As an artist, the most difficult obstacle to generating work is the Block. That is to say, figuring out what to do next. It's a challenge that really separates art from design, and one that defines art as a self-motivated endeavor.

When I was younger—say pre-college—the Block wasn't such a big deal from me. I would draw a  lot in my sketchbook, and would usually come up with something during that process that would warrant further exploration. This also wasn't exactly a problem during college either, since there was a constant string of assignments. If the assignments ever ebbed, or I just got bored, then I found something else to do that I had wanted to create for myself.

After college, several big shifts happened for me, both creatively and professionally. Creatively, I began to work almost completely non-representationally. Having just spent four years in college to study illustration, one could imagine how that might be a problem. As my personally work was moving away from a heavily representational approach, my professional direction shifted from trying to make a go of Illustration, to becoming a designer. Both of these changes are certainly connected, and though I wouldn't say that either shift was a result of the other. They simply happened rather naturally. The end result of these major shifts left me with a new means of personal creative expression, while at the same time grappling with learning new professional skills.

It's now almost nine years since I graduated from college. What it means to be an artist has changed dramatically since then, and now I'm struggling to figure out what the next thing is. I feel that I'm starting to create a body of work that is relevant to my life and my experience—something that I'm proud of—but I still search for what's next.

Somewhat at fault is the fact that I've been creating art that is, essentially, not about things. It's more about the process, the experimentation, the lasting impression that I get from the piece when I feel that it's ultimately complete. Those are important aspects of art, but I'm finding that it's just not enough for me. What I'm really searching for is inspiration from something around me. Some thing that grabs my attention and won't let go. I'm not looking for a perfect still life, or a picturesque landscape.

Ultimately, what I'm searching for is a concept.

I can't imagine a more difficult problem for an artist. It is truly the most basic, existential question an artist can grapple with and it's becoming a real struggle. I'm not sure what my next steps will be, but all I can really do right now is soldier on while trying to be receptive to the ideas floating the ether.

I know the blogfolio has a pretty limited reach, but what do you guys do? With nobody telling you what to do, how do you find the next big idea, the next thing?