"The problem with being in that mode of being the creator of fine art products is that if you let your ego go on to thinking that it is making some sort of unique genius product like the work of a unique, original art, when it really is a market-driven product, then that's when you might find that you have hooked up your heroic ego, who has a contract or job in society or to the family, and have mistaken it for your spiritual development. That's why it feels so dumb and empty. You need to get back to your true spiritual calling now and again, not necessarily all the time. It gets a bit tiring."

There are two distinctive types of creative blocks, and they are as different as chalk and cheese. One is a Drought, where there’s nothing there at all. The other is a Flood—an unstoppable, raging river where you can't contain or organize anything. The result is the same: you’re left with nothing to show for your efforts but chaos and a devastating blow to your sense of self-worth.

For creative people, a block isn't just a bad mood; it's an existential crisis. Your creativity is your entire identity. If a surgeon loses their sight, their entire function is gone. For us, it is the same. And yet, because our function relies on such a subtle, interior quality, we are often told it doesn’t matter. It matters immensely.

In this guide, we go beyond generic advice to diagnose the specific type of block you're in—and more importantly, to apply the right soul medicine. Because the cure for a Drought will only make a Flood worse.

So here we have Apollo. He stands once again, reluctantly, outside Dion's cave, arms folded, frowning, thinking, "For fuck's sake, what am I doing here again? I'm busy. I've got kids to feed, bills to pay, and God knows what will happen if anyone sees me hanging around outside this loser's cave." He bangs louder on the door. "Dion, open up! Come on, I know you're in there. If you don't let me in there to pick something to show the world, I'm going to have to shut my gallery and go and sell car parts. Let me in!"

Why your real work is still in the basement – and how to bring just enough of it into the light without sacrificing your soul.