The Creative Block

We’ve all been there before, the dreaded creative block. It’s just like writers block, but for the person that feels joy with tactile objects, or with creating something from nothing, the process of going through so many stages to get to the final product and have that little moment of relief, before you start the next one. To those that aren’t the creative type, it can sometimes look easy. I believe that it’s mainly because the process behind it all isn’t always visible. The hours spent sketching out your ideas, planning where things should be laid out, and reiterating things over and over. Creative blocks can happen for many reasons. For a student specifically, it can occur when pressure or self-doubt is a factor. Being surrounded by so many other creative individuals can be tough sometimes. You may feel the need to compare your work to another student, and wonder why you aren’t able to successfully complete a project at the same level. Being able to understand that level of creative block may be exactly what helps you to overcome it. By treating yourself with respect, and believing in your abilities, may make it easier to avoid the creative block. That theory, in hindsight, is easier said than done. I constantly feel like I am comparing my skills to that of others, and wondering why I’m not good at one particular thing, while the person beside me is good at the exact same thing, since we’ve taken the same amount of courses, and learned the same techniques. From this self-doubt, and as a result, having night after night of creative blocks, I’ve started to come to terms with the fact that I may never be a master of everything. I have different passions than the person beside me, and maybe I have a skill that they don’t. I’m in the education system to learn different skills, and to discover exactly where I fit within the design community, and what I can offer to the industry. Which leads me to my next point, you can’t force creativity to happen at a specific time. I’ve discovered that as much as I may dislike it sometimes, I am a night owl. While I struggle to stay focused and motivated throughout the day, I thrive at night when the rest of the world is quiet, and my creative juices are flowing. I’ve learned that creativity isn’t something that you can just schedule a time for, and you can’t force it to happen. I overcome my creative blocks by taking time to reflect on what I’m struggling with, to understand what my weaknesses may be, to have a conversation about the topic with another creative, and to take a break from trying to force my brain into thinking creatively and switch gears to something I thrive in. It’s not always easy, or encouraging to work out of a creative block, but I find that by keeping my mind active, and surrounded by my creative peers, even though it may be tough sometimes, having that additional outside perspective can be really beneficial. Separate yourself from the project if you think you’ve become too closed-minded about the topic and consider why you’ve made the choices that you did and what potential alternatives may be to strengthen the final outcome.