What to do When a Creative Block Hits

JOIN US: The Facebook Group: Happiness Depends Morning Coffee Crew.
It’s a place for passionate women to come together to lift each other up and find their happy place.

What to do When a Creative Block Hits

If you are an artist, singer, actor, writer or other “creative” you have at some point inevitably hit the dreaded creative wall. You know that feeling… when there is no more gas in your tank to create something new. EMPTY! Yup, that one.  It’s a frustrating feeling, to say the least and sometimes it just seems easier to throw in the towel. But don’t give up yet! You can refill your tank and breakthrough that wall even if it’s one brick at a time.

Trust me, I feel your pain. I am no stranger to creative blocks and have experienced them many times. It’s ironic, there are times when I can whip out a great short-film script in a day and others when I cannot put two words together. There are auditions that I ace without even trying and others that I cannot remember one line.

Like everything else, there are good days and bad days but once a creative block hits, we tend to let our minds get the better of us.

• “What is my problem?”

• “Am I doing something wrong? “

• “I never had this issue before!”

And on and on it goes, quickly making a normal situation, much worse! There are often two typical responses:

1. We put even more pressure on ourselves to create, resulting in a stalemate.

2. We convince ourselves that this is the end of our creative road feeling the need to walk away.

Neither of these responses is helpful, practical or true.  In fact, it is like putting a proverbial gun to our own head. I don’t know about you, but under that kind of pressure, I don’t perform well. So, what’s a stuck creative to do?

Know this is completely NORMAL.

The first and most important thing to realize is that it’s completely normal. While it may not make you feel better, perhaps you’ll have solace knowing you are not alone. However, rather than wallowing in the misery-loves-company pool, let’s put a positive spin on it.

What if these little setbacks were simply a reminder from the Universe to slow down and appreciate what we have done so far?

Take some time and look back on what you’ve accomplished so far. I bet is it much more than you realize, and it will make your temporary set-back seem a little less harsh.

Know the “why” behind your block.

Usually, these episodes are due to inner obstacles like worry and fear, burnout, guilt or lack of initiative. Like any problem, before it can be fixed, it’s important to identify the root cause. It may take a little work but start by digging into the why. Ask yourself a few probing questions and if the answer is “yes”, then dig deeper?

Below are some areas that may be stopping your creative flow. If you identify with any, ask yourself why you are feeling this way.

WORRY/FEAR

• Will my project be good enough (creatively or versus the competition)?

• Do I feel less than (age, talent, experience, etc.)?

• Can I get it done in time?

BURNOUT

• Have I been trying to take on too much?

• Am I rushing into this?

• Have I been getting enough sleep?

GUILT

• Am I spending time away from other people and projects?

• Should I be focusing on more practical projects?

• Will this make my friends and family proud?

LACK OF INITIATIVE

• Do I really want to do this?

• Do I have a solid plan?

• What if I don’t know where to start?

Once you've identified some answers, probe a little deeper and ask yourself if this block really deserves the energy you are giving it versus your project. Then send this block some healing light and let it go. Understanding the real culprit usually lessens the pressure and puts things into perspective.

Don’t throw in the towel.

It’s impossible to be at the top of our game, all the time and if we were, we wouldn’t appreciate the milestones.  Remember, during a personal creative drought, the best thing you can do is keep going. Walk away if you must but don’t give up altogether.

You may just be one tiny step away from a great accomplishment and if you stop, you’d never know it.

So, the next time you feel stuck creatively, don’t beat yourself up. Who knows? This whole experience may just spur an idea for another project!

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Need a little more happiness? Get your FREE Unpack Your Happiness Toolkit HERE.

---

For Daily Inspiration Follow @Happiness_Depends on Instagram.

---