When Life Feels Stagnant: Finding Movement Through Art
There are moments when life feels strangely paused, like the air itself has thickened, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to move forward. I usually realise I’m in that state of stagnation (or something that closely resembles it) when my mind starts playing a cruel little game with me. It brings up memories of when everything was better: when I was better, more inspired, more alive.
Other times, the opposite happens. The mind leaps ahead, painting anxious images of a future where I “could be doing better,” “should be doing more,” or “ought to have figured things out by now.” It’s as if my thoughts exist in two different time zones (past and future), neither of which has anything to do with where I actually am.
Freud once said, “The ego is not master in its own house.” He was right. The mind, left unchecked, hijacks our attention and convinces us that our worth depends on motion…on doing, achieving, becoming. And when we finally notice this internal tug-of-war, we find ourselves adrift, somewhere between self-doubt and exhaustion, like floating in the middle of the ocean in a leaky boat, surrounded by sharks named comparison, fear, and what if.
The Body Remembers
For me, stagnation isn’t just mental, it’s physical. My body tightens, my breath shortens, and everything inside me screams for movement. The discomfort of that stillness is almost unbearable. It’s as if my nervous system can’t tolerate doing nothing, even when “nothing” is exactly what I need.
But over time, I’ve started to see that this discomfort carries a message. It’s not a punishment, it’s an invitation. Stagnation isn’t a failure to evolve; it’s a sign that something within you is ready to shift. That feeling of being “stuck” might actually be your creativity asking for a new way to express itself.
The Creative Wake-Up Call
I like to think of it as life itself whispering:
“You’ve walked this path for a while, and you’ve done it beautifully. But what if there’s another way? What if I place a tunnel here, a labyrinth there, will you find a new rhythm?”
And that’s where transformation begins. Because the truth is, the times we feel lost are often the moments we’re closest to finding ourselves again. When the old ways stop working, creativity shows up…not as a luxury, but as a lifeline.
Learning to See Differently
Whenever I find myself without answers, I paint. I pour onto the canvas what I don’t yet understand, feelings too complex for words. Maybe that’s why I paint eyes. Because, on some level, I need my own creative power to see me.
And when I feel seen, by myself, by my art, by the quiet honesty of the present moment, I begin to move again. Not faster, not “better,” but differently. And that difference feels like freedom.
What You Can Take from This
If you’ve been feeling stagnant lately, here’s something to remember:
Stagnation isn’t the end, it’s a transition. It often means something deep within you is realigning.
The body speaks before the mind understands. Notice where tension builds, and let it teach you.
Creativity is medicine. Find your way of expression, through words, music, movement, or silence. It doesn’t really matter how, as long as you learn to move that energy inside your body in a healthy way; it immediately creates space for life to flow again.
We’re not meant to be in constant motion. Growth doesn’t always look like progress; sometimes it looks like stillness, confusion, or quiet reflection. But beneath it all, something sacred is shifting.
And when you finally start to move again, you’ll realise you were never really stuck. You were simply becoming. ¡Qué bonito!
