A creative block can be your worst enemy. It can come from anywhere at anytime and can cause major issues when you want to get your creative ideas flowing. For a creative professional this block is not only frustrating but can also be harmful on your career. When you feel like all hope is lost to push past your block, the following tips should help you overcome this loss of hope and help you get back to creating. 

Set a Routine

Sometimes you will have to work without inspiration, and that’s okay. By working hard everyday you can push yourself over any bumps in the road. This is why it is important to set a routine for when you will work and how much you want to get done and stick to it.

Ask Yourself Questions

When creating, it is all about determining the soul of a project. Ask yourself questions about the project to better understand it. Knowing why you are creating something, or how it may relate to other creative’s work, should help you. Understanding the core of the project and completely understanding its inspiration will help you gain new insight.

Take a Break

Do something completely different from your discipline. If you are a writer you should paint, if you are a painter you should play an instrument. This will help your creative juices flow without pushing yourself too hard on a single project or creative medium. This gives you time to regroup and collect your thoughts without overdoing yourself.

Do Not Try to Solve Your Problem in an Uncreative Way 

It is important to understand that in order to get creative thoughts going you cannot just sit around and use electronics or do things that do not involve creativity. This means that you have to do something creative to get new creative thoughts. Exercise your imagination and have a little fun! This will help spark new ideas!

Daydream

Daydreaming can be extremely helpful for any creative process. Engaging in imaginative thinking can lead to amazing creations, and can be one of the most helpful strategies when attempting to overcome a block. Daydreaming allows you to think outside the box and think of the impossible which may lead to thought of how you can make that impossible, possible. Consider the “Blue Sky” approach. If time and resources were unlimited how would you approach the project differently. 

Get Some Fresh Air

Going for a walk, hike, bike ride, or doing whatever you like doing outside will help you clear your mind and stop stressing over your block in creativity. This will get you over your negative thoughts and get you thinking new positive thoughts. Fresh air increases happiness and energy which should positively impact both your thought process and actions. 

Redefine the Problem

Ask yourself how someone else would handle the same problem. This provides a new perspective that could get your gears turning. By using someone else approach you can see your project in a new light which will give you a new source for creative motivation. 

Conclusion

Creativity will come and go but you now have the tools to get it to come back even better than before. Creative blocks can be very difficult to get over but once you do you will feel extremely accomplished and ready to work.

Sources:

http://goinswriter.com/work-through-creative-blocks/

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670989/11-tricks-for-battling-creative-blocks-from-leading-creatives

https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/02/28/creative-block-krysa/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creating-in-flow/201209/10-creative-block-breakers-actually-work

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/08/tk-ways-fresh-air-impacts_0_n_5648164.html