Marie Peach is an artist and life coach who works with creatives to help them transform their confidence and income.

I sat down with her to find out how she helps writers and artists overcome feelings of being blocked and overwhelmed, the impacts of 2020 on creativity, and her mission to ‘eradicate the starving artist myth, one artist at a time.’

Coronavirus has brought about many stresses and altered circumstances for people – particularly creatives whose livelihood may be affected by lockdown. What affect do you think this has had on creativity?

You’re right in that it has affected people very differently. Talking to clients and people in my creatives community, the lockdown seems to have had one of three effects.

This year, artists, writers and many other types of creatives have either been inspired, have diversified or have stopped creating altogether. Some have made more art than ever before, and this has certainly been the case for many crafters and makers with small independent shops online. Or they have diversified because their previous role has not been possible, for example in the theatre. The third effect I’ve seen, and the saddest one, is that lockdown has dampened some people’s creativity completely. Some people have told me they have been unable to make or write anything much since March.

Would you say many people have been feeling ‘stuck’ during lockdown?

Some people are feeling stuck and some people are feeling freed by the lockdown. I found it has to do with how attached people are to the idea of getting back to exactly how things were before. Those who are happiest appear to be the ones who have adapted, or have been rethinking their creativity altogether. A friend who was working in the theatre industry, for example, has now branched out into taking and selling beautiful photographs from her daily walk and is selling Christmas decorations she makes using her costume making skills.

What’s the key to getting ‘unstuck’?

I find the key to getting unstuck is temporarily walking away from whichever project or creative format is driving you crazy and do something else. We get even more stuck when we take our stuckness too seriously. Engage your creative mind in another way – baking, dancing around the living room, making up a game with the kids, writing, drawing or making something entirely different to your original project.

Combine that with chunking down the project into bite-size pieces when you return to it and you will keep moving forward (which is the main thing to do when you are stuck). I’m a big fan of the Pomodoro technique, where you just focus hard for 25 minutes chunks at a time.

Could lockdowns also provide opportunities for creatives? What are these?

Yes, lots of people are diversifying. Working from home has provided challenges for some people but for others they are finding new ways to use their creativity.

My own creativity usually takes a dip during this time of year  – due to reduced daylight and increased fatigue – is that a common experience?

I would say it’s common, yes. Our bodies naturally have less energy when there is less daylight. For some though, hunkering down in the winter is just what they need to get the work done. Personally, I can be quite productive in winter when I’m not distracted by lovely weather. I love the cosiness of painting when it’s throwing it down outside, or late afternoon when it’s dark already.

You’ve produced a free guide to help creative people come unstuck and deal with feelings of being overwhelmed. Can you tell me more about that?

Yes! I tried to think of the three techniques that I personally use that stop me feeling overwhelmed. These are also practical steps that I use with clients, and they really work. You can download the guide here. 

Tell us about the ‘starving artist myth’ and how you are working with creatives to overcome this. 

There’s a prevalent conception that artists have to scrape a living and live in impoverished conditions because people won’t pay for art – the stereotypical writer in the garret. The Starving Artist profile, where a writer, painter or similar survives on Bourbon, dreams and love, is romantic in the films, but is not realistic and it’s old hat.

I’m making it my mission to eradicate this myth, so I’m running a six-week course called Positive Money Mindset for Creatives, starting January 12. It’s for anyone interested in hitting the ground running in 2021, and who, up until now has been struggling to reach the income they know they deserve. I can’t wait to get started with that, this will be such an amazing way for anyone to start what I’m sure will be a much more positive year!’

Learn more about Marie’s work as a Confidence and Money Mindset Coach here.