How to deal with a Creative Block
Creative block again?
Creative blocks are no fun, they are frustrating, and they could be stopping revenue that pays the bills! I’m pretty sure as a creative person we’ve all had to deal with a block some and more than others. So how do you deal with a creative block?
First, you have to know what type of block you’re suffering from. There are many things that happen in your life both personally and professionally that could cause you to have a creative block. Is it mental, emotional, personal, or it could be you’re overwhelmed with so much to do. Either way knowing what type of block you have will help you work through it.
Here is how I deal with a Creative Block
- For those mental blocks I seem to get pretty often which always has a headache right on top of it; I take a step back and a break away from my work. This may take me an hour or even a day or two, but taking your mind away from your work is always good no matter what you’re doing. I love basketball, music and cooking, so I will take a break and go play a game with some friends, try out a new recipe or invite some friends over and have all of my favorite songs on a play list while we play games and just enjoy good conversation. Either way, I’m re-focusing my attention on something else which gives it a break.
- Next, for those emotional and personal mental breaks. These sometimes are the hardest in my opinion to deal with. I typically stop and re-evaluate things that have happened in my life over the past month. Then it’s simple, solve it and don’t let that problem come around again.
- Finally, feeling overwhelmed is not only frustrating, it’s very stressful and it’s not good for your health. As creative’s it’s easy to get overwhelmed pretty fast especially when you have so many ideas that just pops up in your mind. I have a big board in my office that says mind over flow. Every little idea big or small that comes to mind, I write it down. It’s good to empty out your mind to avoid that overwhelming feeling. This helps because you can come back when you’re ready to tackle your ideas. There are also times I may take on more than I can handle. I’ve learned from experience to only take on projects that I can handle, and that I like. Sometimes it’s good to say no. Try it sometime, but make sure you’re not saying no just to say it, have some reasoning behind it
A creative block is never fun and as creative’s we have to keep our minds clear and not let a block interfere with our careers. Remember to give your mind and body a rest. Step away from the screen, pen, or paper sometimes and do other things you enjoy!
Do you have some techniques for dealing with creative blocks? Share them with us we’d like know.
