How do you deal with lack of inspiration?

[ParadoxMoxie]

Or what do you do when you feel your zining is getting static--too much of the same content, layout type, etc--when you feel your creativity lagging? What do you do when you just can't think of anything to write, any content?

For various reasons, I haven't turned out a new zine in two years, and only recently have even been printing my already-finished 4 issues of ReWrite. Now, I'm not sure I can turn out new material. I have a box of old material, so I can probably turn out one more zine, but after that... Ok, I'm sure I CAN, I'm just not sure how.

What do you do?

[Brian V]

Take a step back for a minute.

Not from creating, but zines in general. I assume you've still read/traded/been involved in the scene even if you haven't cranked out anything new in a minute. With anything I don't feel completely enthusiastic about after awhile, even if it's something I swear i've dedicated myself to, I take a step back for a minute and take a break from worrying about it. Not too long as to get disoriented of course, but to take in some other things, some other varieties of inspiration.

The key to art is life. They are both synonymous and antonymous all at once. If you're too absorbed in your art, you're not living, and thus no life is being breathed into your art.

Life is oxygen, art is carbon dioxide.

[ParadoxMoxie]

'Life is oxygen, art is carbon dioxide.' I like that.
Actually, I have been away from the zine world almost completely at the same time I've not been producing zines.

[Dan C]

I often get stuck or bored on something I'm working on. But there's often another dozen projects I meant to be working on too. It's sometimes hard to put the thing I was excited (on some level) about down and work on something else I'm more immediately energized about, but I think that's the best way to actually keep working hard on something. More particularly, I'd suggest you try making a short, one-off zine about a topic that isn't really covered in your other zines.

[Becky the Evil Flower]

Writing somewhere I don't normally write helps me. Buses are the best, and today I discovered writing backstage is fantastic. Getting out of your element is strangely helpful.

[Sabrina]

I have a box of old material, so I can probably turn out one more zine

When you put it that way, it sounds like you really aren't that happy with/inspired by the material, so why publish it? If you are not inspired to make something, you should probably not make it. A lack of passion will show through in your zine.

[sandy]

I put the project down completely. Zines aren't a huge part of my life, though, so stepping in and out is easy for me. If it's your main hobby, walking away can be depressing. :(

But yeah, putting it down seems to help. Sometimes you can get stagnant cos you get into a habit of doing things a certain way. Giving yourself some space to 'forget' those habits can make you feel fresh again when you come back.