When You Experience Creative Block

Are you a creative person? Do you work with paints, photos, or a pen? Some people find joy and inspiration in art, and you love that you can provide that. 

Even though you love being creative, suffering through creative blocks can be difficult. While some experts say that experiencing a creative block is normal, how do you deal with it? 

Acknowledging that you are experiencing a creative block is one of the first steps to actually dealing with it. From idea generation to even putting the idea on paper, a person suffering from a creative block will find it challenging to tap into their creativity. 

How Do You Keep Your Creativity Alive?

Reliving your romance with your creative side should always take priority. You should engage in creative thinking activities that will keep your mind active, whether it is for work or play. 

Dealing with a creative block is a serious concern. You have to work hard to keep the creative juices flowing. Here are some things that you can try: 

Quit

This may be the most unusual first piece of advice to hear, but it can be one of the most effective. Sometimes, you are so tired and burnt out that you need just to quit. At the end of the day, quitting may be your only chance to get a renewed sense of faith that things will get better in time. Maybe all you need is a little bit of space to heal to feel better. So quit before you lose your sanity altogether. 

Stand up and leave

Take a minute to walk away from what you are doing. Try to do something out of the ordinary. How about singing to your heart's content? Or how about drawing something wild with crayons or maybe even build a lego set? All these activities help stimulate your creativity.

More importantly, they remind you of the importance of walking away and taking a breather. It is not just about leaving everything behind. It is about learning when to stop when your mind needs to take a break. 

Revive your workspace

Maybe you're running into issues because your workspace isn't inspiring. While many creatives work well in chaos, sometimes reorganizing or cleaning up a touch can help you be more efficient and creative. If you've reorganized and your space is spotless, perhaps you need to add a little more life to the area. Try painting a wall, getting a plant, or even getting some colorful writing utensils to brighten up the space. Or try moving your desk to face a different wall or a window. A new perspective can work wonders.

Assess yourself as a whole

Your creative side is not the only aspect of your being. It may also not be the only aspect of your life that needs help. Instead of just treating the symptoms, get to the root of the problem. What could be blocking you? What is making it so difficult to be creative?

Get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes, you may be experiencing a creative block as a symptom of an even bigger issue. When you have a full grasp of what you are dealing with, it becomes easier to think of how to deal with it. 

Deal with the problem head-on and face your fear

There is no use going around the problem. Avoiding it will only make it worse. Instead, deal with it head-on. Listen to yourself. What is it trying to tell you? 

Ask your block what is causing it. Start a conversation and try your best not to reason away your concerns. Hear out what it has to say. Listen and learn from what it tells you. From there, you can easily move on to the next problem. 

When you learn to face your fears, whatever they may be, you won't be afraid of them anymore. Instead, you will be teaching yourself ways on how you can make things better. Do it. 

If it has nothing to do with your creative aspect, get it over and done with, so you can move on. If it is about your creative side, then deal with it. The more that you become afraid of it, the more than it will become a stumbling block to your creativity. 

Do something completely and utterly different

This means you need to get out of your creative box. In order to deal with the creative block, engage in a different creative activity.

For example, if you are a painter, then try photography. If you are a writer, then perhaps you can try painting this time. All these could open doors to new creative aspects of your being. Let yourself surprise you with the many other things that they can do. 

Art inspiration can appear in many forms. It can mean pushing yourself harder in what you are already good at. It could also mean opening new doors to learning a skill or two. Whatever you choose to do, you can always find a way to deal with a creative block and get back to doing what you love.