Blocking out Creative Block
Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's Ted Talk and Design is 1% perspiration and 99% inspiration. Inspiration is 200% perspiration*
It’s every creative’s worst nightmare: that deep aching pit of despair and lack of motivation, the feeling of a looming deadline, watching colleagues flawlessly maneuver the same tasks you’re so heavily struggling with, that fear of not being “the best.” That feeling of, you guessed it, creative block.
Maybe you just need a kernel of inspiration to re-ignite that passion for your craft deep inside you. Maybe you have the passion, but no great idea to drive your work. Or maybe you just accomplished what could be the pinnacle of your creative career, and you’re wondering where else there is to go from here but down.
Being creatives and working so closely with other creatives, it is inevitable that we end up comparing ourselves to others. We are constantly surrounded by crazy-talented individuals every day of our lives, and nearly everyone has felt “idea-envy” at a colleague who completely blew you away with an exquisitely creative solution. This envy can begin to gnaw at you, rearing its ugly head of insecurity, making you question everything you have ever created.
Stop. Just stop. Stop the negative thoughts. Stop blaming yourself. Stop telling yourself, “Well… they’re just more creative than I am.” You’re selling yourself short. You have as much of a right to be in the position you are as the person whose work you so intensely admire.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself. If you want to become a more creative person and prevent creative block from ever beating you down again, you need to put in the hard work. Keep writing. Keep painting. Keep sculpting, sewing, building, cooking, designing, crafting, developing, and so on. Enjoy your craft for all its silly nuances and idiosyncrasies that you have come to love (and hate) over all these years. Experiment. Have fun. Make mistakes. Just take the pressure off yourself. Dive headfirst into a scary project, just to see what happens, without fearing the worse if it doesn’t happen.
The ancient Romans believed that every creative person was not a genius, but possessed a genius, a genius being a sort of muse, a divine spirit that followed the individual around, striking them with moments of divine inspiration. This way, the creative was protected, both from their own narcissism and their failures; the genius had to take partial credit for their work, regardless if it flourished or flopped.
But, more times than not, our geniuses seem to not follow our schedules, arriving and vanishing at the most inopportune times. That’s why there are several routines you can practice, pushing away creative block and encouraging even the shyest of geniuses to creep out of their hiding spots and gift you with their divine inspiration.
Collect things. Think about them. Make connections
What do you love? What do you enjoy doing? What are the things that happen in your life that cause your breath to catch, your face to light up, and your heart to beat faster? What do you get really excited about for no reason? Is it a color? A texture? A feeling? A sound? Make a list of everything you love. These are your inspirations. Keep photos, websites, and books that make you excited nearby, even if they seem trite or cliché. Save bits and pieces of interesting objects. Create something parallel to your profession. If you’re a cook, make a recipe book. If you’re an artist, write a story. Make connections between the commonplace things you encounter every single day and the things you simply can’t wait to do. You’ll be amazed how creatively refreshing you’ll find this and how much it will keep your ideas fresh, relatable, and entirely yours.
Reflect on memories. Get nostalgic. Look at old work.
How better to make you feel creatively better about yourself than to look at how much you’ve grown. What projects did you think you would never finish? Look back at them with pride, not criticism. Celebrate what you love about them, and gently figure out the stuff you don’t. Old sketchbooks, journals, and events are all fair game. Be proud about the work you did; use it to find your strengths.
Take a break. Do something irresponsible (but not dangerous). Distract yourself.
There’s nothing wrong with indulging yourself. Stay up late reading. Go to bed early. Eat dessert. Make a salad. Put on sweatpants, or dress to the nines. Go see a movie, or binge-watch some Netflix. Go out with friends, or have a quiet night in with your dog. Go for a run, or clean your house. Whatever makes you feel more like you, go do it, for one day, guilt-free. Just be ready to come back working with a renewed vigor.
And when all else fails, do what you love.
You practice your craft for a reason. That’s the beauty of being a creative — we get to do what we love to do every single day. It’s a very love-hate relationship, because sometimes you just. can’t. stand. to write another word, or craft another piece of jewelry, or cook another meal, but you know you wouldn’t trade it for any other career. So when you’re feeling at your lowest, remind yourself why you keep going. And if you keep working and working and working and push yourself through this fog, know that you will always find a way to break out of it, brand-new, inspired, and ready to tackle anything. Because that’s just what creatives do, and we’re awfully good at it.
* Want to learn more about these creative block approaches or why they work? Check out my blog article, Design is 1% perspiration and 99% inspiration. Inspiration is 200% perspiration