How do you deal with creative blocks and challenges when working on visual stories?

When I was working on first feature length documentary film 'In Search of Bidesia', I hit a wall. This was an unscripted film. Over 1TB of footage, and I didn’t know where to start. For weeks, I waited, hoping the direction would reveal itself. I kept watching references, absorbing bits and pieces, but the idea didn’t come fully formed. It wasn’t until I sat down with my editor that things started to click. And slowly, the story began to flow. Here’s what I’ve learned: waiting is part of the work. So, every time I feel stuck, I let the block sit with me. I try to gather inspiration by watching references, talk it through with others, and believe that the path will reveal itself.

Visual storytelling often means visualizing something you already have an idea about. For me, it helps to jot down a few key points about what I really want to say, how I want to say it, and who I’m trying to communicate to. Then, I usually let it sit for a day before tackling it again. In my experience, doing other stuff in the meantime lets my subconscious work on it. When I come back to it, it’s amazing how easily the creative challenges get solved. If I hit another block, I just repeat the process. You can't force creativity, at least not for me. I can also find inspiration in just looking at other creators that I admire.

Creativity feeds creativity! When Im having a creative block when Im drawing my visuals, I take a break and do something else creative instead! Pottery, oil painting, playing with lego - whatever! That does wonders for me, it always helps me to get back on track :)

I agree, but sometimes it’s helpful to step away from the things that you’re familiar with and already love. Chances are, those things have been inspiring you for a long time already whether you know it or not. When I’m really stumped I go outside. I go to a place I’ve never been, look at things I’ve never seen before. I talk to people I’ve never spoken with; ask them to tell me about themselves or tell me something I don’t know. (Safely and respectfully of course!) Sometimes, something new can be just enough to ignite a new spark of inspiration, or rekindle your old flames.

Dealing with creative blocks and challenges in visual storytelling requires a process of sketching and revising. Start by sketching quickly and loosely, focusing on composition, perspective, lighting, and emotion. Don’t worry about perfection; instead, capture the essence of each scene. Review your sketches to ensure your storyboard has a clear beginning, middle, and end, effectively showing the conflict, resolution, and theme. Make necessary changes to enhance mood, tone, and style until the storyboard makes sense and resonates with the viewer.

This is one of the many ways some teams work, certainly. I find everyone works a little differently on this stage. Sometimes it's better to give individual groups the freedom to explore the idea fully, just to see what comes of it. The brainstorm stage is less about making the right decision, and more about learning from the mistakes. Your first draft is never going to be your final draft. That being said, allow yourself to explore even the weirdest options. Let yourself improv. Act out the scenes, read them out loud, play mad libs if you need to. No idea is bad at this stage. They could inspire something really great.

It’s also good to get a little outside perspective at this point. Once you think you have a coherent flow to your narrative, it’s a good idea to ask others what they see and hear from your story. Only ask people whose opinions you actually value and who also have some “bona fide qualifications to judge” in the first place. Those qualifications could be something as simple as being an seven year old (if that’s the audience for your story). And remember that, just because you’re receiving advice doesn’t mean you always need to take it. The more you do, the more you learn; the more you can trust your gut that you’re making proper decisions, regardless of the experts, because you’re always becoming an expert yourself.

Combat creative challenges by brainstorming and outlining your ideas. Write down everything that comes to mind and organize your thoughts into a clear structure. This process helps clarify your vision and provides a roadmap to guide your storytelling.

This step can be difficult. Sometimes you run into walls, and you find plotholes where you didn't think there were any. Your solutions all just add more questions instead of solving the problem, and you're likely up to your eyeballs in possibilities. Take a break. This stage is rough. But revising is still about improving. Ask yourself why that scene isn't hitting the emotion you want it to. Ask your teammates how they perceive the scene- with the following and prefacing, and on it's own. Keep in mind, editing will change how your scene reads as well. Take a breath. Watch the scene. Over and over and over. Read the script. Do it again. Don't get too attached to anything at this stage. Keep it rough and loose.

Start with rough sketches and be open to revising them. The act of sketching can unlock new creative pathways and help visualize concepts more concretely. Iterative revisions refine your ideas and lead to more polished and effective visual stories.

Sometimes, the best way to unblock your creativity, is to use a medium that you would not usually use in your typical workflow. For example, if you're an illustrator and you are not feeling inspired, try writing/journaling. Jotting down your thoughts using words instead of visuals can trigger parts of your brain that will lead to unblocking your visual ammo by turning the abstract (words) into new visual narrations (illustration).