“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.
Kiersten Roy
We all know the feeling. You have a deadline and need to write something, but the words just won’t come out! Writer’s block is so real and as a marketing pro whose primary service is blogging, there are days when words feel extra hard. Whenever I experience a block in my creativity or writing, the thing I’ve found the most helpful has nothing to do with work. Read more>>
Dorin Stefan Mogda
Whenever I had a creative block, it also came with feelings of exhaustion, lack of focus, and motivation. That’s when I knew I had to step away from my desk and rest, do something fun, or spend time with my friends and family. Creative block often comes from trying too much to make something work that I forget to enjoy creating it. Read more>>
Anna Konstantinova
You can’t make a different soup with the same ingredients so it is important to shake it up. When you’re feeling blocked try something different than your typical day to day. Take a day off, go for a walk in a new neighborhood, smell a new scent – anything to get all 5 of your senses firing and wiring differently. Read more>>
Paula Gleeson
Given I’m dealing with this right now, I’m hoping I know the answer to this. Any kind of creativity block is the absolute worst! No matter how many times I’ve been through these same obstructions, it feels like *this* time I won’t get through it. That *this* time will be when I forget how to tell a story. Read more>>
Sam L. Williams
I tend to practice using my imagination & stepping away from my craft for a little bit then coming back to it later. Or I experience something in my life that inspires me to write another song. Read more>>
Gabrieline Reece
So, as a film producer and creative writer like yourself, I totally get where you’re coming from. Dealing with creativity blocks can be super frustrating, but I’ve found a few strategies that have really helped me overcome them. Read more>>
Julia Langer
Creative blocks happen to all creatives and artists. What I do to overcome it is to just start. Make something. It doesn’t have to be good, it doesn’t have to have an idea, just start. Improvise. Feel it. Some of my fastest selling paintings I started by just pouring my morning coffee (or tea) on the canvas so that it wasn’t a great white space. Read more>>
Or Leo Shahar
I always find it somewhat fascinating discussing creativity blocks, as to some it is considered taboo, or non-existent at all. Personally, when I feel stuck for some reason in any stage of the creative process I tend to assess and really connect to my inner feelings and decide if, a) Is this “block” something I can fight through in any way – meaning using pure techniques to create and overcome a hurdle, or b) Read more>>
Micah Delhauer
Being creative has never been a problem. I’ll turn a wedding speech into a three-act musical if you’ll let me. It’s staying focused that I struggle with. Being disciplined. There are so many ideas that can be executed in so many ways—which one do you commit to? Meanwhile, there are a million real-world distractions. Read more>>
Kyle Lyman
I think creative blocks can be anxiety about the outcome. If you set a high standard or focus on an expectation, it seems like an overwhelming task. Realizing everything can be broken down into smaller manageable parts. There’s usually time/budget limitations that push things forward. I started to trust my process of working that something would come out, even if it wasn’t perfect or exactly planned. Read more>>
Robbie
I have the ability to clearly see the connections that my brain makes using everything around me, I mean we all can but that is what I use to inspire or motivate me, music, weather, people, views, and my emotions at that moment, so that when something is blocking me I do an autopsy on it and use all those stimuli to translate it into an image. Read more>>
Melody Mann
There are periods of time where I will go without writing. These periods can last days and sometimes weeks, yet given the nature of my job and passions they cannot last forever. Overcoming writer’s block looks different across contexts (academically versus poetically). Read more>>
Liz Anderson
In the world of editorial production and photography, whenever I get “stuck” or wallowing in the land of “This has been done before. This is not special, this is ordinary”, I try to circle back to whatever excites me personally. For me, that is researching quirky & historical places! Read more>>
Ami Hendrickson
Some time ago, about an hour and a half into a day dedicated to finishing a major project that was on deadline, I hit The Wall. The Wall is not writer’s block (I don’t believe that exists). The Wall is something else entirely. Read more>>
Tom and Lindsay Ludlow
Creativity is at the core of what we do at Tend Studio, and like anyone else, we’ve faced our fair share of creativity blocks. However, we’ve found effective ways to navigate through those moments and keep the creative juices flowing. Read more>>
Harika Bommana
Creative blocks will always be the biggest challenge I have. Every artist is different in the way they work, and things that work for them in these situations. For me, I turn towards my friends and reconnect with them through writing and sharing our work. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or even good, but just having to write something, take photos or plot stories together reminds me how fun and exciting it can be. Read more>>
Hottub Johny
I often go through periods of time where I struggle writing whether its guitar parts, drum parts or the writing lyrics. At times this has bothered me, i learned to overcome it with patience. I use this time to take care of things unrelated with the creating music, Such as organizing for a release, sending work out, etc. Read more>>
Jack Rasmussen
