Videos and books are my ‘Go-to Therapists’, reveals Ar. Kapil Aggarwal
Ar. Kapil Aggarwal believes in taking a complete break from the work at hand to unleash renewed energy and explore different perspectives — an assured therapy for periods of creative sterility…Being a designer/artist, it is important to have a free mind with least hindrances to create; but that is not possible every time. There is always a constant fight in directing your mind towards your goal; rather, it wanders towards thoughts which are not even related — an act that certainly leads to creativity blocks.
To bounce back from a creative block, I try to balance my thoughts and avoid negative thoughts that hamper my creative thinking. Many a time, due to surrounding activities or circumstances, our attention is diverted, and we become overly conscious about the incidents happening around us. This distraction acts as fuel to unnecessary thoughts, especially in these present conditions.
I make a conscious effort of not keeping myself updated constantly about the current affairs. Over the past month, I have unfollowed pages and deleted apps which carry unpleasant news and activities. I take breaks, putting aside my laptop and other gadgets for a detox, from time to time. A good way is to take a couple of days off from work and focus on other activities, where I look for new recipes and spend some time in kitchen or listen to some music, at times watching a web series.
Over the past month, I have unfollowed pages and deleted apps which carry unpleasant news and activities.
Another method that works for me is to read design blogs or watch videos of different people, their thought processes and getting inspired from their work, which helps in looking at things from a different perspective.
I spend a lot of time during the mornings, taking care of the plants, experiencing the surrounding greens, and doing yoga. This keeps me calm and composed.
Yet, at times it gets difficult to be in a right mind frame. I try to sketch and make a constant effort to spend time on design development, which eventually leads to a productive outcome. Feeling blocked or uninspired right now is normal. But, no one wants to stay that way, and expression through art is one of the best tools we have for dealing with trauma.
Ar. Kapil Aggarwal of Spaces Architect@ka calls himself an artist turned architect. Adept at corporate, residential, commercial architecture as well as conservation and restoration, he is the recipient of over 40 national and international awards. He believes that his work follows a unique style based on his ideology and perspective towards design requirements. He practices from Delhi since 1999.
Text & Photography credits: Ar. Kapil Aggarwal
Originally published at https://www.indiaartndesign.com on September 2, 2020.