Creative Blocks.
How to get a creative rut in 7 easy steps.
Everyone likes easy tasks, right?
Its easier to describe how to get a creative block, than it is to avoid it. Today its cold outside, I’m still wearing my pajamas (4:36 pm), and drinking my first cup of coffee (although I’ve been awake since 8 am). So, as you can see, I am feeling a bit lazy. Easy means lazy, so instead of writing on how to avoid a creative block, I’m going to write how to get one! ☺ Plus, everyone writes their thoughts on avoiding these awful moments. It seems to me, the more I read about avoiding it, the more exasperated I feel, and the creative block increments, not the other way around.
Just to let you know, its not just that I am feeling lazy, but also I believe in reverse psychology, so maybe and just maybe, if you read this amazing guideline on how to get a creative block, maaaaybe your brain will be like “Hey, this guy really wants to get a creative block, let’s give it the opposite”. Well, at least that’s how my brain works. (And the men in my life, who seem to adore reverse psychology as well).
That being said, enjoy this incredible guideline on getting the best creative block you’ll ever get.
01.
Wake up. Sit at your computer. Do not drink any coffee, and if you do, make it instant. You are in a constant hurry, you need to get shit done. TODAY. There’s no time for meditation or a decent breakfast, not even decent coffee, in situations like this.
02.
Forget about comfortable chairs. There’s no better way to work & feel inspired than to sit in a chair that will make your back ache so much you wished you were a security guard. Standing. All day.
03.
Do not listen to any music, if you do, just listen to whatever’s playing on your office / radio station / Spotify / whatever.
04.
One of the stepping stones of the process. Please, focus on this step, as it is very important. This is the key to getting your creative block; the best one you’ve ever had!
We constantly read about the importance of concepts. But the truth is… Who needs concepts when you’ve got Designspiration / Behance / Tumblr / (any other inspiration blog / platform could be gladly inserted here)?
The stepping stone of the creative block process is to surf the web before even thinking of a concept. Even before researching and benchmarking. Even before you question the needs and grasps the project has or could have. Even before talking to your client. It’s very simple! You’ve got it all figured it out! (Or at least the beautiful world wide web has figured it out for you).
Look at these references, feel shitty about yourself and question your lack of abilities by looking at those gorgeous identities, illustrations — you name it — . Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Please, do not work within a concept so you feel the rush, the adrenaline, of being blank and hopeless. Oh! What a great feeling it is.
Quick tip: this step works better, the more time you spend looking for beautiful blogs / stuff on the web, the more you look, the better the block.
05.
After you’ve done all of these steps, your mind will be very stressed and sometimes would be full of angst, and may need to take a break, but please.. Do not give a break to your mind, you need to continue your work. Remember you are working very hard looking at all these Pinterest boards here.
06.
O.K. Maybe now its time to give your mind and spirit a break. This is the fun step! Let’s procrastinate. How? You have so many options, here’s one of my favorites, or as I like to call it: The App Loop. Basically, open Instagram, scroll, scroll again. Open Facebook. Send someone a message. Open Twitter. Go back to Instagram. Open Snapshat. Go back to Twitter, write a non-sense quote that’ll make you feel highly intellectual or funny. Go back to Facebook. Answer that message. Tell your virtual friend you’ve got so much stuff to do. Close Facebook. Open Instagram. (At this point you’ve got it right?) The loop can go as far as you want, its very, very… well… dynamic.
07.
By now, I suppose, you are already eating your brains out. Why, oh, why am I living this creative rut? Well my friend, you’ve just succeeded.
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