If good ideas do not come

How to get unstuck when you’re uninspired

You’re staring at a blank screen, drumming your fingers on the table. Taken coffee break after coffee break, hoping the cycle of hydration and dehydration will get you somewhere. But really, that caffeine is just exacerbating your panic while your problems remain decidedly unsolved.

Running out of ideas is frustrating, whether you work in a creative or technical field. How do you get anything done, if you don’t know where to start?

In If You Want to Write, Brenda Ueland has this to say about getting unstuck.

If good ideas do not come at once, for a long time, do not be troubled at all. Wait for them. Put down the little ideas, however insignificant they are.

Take a moment to calm down. Inspiration doesn’t come with force, but coaxed over with an open mind.

Write down all your ideas. In between every good idea there are many little ones — some silly, some downright outrageous. Treat them with respect.

Pick one idea and start. Little ideas aren’t bad. They’re part of the process.

File away your ideas for future use. Don’t get rid of what you’ve written down—file them so you can find them again. I use OneNote to sort my ideas by categories.

Most of my posts begin as short prompts such as Why the pomodoro technique doesn’t work for me before I flesh them out.

Take ownership of your ideas, big or little. They can lead you to your answer.