Artists and the "Black and Squishy"

Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with another artist. For as long as I've known Allie she's been identified with a certain type of ceramics. She's reached an exhaustion of every idea and variation she can imagine. A space has opened and she is searching for a new direction.
This is a time in her creativity which she described as "black and squishy." I like that. Black and squishy gives an image to that scary place where all of the artist's fears arise. It's the place of insecurity. It's the place where artists decide to mess with their success.
I remember reading that when Jackson Pollock moved away from the splatter painting, he lost a lot of gallery interest in his work. It's a tough call. Once an artist is "branded" and has public recognition, what happens if they reach a black and squishy place?