“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.
Joe Plante
Creativity can be unpredictable; and it can leave or return quickly. While perhaps no way to force creativity, there are things to consider that may better facilitate creativity. I’ve found that blocking off time to think, write, listen, or reflect helps, especially at times of day when I feel most creative (usually late nights for me). Read more>>
Stephanie & Mitchell Moulton
We’ve changed how we provide content. We originally started with a blog providing detailed itineraries and tips while documenting our travels but eventually it felt more like work than a hobby. Recently, we began experimenting with videos and have really enjoyed the change. Read more>>
Jenny Siegwart
I think everyone, not just creatives, run into Creativity Blocks. It’s not just reserved for those who ‘create’ for a living. I remember growing up my mom would always say how she’s out of meal ideas for dinner. Now as an adult myself, I run into that same issue once a week! Regardless of what you do for a living, I think there are a few ways you can overcome Creativity Blocks. Personally, I find that walking away and mixing things up really help. Read more>>
Alicia Washington
I took in account the time of day that I am the most at being productive. My time is night and in the afternoon , I try not to write in the morning. And when I am restless, I try to writing while listening to soothing music. I usually place a time on the calendar and commit to that time. I don’t have to come with ideas or inspiration, but I do have to show up and follow through with my plans Read more>>
Michal Szosta
Creativity is not an endless resource. Some researchers doubt of it is a resource at all. For sure, creativity is a process from the imagination phase, through the planning phase to the implementation phase. Read more>>
Iris Savoy
As a photographer, I overcome creativity blocks by planning what I want to shoot for the year. Just like companies t budget and plan goals for the upcoming year, I plan in the late fall or early winter what I plan to shoot for the upcoming year. This pre-planning helps me find things I want to shoot as special projects and what I need to shoot to keep my business open. Read more>>
K.O From The Pilla
It’s has been plenty of times when I tried to sit down and write songs but nothing would come to mind. So what I do is I sit back and listen to R&B music to relax my mind. Like real old-school 90s R&B music is what I listen to. And it refreshes my thoughts, my thinking, my words, it puts me in a relaxed state of mind. And it seems like things just come right to after that. Read more>>
Justin Williams
Perhaps the most important lesson my creative writing professor taught me, is that there is really no such thing as writer’s block and that what people think is “writer’s block” is really a fear of imperfection. I’ve found that a lot of artists, when they sit down to work, feel this pressure that whatever it is they make must be something truly extraordinary. And so they spend hours just sitting there, doing nothing because they are afraid that whatever they do won’t be good enough. Read more>>
