions. Blame my environment at the time if you beg to differ, but the explanation as best as I can recreate it would be further digression from the OP. The point is because that epiphany, at a young age I ingrained a constant filter into my thought process between recognizing a decision to be made and acting. While that caution does bear fruit, I believe I also created a rational emotional detachment that greatly inhibits or displaces my motivation. Thus, I am absolutely not a go-getter in even the smallest capacity, which brings me back to the previous paragraph and the quoted text. Some people get things done at all (but maybe not well) because they act without thinking too much (beforehand), they have that innate drive telling them to "just do it". Based on your descriptions you may, like me, lack that critical mass of motivation.Nevertheless, having forced myself through a full time program while maintaining the highest GPA in that program, specifically in spite of my lack of motivation, I did advance my understanding of this problem:1. First, the problem itself is a sham. Not only is it an excuse to avoid something you know should be done (i.e., procrastination), but it is also an excuse to distract yourself from deeper issues. It's a thought exercise much like a mental cage designed to keep us floundering about inside with our manufactured toys, too distracted to face the greater problems outside the cage. Fear of failure is easy to single out, but even that could be a cop-out. Ever consider fear of success? The irony should be not overlooked, nor the absurdity forgotten. I think fear of the cost of success (e.g., years of life) and fear of commitment to succeed (e.g., a single life path) are apt phantoms for the person who hesitates. Doubt.2. It's a negative feedback loop. You already touched on this. A person who doesn't try cannot succeed, let alone develop lacking skills or earn recognition. However, the opposite is also true, and understanding this is critical to reverse the negative outlook of the person who does not try. A person who tries, regardless of the result, is more likely to try again in the future and experience greater success than the person who does not try. Success encourages future attempts whereas failure should negatively reinforce one to do better next time. That's a positive feedback loop either way. This is proven, believe it or not. Look up self-efficacy if you are unfamiliar, although you may already be aware.3. Some say "you must walk before you can run". That may be true for those not prone to walking in whatever context the phrase applies, but the person who does not try has most assuredly done their fair share of walking all ready. Instead, I propose "run, don't walk". Oftentimes, the net gain including losses from failures is greater if one acts without hesitating much compared to potential that would be lost from procrastinating. Experience is both valuable and necessary, even if it comes at the cost of some disappointment, embarrassment, or wounded pride. Also, many situations in life are fluid, meaning results like disappointment need not be final because there's often opportunities for redemption.I will admit, however, that always running is daunting and gets tiresome, which is where I'm at right now. My hope and the original plan is that, given enough positive feedback from running, it will develop into a new habit with its own support system.

I also get a much less frequent one which is kind of hard to explain. Basically it involves realizing that I've put a lot of hours of effort into arting, and a lot of people have gotten some enjoyment out of what I made, but I haven't been directly compensated for their enjoyment. And when I say "compensated" I don't strictly mean money, which might not make sense if you haven't ever made something for free that a lot of people liked and gotten nothing but praise for it, but think of it like this: Say you run races and you get medals for doing it, except that the medals you get aren't made out of any valuable metals and one day you sort of ask yourself "why am I collecting these? are they even worthwhile?" and by doing this you kind of lose track of what you are doing. This is easily explained with the extrinsic versus intrinsic motivational theory of reward-based behaviors, but because of this it can be a somewhat easy art block to beat by sort of tricking your thought process into seeing other motivations in it. The only time it sucks badly is when you run into motivational hazards-- Like the prospect of thinking you might get your art stolen.

I think earning ribbons rather than medals would make for a better analogy since they aren't usually worth anything. Or just earning titles with no direct value (e.g., 3rd). Then there's "consolation prizes". But yeah, doubt and beckoning disillusionment. And no, I haven't been in a position to experience what you described.

I all ready gave most of my spiel about motivation, but I can add that a healthier perspective for this problem would be to view your art as stepping stones or the trail you leave behind as you approach your desired end goal, which is consistent with what I said above. Experience. Improvement. Some efforts, perhaps many, honestly won't yield anything tangible, and it may be unrealistic to expect otherwise. Yet, ironically, you actually have more opportunity than most to measure your experience and growth because you leave art in your wake. You have something concrete left behind to judge.

Now, if you're asking yourself if there's some better use of your time and effort, perhaps some more direct path to your goal, or you question whether you're heading down a dead end, well I think those are questions that must occasionally be asked and answered. Those questions have real world, technical answers that I'm not equipped to provide. I would just recommend, if you do let these questions occupy your time, that you (1) take answering them seriously (e.g., no half-assed answers, no maybes, reach some decisive conclusion) and (2) set aside a chunk of time for the answering process to lessen the distraction elsewhere.

I can't exactly relate to you when it comes to Art Block, simply because I'm not at a level where I feel I should have it to begin with.

Writer's Block is where I can best relate to you about this topic, but I can't quite say I've ever had that before.

I write Pokémon FanFiction as a hobby. I spend 1-2 hours almost daily writing anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 words. I have finished one story at almost 350,000 words, and have nearly surpassed 500,000 words on its sequel. In fact, I'm only a few chapters away from finishing writing my sequel, which I see myself finishing during the early summer of this year (2015).

I write a lot and don't see myself slowing down because I've not only disciplined myself into doing so, but because I have a surplus of ideas that motivate me into writing them down, for everybody else to read. My story is popular enough, receives enough attention and has definitely received it's share of praise. Don't believe me? Clicking on my name will show you the link to my FanFiction account.

When I get to a higher level of art, perhaps I'll progress along it at a similar rate as my writing hobby. But for now, I'm still practicing by sketching inanimate objects.

Just yesterday, I did the "Kingdom Key" Keyblade from Kingdom Hearts.