Creative blocks are a very normal part of the creative life. A creative block can come in many different forms and for many different reasons. I believe that identifying the source of your creative block is one of the first steps to take to work towards opening the hatch again so those creative ideas can flow freely. I’ve listed four of the most common reasons that creative blocks occur below and how to move past them.
Stress or unhappiness. While some people thrive and create brilliant work while under pressure, others can feel stifled by stressful circumstances. Observe your surroundings both immediate and beyond. How are these circumstances affecting your thoughts and feelings? Creativity is very linked to our external circumstances; when external circumstances produce stress or unhappiness, creativity can become stifled. This can be especially true at this specific moment in time. Right now there is massive civil unrest accompanied by a threatening global pandemic. Many of our lives have had to transform enormously so that we can survive in this new climate. Many of us are spending more time at home and less time having meaningful face-to-face interactions or doing activities that normally bring us joy. This sort of massive change can produce changes in our bodies and minds, affecting our emotions, thoughts, and no doubt our creativity. Of course, we cannot change every aspect of our external environment overnight. We certainly cannot erase a global pandemic or change the behavior of others. What we can do, instead, is create a sanctuary within our homes and/or our minds. What this means is to create a space for ourselves that feels comfortable, soothing, and calm. This also means that we take the time to quiet our minds through meditation, exercise, or a calming activity such as cooking, sewing, sketching, spending time outdoors, or listening to music. Avoid reading the news or social media posts as this can be incredibly stressful on the mind. By doing activities that calm the nerves we can create space for our creative ideas to grow.
Your ideas are incubating. I have always likened creativity to pregnancy or flowers growing in a garden. There is a cycle to creativity that involves gestation, birthing (or creating), observing the object or idea in its physical form, and finally, death. This cycle repeats itself forever in all observable forms in the universe at different rates. Therefore, creativity should be no different in its cycle. Perhaps the creative block you perceive is not a block, but rather a period of time needed to develop the idea more fully before it can be birthed into the world. This philosophy can be both liberating and soothing as it reminds us that creativity is an entity with a life and death cycle that does not reflect our self-worth as a creator. When we can allow our ideas to gestate and develop we increase the chance that those ideas will be born into the world healthy, full, and multi-dimensional rather than premature and fragmented.
You have too many ideas. Decision fatigue can set in when you have a million ideas and aren’t sure which one is worth pursuing. While there is certainly no such thing as too many ideas, it is true that the more ideas one has, the more overwhelming it can be to make a decision, which can further complicate the creative process. It would be great if we could clone ourselves so that each clone could devote itself to a different creative idea. In reality, we are limited by our sole human form capable of completing but one physical or mental task efficiently at a time. The challenge in this is that we must carefully choose how to spend our time. We must choose the creative idea we believe to be most worth exploring, even though we have many. My advice to creatives in this position is this: write or sketch all of your ideas before choosing the one that produces the most excitement and joy. Remember that you can always pursue the other ideas on the list when you are finished with the last. You can also switch between multiple projects over the course of a week or a month, as I do. This process can be very fulfilling for some creatives as you may begin to form connections between different projects, providing more meaning and inspiration for your work.
You fear imperfection. One of the most common reasons for the creative block is the fear of imperfection. Most creatives that I speak to consider themselves to be perfectionists. Many note that their perfectionism prevents them from pursuing their ideas or completing their projects. Reality check: nothing is perfect! Also, the only way you can “perfect” your craft is by creating so get over it and get started. I often find myself in the perfectionist category, and it can be very frustrating when your passion is stifled by perfectionism. If you’re anything like me, you need a little bit of tough love and might benefit from a reminder that perfectionism is the greatest dream killer. It is a tyrant cloaked in virtue. The whole cliché, “practice makes perfect,” is not true. Practice strengthens and improves your skill. Growth is the closest thing to perfection, so just get started and remember, it’s not the end of the world if you decide to start over!
Hopefully, these reminders help you move forward with your next project. Remember to give yourself space and time to create. Recognize your creative block for what it is, the amorphous space between the death of your last creative idea and the birth of your next.
If you’re interested in reading more on this topic, check out The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron; this is a must-read for all creatives! You can also check out our tip sheet on Creative Blocks if you’d like more ideas. If you have any other tips or questions about overcoming creative blocks, feel free to comment below!
