“Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse
Even with all the courage in the world, every creative will eventually run into a creative block, so we asked some of our favorite creatives to share how they overcome creative blocks.
Danielle Powers
As a concept artist, my work depends on my ability to create daily. With game development, you are in a pipeline and there are additional developers before or after you that are dependent on you doing your role. Nothing exists in a vacuum, and my actions will impact those on my team. It goes a little something like this for me; I get the assignment from my director, complete the concept, then the 3D modeling staff, riggers, animators, and marketing artists follow with their specialties. I’ve got a schedule and I keep to it diligently. Read more>>
Ignacio Jara
My name is Ignacio.
Since my childhood I constantly participated in school and community events, either dancing or creating choreographies for different contexts. Although everything was always very instinctive and informal, I never trained as a dancer, teacher or choreographer until my university education, but somehow I was always doing those 3 things without knowing that at some point I would see myself making a living out of it. Read more>>
Lashawnda Jones
When I first began my self-publishing journey, I was frantic about running out of things to write about. Creativity blocks, writing blocks, losing inspiration…. Doubt instilled by others had me questioning myself.
I wanted to write happy things. I wanted to be inspired by happy things. I took Creative Writing in high school and thought I would become a romance writer because those were the books I read voraciously – historic romance novels. So, I thought when I sat down to write my first book, the story would be some type of romance. Something with a happy ending. But what kept coming out was all my angst. Read more>>
Corrie Legge
Creative blocks can be so tricky. Sometimes they’re obvious…we stare at the blank page or canvas and feel link nothing will ever come again. We know we’re blocked. We can say we’re blocked. Recognizing creative block is actually half the battle. Because sometimes, creative blocks can actually be really sneaky, to the point that we don’t even consciously realize we have them. That’s what happened to me and my writing craft. All my life, from my earliest memories, I wanted to be a writer and an actor. I never wavered on my acting dreams, and have always introduced myself as an actor in my professional life. Read more>>
Nicole Bradley
Writer’s block happens to every writer! I overcome it by removing distractions, listening to music, reading other books that help to motivate and inspire me. I give myself grace, knowing that what i need to write will come but sometimes it just not be the right time. Read more>>
Tori Chapman
I find that my creativity comes in waves. I go through periods where it just flows, and periods where I am stuck in a rut. I’m sure you could ask any creative, and they will tell you that creativity blocks are very real. I find that for my photography specifically, when I do projects for myself, it helps get me out of that rut. When I started photography, it was just for fun and then I realized that I could turn my passion into my full-time job. I love that I am able to say I can do that; but, sometimes it can block my creativity by having a monetary value. Read more>>
Marleen Pauwels
The key for me is not to stop working, because staying active has always stimulated and inspired me to new work so far.
So when I hit a wall, the first thing I usually do is walk away from the piece I am working on and put it somewhere out of sight. This helps me gain some distance and see things from a new perspective.
Additionally, I start by making lots of rough gesture drawings to loosen up and break any rigid patterns. I practise techniques, sometimes drawing the same thing over and over again in different ways. Read more>>
Kimberly Amato
For me, the first step to overcoming writer’s block is to accept it as part of my creative process. There are times that the writing would flow seamlessly one day and then I would hit the proverbial brick wall the next. I took a step back to figure out why I was hitting those walls. It turned out that I was pushing so hard, I burned out. To help with that, I now have “to do” lists next to my keyboard to keep me on track. If the writing doesn’t flow, I will go to something on my list to stay productive. Read more>>
Airric Qualls
Right now in my career I’m focused on creating my own films and building my career that way. I started dabbling into creating short films and skits in late 2020 and early 2021 with my friend Pharaoh. As of today we run a Youtube channel called AK Film Group where we produce our own films and give ourselves an opportunity to showcase what we can do and our ideas. I initially came up with the concept for the channel. Read more>>
Nikki Ackerman
Creative blocks as an artist are inevitable. Personally, they always sneak up on me when I need to be creative the most- usually when I have a full load of client projects on my desk or when I’m facing a big deadline. I remember struggling with creative blocks even as a child; I have been painting, drawing, creating my entire life and I think these blocks are just a part of the process we have to accept, submit to, and incorporate into the creative process as a whole. Read more>>
Annie Thompson
Creativity blocks are unavoidable. Let’s start there. I have found that the best, or only, way available to me is to work amid a block. Often, you will formulate ideas that excite you and ignite your efforts to bring them to life. Have you ever experienced working on an idea like this and when it’s completed, you realize it was a bad or unworthy idea to begin with? It goes the opposite way for creative blocks. You may have nothing of substance or value to offer, but when you work through the fumes of uncertainty, you grab the chance to create something you hadn’t anticipated; something truly surprising and exciting; something better than you. Read more>>
Jade Griffin
Whenever I find myself stuck on a painting, struggling to try out new ideas, or feeling uninspired, I make it a point to step away from the current project and work on something else until I feel inspired again. I focus on activities that reignite my creativity and help me return to a more inspired state of mind. This could involve watching inspiring interviews or documentaries about my favorite creatives, reading about my favorite artists, listening to music, or going outside. Read more>>
Katelyn Chapman
Creative blocks are often a result of burnout, resistance, or resentment that’s left unchecked. When I feel blocked, I try to address the why behind it first so that I can move past it. Whatever the reason, the only real cure for overcoming artist block is love. Read more>>
Brittany Tucker
I struggled with this a lot in my early years of writing. I’d look at a blank page, and even though I had so many ideas, I didn’t have a way to channel them into something useful. I would get so overwhelmed with not knowing where to start that I wouldn’t. My creativity would be bogged down by the impossible effort to write and finish a novel, and the imposter syndrome would set it, dooming the entire endeavor. Read more>>
Farhod Cigarchi
Overcoming creativity blocks often involves a mix of strategies. These are some ways that I have delt with creativity block as a song writer and a beat maker.
Change Your Environment: A new setting can stimulate creativity. Try working in a different place or rearranging your workspace.
Set Small Goals: Break down your work into smaller, manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Read more>>
