The Secret to Overcoming Creative Block: This Practical Guide Will Get You Creating Today!
Your Muse~ To inspire And To guide
As humans, we’re all creative by nature and our creativity manifests in different ways, yet its also normal for us to go through periods of feeling uninspired or empty. Maybe we can’t come up with any good ideas for work or projects, maybe we can’t find the motivation to push through. That can be a daunting feeling, especially if your job depends mostly on your constant creativity. Don’t panic though, it happens to even the best of us. The good thing is we’ve found ways to work our way through the creative block.
The first step is to acknowledge your feelings. If you’re feeling down or drained, face it, stop trying to come up with narratives to convince yourself otherwise. We only start looking for solutions when we come to terms with the fact that there’s a problem, so acknowledge this, only then can we move forward.
After you come to terms with this fact, ask yourself “am I having a creative block or am I tired”? If you’re tired, STOP! Don’t try to push through thinking it’ll pass, that’ll just lead to further exhaustion. To find if you’re need to take a break, click here . If it’s a creative block you’re dealing with, you can push through, work your way around the block and get inspiration from around you. Here are a few simple activities that you can start practicing to help your work through the creative block.
Exercises that spark creativity:
- Mindful walks; Imagine going for a walk, but instead of rushing from point A to point B, you are focused on enjoying the beauty of life around you. Whether you are surrounded by nature or a bustling city, take a walk(somewhere safe preferably), appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. This exercise is great for relaxing and finding inspiration for whatever. You might want to take a note book to write down new ideas, and a camera or your phone to capture some images. Photographers do mindful walks, but this is a great exercise for everyone.
- People watching; the busier the place, like a bus stop or café during rush hour, the place the better. A woman with a bright scarf might inspire a new painting, a man with a kind smile might be the hero in your new story. People watching is a great way to gather ideas for creatives, just be respectful of peoples privacy when doing it, and remember to take your jotter along with you.
- The “what if” game; This is a great one for introverts. You can play this game alone or with friends. “what if we could talk to animals?”, “what if time travel was possible?”, the possibilities are endless. This is a great way to come up with new ideas and fresh perspectives. You might be surprised with what you come up with when you give this game a try.
Meditation for inspiration:
Meditation is a powerful yet underrated tool that can help with relaxation, finding inspiration and boosting creativity. When overflowing with thoughts and worries, your mind is like a cluttered space, it’s hard to focus on creating something new. Meditation helps clear that clutter, and promotes a state of mindfulness and awareness, which helps you focus on the present. Here’s a simple meditation guide to help you declutter your mind and get those ideas flowing in:
-find a quiet place and get comfortable
-close your eyes, take slow and deep breaths. Feel the rise and fall of your stomach
-Focus on the sounds you hear in this place. Is it the sound of waves, birds chirping, or cars on the busy road?
-Now, visualize a soft, white light entering your mind. Let this light fill you with a sense of peace and clarity.
-With each exhale, imagine releasing any negativity or tension from your body.
-For the next few minutes, simply observe your thoughts without judgment. Don’t try to force any ideas, just allow them to come and go naturally, even if you’re just thinking about how wierd this whole experience is.
-After a few minutes, gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Take a few more deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.
You can watch the video tutorial of this exercise here.
Writing challenges;
These exercises are mostly for writers but you can also tailor them to your creative niche. Here are a 3 writing challenges that you can use to regain your mojo back.
- Micro fiction challenge;
This challenge is about writing short fictional stories with as little as 100 words. This is also a great way to improve your writing skills by continuous practice. All you have to do is write short stories about anything that comes to mind, see what you can create out of your most random thoughts.
Here’s a week’s worth of microfiction prompts to get you started:
-Monday: A wish granted with unexpected consequences.
-Tuesday: The last conversation between two strangers on a bus.
-Wednesday: A robot discovers a hidden truth about its purpose.
-Thursday: A single raindrop holds a memory of its journey from the clouds to earth.
-Friday: In a world without color, a child dreams in vibrant hues.
-Weekend: Write a microfiction story inspired by a random object you find in your home.
- Genre mashup challenge
If you are looking for a way to bring out the most creative side of you, this challenge is for you. This exercise is about merging 2 or more genres to create something unique. Your only limit is your imagination. Ever wondered what a historical supernatural sci-fi detective romance would look like? Well this is your chance to put yourself to test. I’m really excited to see what you come up with while doing this exercise, and don’t forget to add my name in the acknowledgment section when your work becomes the next bestseller okay? Great!
- Free-writing challenge
This challenge is great for you if you’re feeling pressured to write something “perfect”. This is a practical way to overcome your creative block and get ideas flowing freely. All you have to do is to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write continuously for a set amount of time(you could start with 5–10 minutes), without stopping to edit or judge yourself. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or making sense — just write! You might be surprised by the ideas that emerge when you take the pressure off.
The key to unlocking your creativity is to find inspiration from any and every thing around you, just waiting for it to come to you won’t do. From your surroundings to the people that surround you, there’s enough inspiration being offered to you, it’s up to you to grab it.
Don’t be discouraged if inspiration feels low sometimes. As a creative, you’re on a journey and every creative block is a chance to explore a new path.
If you feel stuck
- Try a new exercise,
- take a mindful walk,
- simply people-watch at a cafe.
- meditate
- try one of the practical challenges above that will help spark your creativity and You might be surprised by your next masterpiece.
Feel free to share this article with fellow creatives who might be feeling uninspired or down. Let’s create a community that embraces the magic around us and uplift each other every day.
