So you have writer’s block…or painters block, or musical block. Let’s just call it CREATIVE BLOCK…You’re starting projects only to convince yourself you need a sandwich halfway through the beginning. You’re brainstorming ideas only to come back hours later to what looks like a toddler’s coloring pad. You’re racking your brain for whatever creative spark you KNOW is in there, so much so that it is now essentially mush.
Sweetie, you have creative block.
The good news is, we all get blocked creatively sometimes. The bad news is, you might have to get up off the couch in order to get those creative juices cranked back into high gear.
I myself have been especially creatively blocked lately that you can probably find track marks from where my feet have been pacing.
So let me walk you through some of the solutions that I find work the best when I’m creatively frustrated! (In no particular order).
Workout
So this is my number 1, all else has failed solution to break myself out of creative struggles. Getting ourselves active actually allows us to take our minds OFF of our project and give our creative brain a bit of a breather. I find this to be helpful and refreshing and it always allows me to come back to work with a fresh outlook!
Take a Shower
Not only because we just worked our butts off in the gym out of creative frustration, but taking a shower is another one of those relaxers that can actually help to momentarily alleviate some of the stress built up while trying to create a project. When all of our stressors are stressing us out even more because we know we’re stressed about them…let’s just say it leads to bad news (I mean, even that sentence stresses me out). So giving yourself permission to let go of that strain for a little while might actually allow an idea that had been pinned under other worries to begin to peek through!
Go Outside
Alright, I’m not going to say the same distraction and relaxation mumbo jumbo again. While stepping a foot into the great outdoors can bring both of these, I want to touch on another benefit, which is inspiration. Heading outdoors can be beneficial for the good ole inspiration bucket. Watching nature, watching people, watching anything just “be” in its natural state has the strange effect of giving off ideas. Also, ever heard of a change of scenery? That’s not just to take in the sights. Changing up the scenery helps to restart your brain after looking over the same things constantly and giving it a fresh perspective to work from.
Read a Book
Ever read something and it almost immediately spark inspiration for something else. At least for me, reading is one of the number one ways to jump start my own creativity. It doesn’t have anything to do with copying, but instead the ability that the written word has to transform you from one place in your own life to another place in whoever you’re reading about’s. I find things like other world building, fresh perspectives, and differing opinions help to give me a clear picture of my own vision, perspective, and opinion.
Power Through
This is just as it sounds. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and force yourself to start. A lot of the time it might not be perfect, but at least you’ve started and for the most part as you push through the tough parts, you’re also pushing through all the bad parts as well. Soon you’ll get back to all the good things that make your work special.
Sometimes you have to trudge through the bad to discover the good again.
Adjust Your Approach
And finally, sometimes the way you’ve been doing things have just come to the end of their road. You’ve creatively used that same method, topic, or vision long enough and its time to take a whole new approach to what you’re trying to do. This doesn’t mean you have to change your style and the things you like, but you can always try new things and slowly incorporate small changes into projects giving them a fresh look and feel and giving yourself something new to both try and master.
So there you have it y’all! These are all the different things I try when trying to cure my own creative blockages and if you give them a try I hope they help to cure you too!
Leave a Reply