I opened an envelope from the 1940s expecting something worth saving — a last letter, maybe, something with a story. It was junk mail.

The Art Playdate is a monthly project I started at the beginning of this year after realizing my studio time had become too task-oriented—all business, no play. Each month I choose a material, tool, or idea I've been curious about and spend the month exploring it with no pressure to produce sellable work. January was vintage sheet music. February brought me back to magazines.

Creative slowdowns are real, and you're not alone in feeling stuck. Here are twelve strategies to help you move through the doldrums - from giving yourself permission to rest, to rediscovering forgotten materials, to visiting a museum with a friend.

For months, I couldn't figure out how to use them. I stitched them, tore them into smaller pieces, added them to collages, only to peel them off later. Their saturated colors stood out too much against my muted vintage papers. Then this morning, walking back from the bus stop, I had a vision...