“The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.” – John Maynard Keynes
Sometimes, getting out of a creative block requires escaping from the gravitational pull of old ideas, other times it might require diving into them to get re-inspired. Below, we’ve shared a variety of perspectives, insights and advice on how to overcome creative blocks.
Monica Hinkel
This is such a great question. I derive a lot of my inspiration from past failed relationships or situation-ships. I’ve been in a committed relationship now for the last 2 years so I had to start digging a little deeper, and figure out new strategies to write music. I had a pretty bad case of writer’s block for like a solid year. Read More>>
Susanne Puerschel
Creativity is the lifeblood of artists, writers, and innovators. Yet, even the most prolific minds occasionally encounter the stifling grip of a “creativity block.” This mental barricade, often likened to hitting a brick wall, impedes the free flow of ideas and expressions. Read More>>
Hannah Jai
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I’m not sure I believe in writer’s block. For me, creativity comes down to two things – discipline and permission. I’ve noticed that the only times I have ever ceased to create is when I didn’t make it a priority or when I began to place criticism around my own thoughts and ideas. Read More>>
karin west
I think there are always times when creativity is more, or less free flowing. My approach is to make something as soon as I have an idea, so I don’t forget it and just keep on making things. At the end of my design season, I edit and only choose what I love. Read More>>
Fergie Nea
yes I have, it seems to be a very common thing for us artists, so when that happens what helps me the most is to reconnect with myself and take a break, walk in nature, meditate and find other ways to get inspired. Sometimes the best way to get rid of the creative block is to give me some time to have different experiences , allow myself to feel and completely flow , meet new people, go out to different places, listen to new music, get inspired by other artists, read a good book, travel and relax, that always works for me. Read More>>
Shannon McDermott
Most of the time when I reach such an obstacle, it means I need to re-manage my expectations. For example, I was asked to write a book during Covid lockdown. It felt like my creative brain would just freeze up whenever I opened my laptop to work on it. Read More>>
Pinchia Jen
Before my senior year, I faced significant obstacles in my illustration journey. The problem of composition and color proved to be formidable challenges, and my skill level as an illustrator was not good enough during that time. One significant obstacle was my difficulty in translating my creative ideas onto paper, this is a very deadly problem for any illustrator. Read More>>
MFI Kaos
Yea That’s An East Question I Feel We All Come Into These Problems As Artist My Way Of Getting Past Them Problems Is To Take A Moment And Reflect On My Life My Problems And Issues Realize No One Is Perfect Get Away From Social Media Because It’s A Lot Of Faking Going On Which Can Put You In The Mind Space Read More>>
Chris Lund
HOW TO BEAT WRITER’S BLOCK (and be creative regularly) 01 DISCIPLINE
First and foremost…put in the time! Getting in a routine of working daily (even for just 10-20 minutes but ideally 1+ hour a day) is the biggest game-changer. When I ask creatives that feel stuck how much time they’re spending the most common block is just sitting down to work regularly. I recommend picking the same time each day. Read More>>
Patrick Hodge
I naturally just try not to force myself to be creative in that moment because I feel as though every creative has struggled with trying to overcome that creative block but instead just let it happen naturally and don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Read More>>
SMOOL DA BOSS
I am always a thinker I think about a lot of things all the time too see what I want to use towards my music and how it will fit into my music. If I can’t think of anything at the time Im writing music I just wait for a period of time and let it come to me naturally and let things flow or I would just find something worth writing about for my music. Read More>>
Jennifer Smith
As the author of “The 56 Tips to Dolo Dating” and the content creator for all visuals on the “Dating is in the Details” Instagram page, I have come across my fair share of creative blocks. When ever I get in to one of those ruts, a do a few things to get over the hump. First and foremost, I change my environment. Read More>>
Sabrina Kaylor
Truthfully, I would keep forcing myself to be creative… even if it didn’t “come” to me. As an avid painter for many years, there would be times where I would walk past my studio and just look inside to see if inspiration came and if it didn’t for several days, I knew I needed to just paint. I would grab a canvas I didn’t really care about and just start to play. Read More>>
Papi Flay
Dont be afraid to pull inspiration from different places or yourself . Ideas are all around us and a part of us . There is nothing wrong with starting from scratch and going back to the drawing board 3 or 4 times . Some of my best tracks I put out came from doing 3 tracks I deleted before hand . Remember that every piece of art starts from a blank canvas . Read More>>
