Whether you’re a creative professional or are involved in creative things as a hobby or side gig, creative blocks can be…frustrating. And as much as I know they can’t be avoided, they never fail to take me by surprise and seemingly kick me while I’m down.
One of the reasons I started this site was to overcome my own creative blocks – and help others do the same. So today I’m going to talk about several different types of creative blocks I’ve experienced and some of the tricks I use to overcome them. Full disclosure: sometimes these tricks work and sometimes they suck; HOWEVER, more often than not, they put me in a different headspace and offer me a new perspective, for what that’s worth.
Ok, here we go.
The “Spinning in My Head” Creative Block
This is your run-of-the-mill mental block, fueled by my own bad thinking. It’s also known as being “in a rut” or feeling unable to see the world in new and vibrant ways. This leads me to a very myopic view of the world – and what I’m working on – and makes it nearly impossible for me to see new perspectives or options. Sometimes this comes courtesy of my inner critic. Other times, I’m just bored or feeling stuck.
My Solution: For me, this usually requires a multi-pronged approach. First, I start asking questions, and most of them start with “what if…”. If I’m feeling especially frustrated by my stuckness, I’ll allow myself the space to rage out. Nothing clears a mental block quite like getting everything out (in a safe and respectful-to-others type of way). I’ll listen to my rage music, write some rage-y things, or talk on the phone with one of my rage sisters (more on this later).
Emotional Blocks
These are The. Worst. I have been experiencing this quite a bit lately in trying to finish my memoir. There’s a lot of heavy shit in there and writing effectively about it requires me to relive some of it. Knowing this, my brain kicks on to “protect mode” and convinces me to do anything but write. Stupid brain. I get it – my psyche is trying ot protect me from what could happen or what might be revealed. But the resistance is powerful and it makes it super hard to get the important stuff done.
My Solution: Set it aside. Yep. Sometimes, I just need to set whatever I’m working on aside for a few days. In these cases, it’s not always good for me to push through. With especially painful or deep material, it’s best to wait until I’m in a place where I feel comfortable delving in. That said, there are times (after weeks and weeks have passed, for example) when it’s time to pony up and put my money where my emotions are. This is when I push through to the other side. In order to do this, I usually need to create space for myself first. Here, it can be helpful to create a routine around doing the hard stuff, whether it’s meditating, lighting some candles, doing some journaling, or whatever feels right for you. Usually, once I dive in, I can find my groove and see things through.
Bad Habits
Admittedly, this one sucks. As much as I embrace routine, some of my routines are not always great. For example, I’ve gotten into the bad habit of checking TikTok every time I take a pause in my work. In the past, I also had a tendency to skip planning out my day. These little things add up to big time when I look at how much lazy and unstructured multi-tasking cuts into my creative time.
My Solution: I now use a project management tool (shout out Monday.com) to organize my daily tasks. This keeps me on my game and aware of what I need to get done. Essentially, it frees up the part of my brain that’s always worrying that I’ll forget to do something. I also factor in break times. This has two benefits: 1) I plan to take breaks, which are critical for my brain and creativity, and 2) those breaks are limited. Adding little 20-minutes breaks throughout the day keeps me from going down a 2-hour TikTok rabbit hole that absolutely decimates my productivity.
Anyhow, those are just a few of the creative blocks I experience now and again. Do any of you experience these? What are your tips?
P.S. Check out one of my Creative Block Workbooks. I made these just for artists and creatives who are feeling stuck and want some help getting back into the groove. And please let me know what you think!
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