I think creativity blocks are really hard to beat. Sometimes, a change of scenery, friends, or habits can help. Personally, if I do not change locations frequently, I can feel stuck and antsy. I need fresh air, the ocean, some music, some quality food, and some good company to feel inspired. Traveling is probably my biggest inspiration because culture informs my art, and new locations almost always grant new perspectives. Read more>>
Tianne Sims
Creative block has become one of my most challenging obstacles because it’s not something you can just rush out of. Overcoming creator’s block doesn’t come easy, it takes patience and the power of knowing that you love what you do. Read more>>
Brett Fitzpatrick
What helps me with writer’s block is post nut clarity. Sometimes when I’m having tough writer’s block, I end up on the sixteenth of the hub. Read more>>
Tyler Burdic
Creative blocks can be really tough to get through especially when you’re working with strict deadlines but they’re a lot more common than I ever realized in the music industry. It’s never a fun thing to experience and in the moment it feels like you’ve lost your spark but when it comes down to it, the block is only as big as you allow it to be. Read more>>
Charlene Mosley
I have noticed I experience creative block when I feel burnt out. My most recent experience was creating work for my last solo show. I painted so many paintings all at once without a break to relax for a moment, that I completely ran dry on creativity right after the show. I barely painted for an entire year; I just had no desire. Read more>>
Amanda & Michael Drexton
Overcoming writer’s block, or creativity blocks in general is something we both face all the time. We’ve gotten more comfortable with having these blocks, they’re actually a natural and healthy part of the creative process in our opinion. It’s helpful for us not to view it as a block, but rather as an idea that just isn’t ready yet. Read more>>
Patricia Vargas
When I try to force myself to create something, even when I don’t feel like it, it only leads to frustration. That’s why I’ve learned that when I get into that kind of state, it’s best to take a break, step away from the studio, and give myself some time to rest. My business coach, Megan Auman, taught me the importance of rest as part of the creative process, and I can’t emphasize enough how much it has helped me. Read more>>
Shathagoddess
Getting through those creativity blocks is a journey. Sometimes, I just need to take a breather and step back for a fresh perspective but also collaboration seems to work for me. Bringing in different perspectives adds a whole new layer to my creativity. I enjoy experimenting, putting some constraints on my work, and seeing where that takes me. Read more>>
Brian Mullins
Collaboration, working with others has always been the best way to overcome this. I used to get creativity type blocks often and then I realized how much others inspired me. Once I started doing that, the creativity and work started flowing and began to present itself. This also began to open up other opportunities and took me in many different directions that I would have never been able to do on my own. Read more>>
Wakiyan Goulet
I was dealing with writer’s block when I was composing music for a composition competition called the 2023 Jack Stone Award for New Music. When I was in the middle of sketching a draft for the composition, that was when I came across writer’s block. What got me over the writer’s block was allowing myself to loosen up and not overthink about anything. Read more>>
Leonardo Gonzalez
Early on in my artist career/education i would get into these periods of “Artist block” where i just couldn’t draw or didn’t how to draw, or what to draw. This dark cloud would linger for several weeks and months in the worst case. It was never a lack of motivation or discipline but holes in my education that kept from creating. Read more>>
Kyi Khaing
Thanks for having me! Whenever I am blocked creatively, I’ve found that trying to “get rid of the block” has never worked for me. Instead, I try to accept it and be curious about it. I’ll actually take a step away from creating and go outside on walks, be in nature – try to “be” instead of try to “do” things and eventually, the blocks clear away and ideas start coming to me. Read more>>
Becca Dwyer
I usually feel a creativity block when I’m overworked or have just come off the coattails of a project that requires a lot of energy, either mentally or physically. Something I like to do to help with this is to take advantage of creating when I am inspired. For example, I keep a sketchbook of random ideas and paintings I want to do but don’t have the ability to start at the moment. Read more>>
Kassy Menke
How I overcome creativity blocks is dependent on the situation & the medium I am working in. A lot of the time, I don’t try to overcome it. I have learned over the years that sometimes I need to take a step back from the project that I am working on to gain a sense of clarity, inspiration and perspective on the work that is ahead of me. Read more>>
Katie Goodrich
Creativity blocks can be a beast. I’ve found myself in and out of them since the pandemic hit, but I’ve uncovered some techniques that have changed the game for me recently! I enjoy exploring different outlets, a lot of different outlets. Last year I started learning how to crochet clothing and I’m currently learning how to make floral pieces. It’s healing to create things with my hands while learning as I go. Read more>>
Sydney Campos
The best ways I’ve found to overcome resistance to creative flow and creation are to get moving – move a muscle, change a thought. When I am working on a long project, especially a book or another bigger creation that requires a lot of mental capacity to organize complexity into form – its so important to take breaks to move and get your energy flowing so you can see clearly and reinvigorate inspiration again. Read more>>
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