Okay, this one’s serious. You sit down with your drawing book, and all the ideas hide in the far south of your brain. You stare at it for thirty minutes hoping for a kind idea to pay a visit, but nothing.
Another situation. You’re a writer, and writers write, right? But the words have seeped so far below your gut that the letters of your keyboard have withered and left you in dismay. Not a single word arrives, not even in sympathy.
You can relate; we know. Every living soul that breathes the same air has felt the same feeling at least once in their creative lifespan. All inspiration hides, ideas wouldn’t arrive, the empty page stares back at us, and no matter how hard we force our creative instincts to show up, they act like the lazy teen who wouldn’t leave their bed for the world.
Yes, you’re not alone if you feel this way. Welcome, dear friend, to the club of Creative Block.
When we find ourselves stuck in a block, most often than not, this block starts growing into an ugly void. Days pass. All our efforts seem powerless. Will power chokes. Motivation hides below the bed. And right when this monster makes you think it’s too strong to be defeated, laugh on its face.
Even the mightiest creative block will leave, and you’ll be united with your tools of creation. But you don’t always have to wait for it to go. Let’s look at how you can overcome your Creative Block sooner than you had expected:
Stop Your Thoughts
We all know how sometimes a quaint night by our thoughts can quickly turn into a self-sabotaging session of overthinking. You start ridiculing every idea, good or bad, and become complacent in your comfort zone of not creating.
To counter this type of creative block, we need to silence the relentless inner critic.
You should get out of your home and go someplace nice, like a local art museum or your nearby public park. A new environment will help you reset your mind and feed your brain with new experiences.
Another way is to consume art. Pick up a book that’s gathering dust on your shelf, or immerse yourself into inspiring cinema. The right music, when heard the right way, can also stimulate new thoughts. You might want to get yourself a pair of Airdopes that offer an unmatched listening experience.
To summarise, consuming art can help you absorb ideas and start a chain of thoughts to get back to creating.
Change Your Creative Routine
Maybe it’s not you, it’s your routine. Imagine if you’re committed to a full-time job and your art creating slot is scheduled in the night. It’s likely that you’re mentally and physically exhausted by the time you’re supposed to create. You are left with no energy, and it’s obvious your creative cycle will fall flat.
Or, maybe your creative schedule is when you’re around people. We know how hard it can be to create if you’re surrounded by your colleagues, spouses, parents, or children.
What to do? Revamp your routine. Find what works best for you. Analyze the time slot when you’re spurting with creative juices. Don’t pick a time just because that’s what works for your friends. Find your best time to be creative.
Needless to say, it’s absolutely essential that you are well eaten and well-rested before you get creative. So, reevaluate your energy levels and fix your sleep and eating cycle if it’s messed up.
Is A Personal Problem Tampering Your Creativity?
This happens all the time. An ongoing personal issue is drawing all your mind space, pulling you back from making things you love. It could be anything: maybe health problems, a recent loss, diaspora, or even something in your relationship.
Try to resolve the issue, if at all possible, or find a way to pay less heed to it so you can get back to making. If you feel both of these tricks can’t work for you because the problem at hand is a big one, take your time accepting it, maybe? It’s completely alright if you want to take a break from creating. You deserve the time to accept, cope, or grieve.
Phew. This one was heavy for us too, and we hope it helps you keep doing what you love.
We’ll conclude this piece with a gentle (but also firm) reminder: whatever you feel is completely normal. Feeling overwhelmed is alright, feeling helpless is alright. It happens to the best of us, and it’s all part of the process. And trust us, please, you’ll emerge victoriously out of your creative block sooner or later.
So, onwards and upwards, you creative geniuses.
