“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.

Anisa Carty

In 2023, I went through a creative block that really challenged me. What helped pull me out of that rut was *The Artist’s Way*—a book that truly changed how I approached creativity. I also made a conscious decision to reduce screen time and focus more on myself and simply *living* my life. For me, inspiration tends to show up when I’m not actively chasing it—whether it’s during a walk, journaling, or having a quiet moment to myself. Read More>> 

 Carol Paik

In a way, I don’t really think there is such a thing as a Creativity Block–or, put it this way, I prefer to recharacterize it as something less stress-inducing and intimidating. Of course, there are times when I feel uninspired and unenthusiastic about my work, but I take this a sign that I need to take a step back and perhaps rethink what I’m doing. I’ve learned to accept that unproductive periods are inevitable — it’s unrealistic to think you can endlessly produce new work —  Read More>>

Max Willi Fischer

Standing in the grocery store’s check-out line with my wife three orders from the cashier, my mind drifted back into the western Pennsylvania frontier in the middle of the eighteenth-century. I was writing my first book, and for days I’d struggled to make a breakthrough in my plot. In a series of innocent mistakes, my young protagonist had traveled in a time warp and was about to witness Braddock’s defeat at the hands of the French and Indians in 1755. Read More>> 

Mark Love

I written eleven books (so far) and discovered a couple of tricks or methods that help me get beyond any form of writer’s block that hold me back.

The first trick is that when I’m working on a story, I’ll stop for the day in the middle of a scene. It doesn’t matter if it’s dialogue, description or narration, I’ll just choose to call it quits at that point. Then, when I’m able to return to the keyboard (I am not able to have a set writing schedule each day) I’ll return to the story and read the pages leading up to where I left off. That sort of kickstarts my imagination. I simply pick up where I left off. Read More>> 

Darris Cue

The best way to overcome/beat creativity blocks is by surrounding yourself by other creatives. We might not do the exact same things but we are all creatives. Sometimes it is all about energy. If you keep good energy around you and circulating, you will not have to worry about blocks. Read More>>