Vitamin A

June 28, 2025

There are days, sometimes even seasons, when creativity seems to dry up. You sit down at your desk or studio with every intention of making something meaningful, but nothing comes. The spark that once felt electric now barely flickers. It’s easy in those moments to feel stuck, even lost, as if the well you’ve been drawing from has simply run dry.

But inspiration doesn’t always have to come from some deep internal place. Sometimes, the most powerful way to find your creative footing again is to look outward, and backward. Often, what we need is a healthy dose of what I like to call Vitamin A: art. Not in the nutritional sense, of course, but in the soul-filling, perspective-shifting way that only art can offer.

When you're feeling uninspired, art can act like a compass. It can reorient you, remind you of what’s possible, and whisper that you’re not alone in your struggle. Every artist, whether a painter, poet, photographer, or musician, has faced moments of doubt and uncertainty. And many of them have left behind a trail of work that doesn’t just impress or entertain, but invites and encourages.

There’s something grounding about standing in front of a centuries-old painting or thumbing through a book filled with expressive, fearless works. Whether it’s the raw emotion in a Frida Kahlo self-portrait, the movement and energy in a Kandinsky composition, or the quiet power of a Georgia O’Keeffe landscape, art speaks. Not in words, but in color, shape, gesture, and spirit. It reminds us that we don’t have to reinvent inspiration from nothing, we can borrow it, soak in it, and let it gently guide us back to our own voice.

Sometimes, all it takes is a visit to a museum to reset your creative rhythm. Other times, it’s hanging a few favorite images above your desk or losing an afternoon inside an old art book. Even scrolling through an online archive of masterpieces can shift something inside. It's not about copying or chasing someone else’s style, it's about reconnecting with the magic of making something, the joy of expression, the wonder of possibility.

If you're in a creative rut right now, give yourself permission to step away from the struggle. Let yourself be moved by the work of others. Fill your space with pieces that speak to you, challenge you, or simply make you feel something. This kind of nourishment, the kind that art offers so effortlessly, can do more for your creative spirit than hours of forced effort.

Inspiration isn’t always a lightning bolt. Sometimes, it’s a quiet ripple started by someone else’s brushstroke. Let yourself follow that ripple. Take in some art. Top up on Vitamin A. And then, when you're ready, return to your own canvas, with fresh eyes and an open heart.