If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank screen for hours or trying to write in your journal but the words are not forming, it’s not your village people, and you are not alone. Every creative person, whether you’re an artist, writer, designer, or even a business strategist, must have experienced a creative block at one point or the other. Whenever this happens, just relax.
Today’s post explores highly effective ways to avoid or come out of a creative block and get your creative juices flowing again.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A CREATIVE BLOCK?
A creative block is simply when your mind refuses to cooperate with your creative needs. The ideas are already available and you have the skill, but you just cannot seem to get the job done. It could feel like someone hit sleep mode for your creativity.
At this point, a lot of people feel frustrated, stuck, or physically sick. Probably due to the pressure of deadlines or the pressure of trying to put out something when there’s a hindrance.
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF CREATIVE BLOCKS FOR BOTH REMOTE AND ON-SITE WORKERS
Maybe you only think creative blocks happen only to remote workers. Sadly, on-site workers are also prone to creativity blocks. If you are wondering how, here are some causes:
- Stress and Burnout: In a country like Nigeria (Lagos particularly) where daily commuting is hectic, the traffic alone can drain your entire will to create. Topped by the pressure to meet deadlines, and personal life (perhaps, you’re a wife and mother of three), one can be very prone to creative blocks triggered by stress.
- Boring Routine: Few people have figured this out on their own, but sometimes doing the same thing every day can suffocate your creativity. It gets tiring and before you know it, you begin to slack. This can quickly be felt by remote workers.
- Remote work isolation: Remote workers may miss human interaction sometimes. It is not enough to have team calls through a screen. Sometimes the active and physical presence of a group of people in an onsite location yields better results from brainstorming sessions.
- Overexposure: Seeing too much content online can overwhelm you and make you feel like “everything has already been explored. What new idea do I want to bring?”
- Low confidence: If you are constantly doubting your work, or comparing yourself to others, it can dampen your creativity. Funny how what we believe of ourselves actually affects our output.
5 WAYS TO COME OUT OF A CREATIVE BLOCK
Now it’s on to the juicy details! Let’s see how you can kick creative block to the curb, or stop it in its tracks if we spot it from a mile away:
1. Check what others in your field are doing:
Sometimes, you get inspiration from scrolling through the internet. Now, not mindless scrolling, but checking out what others in similar fields are doing. Do not see it as copying or stealing ideas. See it as a quest for a muse i.e a way to remind yourself of what you can do.
2. Do something rewarding:
Something rewarding could be anything from the joy that comes with completing a task, or celebrating those small wins. Some may view it with skepticism, but the truth is that rewarding activities could jumpstart your creativity.
3. Go out:
A change of environment can do wonders for those ideas that seem stuck in your head. So step out of your immediate environment and converse with a new set of people than the regular. You will definitely get triggers for fresh new ideas for you.
4. Rest:
Just like batteries need to be recharged for gadgets to be useful, that’s how the human body also needs recharge, aka rest.
5. Pick up an old hobby:
Remember that thing you used to love doing before now? Get back to it, for a while. Perhaps it was drawing, DJing, sewing, or gaming. What it does is that it helps take your mind off the pressure to work, and at the same time, quietly reboots that creative mind.
THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT HELP
- Overthinking: Sitting there and trying to figure out why you’re blocked will only stress you further (mentally).
- Forcing the flow: Sometimes the more you force it, the more stubborn it becomes. Itt might even turn into a raging headache.
- Ignoring warning signs, healthwise: your mental and physical health are the pillars of creativity. If you’re not okay, your creativity won’t be either since you are temporarily unable to express yourself.
CONCLUSION
Creative blocks are frustrating, but they are not a death sentence. Just breathe; its temporary
Sometimes you just need a change of environment, a new source of inspiration, and a lot of rest.
If you’re facing one right now, it might feel like the end of your career, but it isn’t. It’ll pass soon.
Try the tips provided above and watch the magic
