Creative blocks. They can happen to anybody. They are frustrating. Discouraging. Even maddening. Blocks can happen when we are stressed, when we feel disconnected, or even simply unmotivated to be creative. However, creative blocks also hit us out of the blue. We just wake up, sit down to create and realize that there isn’t anything there in our heads to create. This sometimes happens when we have been working and working without a break. Creative blocks can be a wake up call that something in our creative life needs to change or be shaken up a bit. What are the keys to getting unblocked? I have compiled a list of ten ways that you can use to move through the block and back into your creative groove.
- Change the Scenery: If you work at home or studio, go someplace else. Work from a coffee shop or at the park for a little while. Pack up the minimum amount of supplies you will need and just go. I have, on a few occasions, packed up scissors, glue, papers, and cards and gone to Starbucks around the corner. I sat with my coffee, people watched and made cards. I have even taken my laptop and knocked out two to three blog posts at a time sitting at a coffee shop. For some reason, I can sometimes tune in easier there than I can at home.
- Do Something Different: If you are a card maker that uses stamps, try your hand at some watercolor paints or clay. If you are a writer, it might mean your mind needs a words break, so color or draw. I find that I keep a few projects on hand that aren’t on time schedules that I can pick up and do when I am stuck on writing or card-making. It breaks up the monotony of the same thing. Even when you love it, sometimes the brain needs a break.
- Come out of Isolation: I have noticed many creatives get busy and into a project and they isolate themselves to get their work done. They are in “the zone”. This is great but if you suddenly find yourself stuck instead of creating, one of the things you can do is socialize. It can be with your family or friends. Go out to lunch with someone you haven’t seen for a while. Sit down with the kids and see what is going on in their world. It is so easy to become intensely focused when we are zoned in on a project that we forget we need the company of other people sometimes.
- Read Inspiring Blogs/Posts: Even if you read it before. I have gone back and read a post more than once because I found it inspirational. I also make sure there are bloggers that I can go to for some inspiration when I need it. Some great ones are: Jamie Riddler, Tery Lynn, Lamisha Serf- Walls, Leonie Dawson, and Chris Guillebeau. I am sure there are more. I discover them all the time using Pinterest. It is also a great place to go for some inspiration and ideas when you have creative blocks.
- Practice Mindfulness and Affirmations: This is an easy one to forget to do when we start or end our day. It is so easy just to jump into our work or to crash into bed that we often forget the importance of being mindful and practicing affirmations. I put these together because I use them as a practice at the same time. When I write my affirmations down, I am practicing being mindful of my goals and dreams. I create an awareness of them in conscious mind so that they stay with me through out the course of the day. Done right, I use them to reinforce choices/decisions that need to be made for the interest of myself, my family or my dreams. Mindfulness can also be just breathing for five minutes in silence. Allowing yourself to simply be in the moment before you jump into work or fall into sleep. Affirmations, ones that are believable to ourselves, have been shown to be a positive force in following our path and reinforcing a positive outlook on ourselves and our lives.
- Read: Pick up a book. It doesn’t really matter what kind it is so long as it is fun and enjoyable to you. Let the book inspire you in one way or another. I remember I was so inspired by Eat Pray Love, I bought copies for my co-workers and friends. Over the years, I have found inspiration in many types of books. I love Brene’ Brown, Chris Guillebeau, SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy), and just finished You are a Badass! (which I LOVED and was totally inspired by). On the other hand I am currently reading Simon Sinek’s, “Start with Why”, which is inspiring in a totally different way. I also find inspiration in poetry such as Billy Collins and Mary Oliver. Reading can be a great source of inspiration and bring a resurgence of creative energy.
- Get Physical: Move. Go for a walk. Put on some music and dance. Go for a bike ride. Visit the gym. Just move your body. The movement of our bodies does great things for our brains, producing all kinds of happy chemicals that help our brain work. When I was in college, I worked with an instructor who would give us breaks during long working periods. She would guide us through movement and simple dance exercises to help us refocus our brains and wake us up after sitting for so long. If your creative work is something like dance or theater where you are already physical, try some other type of movement. Do something you normally would not do to break up the routine.
- Nourish Yourself: Have you eaten anything? Did it nourish you or was it a quick sugar rush and now you are crashing? It is so easy to get into a zone of concentration and forget to properly take care of our body. It needs fuel. Our brain needs fuel. It is easy to grab the sugary treat at the coffee shop or just drink a cup of coffee at home and start working but our bodies need more than that. They need nutrients for sustained energy. That way we don’t crash. I am not innocent in this. There have been plenty of times I have skipped breakfast or had a sugary muffin or slice of pumpkin bread. However, I have been on a new path, food wise, and have begun to learn the importance of balanced eating, especially not skipping breakfast and including more protein. I didn’t realize it but for years I have been protein deprived. I added some more vegetarian substitutes and protein shakes to my diet and it has made a huge difference. If you are feeling blocked because you are crashing, check what you are eating.
- Make Connections: Connect with other writers, artists, card-makers, dancers, or have a mixed group of creative minds. But connect with people who know what it is like to get into the creative zone. Other people who understand creative blocks and failures. Connect with them in person or through social media but connect. It is awful to feel alone and as though no one understands the creative quandary you may be in. Hang around like minded creative people who you can bounce off ideas and may offer constructive criticism. Get Connected.
- Know this will Pass: Creative blocks, like many things in life, will pass. They happen, we work through it, instead of fighting it, and then we move forward. Just keep reminding yourself that this is only temporary. The creative block will pass and you will keep going.
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Hello Everyone! I’m Susan: a Writer, Speaker, Coach and Creator.
Creativity and I have been friends since I was a kid. I was always involved in a creative project…from putting together neighborhood skits and plays, writing stories, dance, theater. I loved to play with my creative side from painting, photography, to writing... 