Facing the Creative Block and Finding Inspiration

In the artistic world, creative blocks often appear. They might start with a bad day, lack of sleep, a bad mood, or feeling overwhelmed by something. This can makes us feel like everyone else is moving ahead while we're stuck in place. And all of this leads to a vicious circle where it feels impossible to find a way out.

Identifying a creative block is relatively easy: we lack inspiration or motivation, find it difficult to start or finish projects, and feel constantly frustrated and discouraged.

It's important to remember that these barriers to inspiration are a normal part of the creative process and not a reflection of our hability or value as artists. Everyone encounters moments when their ideas seem to be stuck, and this doesn't mean we are failing.

Acknowledging that these blocks are temporary and natural can help us approach them with a more positive mindset, open to new solutions. Here's how I manage to work through them and how you can too:

Ways to Overcome Creative Blocks

1. Spending Time Outside

Stepping away from the pressure of generating new ideas can be incredibly refreshing. Maybe just taking a walk in the park, enjoying a tea in your garden, or simply opening a window to breathe in fresh air can help. Spending time outdoors or in different environments resets your mind and provides a new perspective.

2. Seek New Experiences

Breaking your routine by trying new activities or exploring different places can offer fresh insights. Simple actions like listening to different music, taking a walk in nature, visiting a friend, dancing, or organizing your space can spark new ideas.

Focusing on small changes, such as tidying up or decluttering, can be therapeutic as well. These small actions can lead to a sense of accomplishment and refresh your mindset. I often find it rewarding to see the transformation before and after decluttering, though I understand that it might feel overwhelming for some.

3. Find Inspirational Resources

Reading a book that inspires you can also help reignite your creativity. I always turn to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss for inspiration. This can help us see life in a different perspective and notice things that otherwise, we wouldn't.

You never know what you will find, and what will inspire your next idea. Sometimes it can be the shape of a cloud, a colour you saw on the street, a story you heard somewhere or even a sound or a silence.

4. Let Go of Perfectionism

Often, we are our own biggest obstacles. I usually find myself getting stuck because I’m too focused on doing things a certain way and not allowing myself to think outside the box. Letting go of control, perfectionism, and overthinking can help us move forward. Sometimes, doing things in a simpler way than I initially planned can change the whole mood. Embracing curiosity and play, instead of chasing perfection, can boost our creative spirit.

Personal Experience

The past few weeks have been very intense, as I've been deeply focused on editing some of my clients' projects. I had to leave my personal projects on hold. And when I finally have some time to make progress with them, I found myself blocked.

Thinking creatively on demand can be quite challenging.

Nowadays, I'm feeling a bit better. After being in such a state of not having any progress with my own projects, doing other things was very refreshing.

What I realised being in this creativity path, is that a lot of the time in order to be able to create, you need to let go first. Let go of the control, the perfectionism, the pressure and the expectations.

Sometimes it may seem like it's pointless to do all these little things. But if we only focus on doing the big things, then we will end up feeling dissatisfied all the time.

Conclusion

As creators, balancing long working hours with moments of relaxation and exploration is crucial. By addressing creative blocks with these strategies, you can find new ways to inspire yourself and move forward with your projects.

Have you faced creative blocks? What strategies have helped you overcome them? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below. Let’s inspire and learn from each other!