Every artist has a common enemy: the creative block. There’s barely anyone who will go through their entire creative journey, professional or otherwise, without being in a bit of a funk at least once. But when you find yourself in a rut, how do you climb back out? 

We caught up with four musicians and convinced them to spill their secrets on what creative funks feel like for them, their tips and tricks for overcoming it, and what advice they have for others going through the same thing.

What does a creative funk feel like for you?

Africaine: A creative funk feels like traffic in your brain. So many things are going on, and it’s hard to pull apart the pieces.

Kemena: I’ve never had to try to make music. It really just comes to me, unprovoked. Almost like Thor’s hammer: I’m worthy, so I create – effortlessly. So when I send a probe down my brain, and no surge of brilliance comes to me, it feels very odd. That is what a funk feels like for me.

Meji: Feels like a state of Inertia 😏

Achezy: A creative funk feels like being stuck in a fog, you know where you’re going, but you can’t exactly visualise how to get there. I want to create, but nothing feels fresh or exciting. It’s like I can hear the music in my head, but I can’t translate it into something that moves me. 

What’s the biggest challenge you face when feeling uninspired?

Africaine: Connecting my head to my heart. Wanting to create but not being able to is hard. 

Kemena: When you’re as amazing as I am at making music, it’s very easy for your self-worth to be attached to that talent. The biggest challenge is feeling like a nobody, it’s like my bending has been taken away, and then imposter syndrome kicks in briefly.

Meji: Everything I try to create in that moment seems wack or subpar, so I don’t feel like myself.

Achezy: The biggest challenge is self-doubt. When I’m uninspired, I start questioning my talent and whether I’m actually that guy or if I’m even good enough. It becomes a battle in my head, and that can be really draining.

What are some things that usually get you out of a funk?

Africaine: I immerse myself in activities. Listen to stories. Watch movies. Sleeping even helps. 

Kemena: I never actively try to get out of a funk. I switch to mixing records, which is more technical than creative. That’s just a skill. I focus on mixing records, and/or building on already existing records until Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) finds me worthy again.

Meji: Having a good time, watching a movie, hanging out with friends or taking a walk

Achezy: Taking breaks and doing something entirely different really helps. Sometimes, I step away to live, reflect, and just ignore that part of me that wants to create. Conversations with other creatives, new environments, or listening to music I love will reignite the spark most times.

What’s your favourite way to recharge your creative energy?

Africaine: Listening to music from other genres. Takes me outside the box 

Kemena: Chores. When I clean up my apartment and shower, my desk beckons.

Meji: Watching a movie.

Achezy: I just listen to a lot of songs that are similar to my craft, and then also maybe watch live performances at concerts. It reminds me why I started, keeps me motivated and reconnects me with that initial passion.

Do you think people who make certain types of music are more prone to slumps than others? Why or why not?

Africaine: Not really. Music is about storytelling. It has more to do with how I’m feeling in the moment and how receptive I am to my creative energies.  

Kemena: The state of being in a funk is human. It’s the creator who feels stuck. The symptoms and causes are psychological, I don’t think genre has any place in this conversation.

Meji: Yes, I think so. If you’re making feel-good music or ‘cruise’, it sometimes doesn’t need as much intentionality as an introspective or emotionally driven song.

Achezy: Yes I do. In my opinion genres that demand heavy emotional expression, like soul or R&B, might be more prone to slumps because they draw so deeply from personal experiences. If your life feels still, the music might reflect that.

What advice would you give to other artists feeling stuck?

Africaine: You’ll be fine. Just keep trying, don’t pressure yourself

Kemena: Be stuck. Accept the funk. You’re not weird for not feeling like making music. Or, if your case is that you really wanna work but your making shitty stuff, there are two options:

1. Keep making shitty stuff. Get all the dirty water out until clean water flows

2. ⁠keep making shitty stuff until you can’t take it anymore and realise you’re in a funk, and then rinse and repeat (i.e – be stuck, accept the funk.. etc)

Meji: Take a break, do something fun and then try again later.

Achezy: It’s very okay to take a break from your art, sometimes just do something different: go for walks, go to the beach, try a new environment, hang out with friends, fall in love maybe 😂…. Just don’t put too much pressure on yourself; it happens to the best of us.