The Simple Secret to Working Past Creative Blocks
This ever happen to you while you’re in the lab and working on your creative endeavors?
You’re sitting in front of your computer. Waiting. There’s a dreaded blank void staring back at you.
Whether you’re working on creating your next song, game, article, or other creative endeavor—nothing is happening. Perhaps inspiration has run dry. And now you feel blocked.
See, the creative minds who recognize that “creative block” does not exist are the enlightened ones who can create content without fear, without having to wait for “inspiration to hit.”
You heard me right. (Okay, you read that right, whatever.)
Do NOT Wait for Inspiration to Come
Inspiration is a valuable gift to have that will fuel your creativity, sure, but the act of creating has nothing to do with inspiration.
Don’t be afraid to make something bad…
In fact, are you ready for the secret?
MAKE SOMETHING BAD ON PURPOSE
“That sounds stupid,” you might be saying, but hear me out.
Make something you know isn’t going to “wow” anyone. Make something just to make something—and at the end of the day what will you have? You will have a finished, created product, even if you might consider the finished creation to be below your standards.
Give yourself permission to “make something bad,” and you will have something that you can refine, edit, tweak, adjust, and make better! Just like a block of marble, you can carve your less-than-perfect projects into something wonderful afterwards. The potential is before you, and this is where you can actually develop that elusive thing that we call inspiration and cultivate it for yourself.
It’s a hell of a lot better than staring at an empty screen.
Refining “Bad” Ideas
You may have heard of a saying called “Kill Your Darlings,” which means that if you have an idea and you decide you no longer like it, that you should just scrap it.
Perhaps this is good advice, meant to prevent creatives from being too precious with their projects and ideas—but personally, I say don’t start over!
No, instead, take out the aspects and parts of an idea that make it bad and try replacing them with something that enhances your project. It takes some experimentation, sure, but you have to learn how to make mistakes and how to learn from them.
Letting your creativity stagnate through inaction is the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to create content, or if you’re simply just wanting to improve at your craft. Spend less time looking at the details and getting bogged down. Instead, look at the bigger picture first and polish at the end.
By the time you’re done, you’ll have a product that you can be proud of because you worked through your block. You got past what was stopping you.
Anyway, think about it. I know you got this.
—Azakaela
I make music and sounds for indie games and other creative projects, and I also write about games, music, and creativity. If you liked this article, please consider supporting me by following me here on Medium. If you’re interested in free music and soundtracks that can be used in your creative projects, consider signing up for my newsletter.
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