Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally hassled by a creative block.
Raise your hand if you have ever felt personally hassled by a creative block.
Creative thinking isn’t just for writers, artists and musicians in the modern workplace, creative thinking is a valued skill that is used every day and with creative thinking comes creative blocks. If you are a creative professional then you know how painful creative blocks can be. Not only because they get in the way of creating and generating ideas but they can disrupt your work flow and create stress, even more so when you are relying on your creativity to pay the bills.
It’s hard to stay enthusiastic about what you’re doing all the time so developing some strategies to get you though a creative block is essential. Here are 10 different ways of dealing with creative blocks.
Talk it through
Sharing an idea with someone and getting feedback can unblock mental barriers in your mind, as well as inspiring new ideas. Talking it through can help you consider things from a new perspective.
Carry a notepad
Being able to record ideas and thoughts as they come to you can help get you through a creative block and prepare you for the next.
Get away from your desk
If it’s just a walk down the street or going somewhere completely new, getting away from your desk can change your mindset and change the way you’re approaching the task. Fresh air can spark the brain into gear alone, and opening your eyes to the environment around you may spark new ideas.
Play with Lego
Doing something completely unrelated to the task and can help you come back to it with a fresh mind. Play with lego or playdough, engaging your hands and body may ignite the mind. If you want to explore this further check out Lucy McRae
Write a list
List all the things that come to mind when thinking of the topic. Letting all the thoughts and words spill out can give you ideas you didn’t know you had.
Change your surroundings
Working somewhere different or rearranging your desk can change your mental space. Head down to the library to get some focused time or to people watch. Coffee = Cafe time or the buzz of ambient noise can increase the creative flows. – coffitivity.com
“A moderate level of ambient noise is conducive to creative cognition.” – University of Chicago
Go offline
Turning off your devices can slow things down and ease the weight of the task. Say No to those notifications.
Have a cold shower
Studies have shown that cold exposure can help boost your endorphin levels, leaving you feeling more energised and ready to face the day.
Switch to a different task or medium
If you normally type things up, write it by hand or if you do all your drawings in pencil try using charcoal. Switch things up to keep the task interesting. Artists Mary Kate McDevitt finds that “diverting your attention to another activity can help through creative blocks.”
Create a pinterest board
Creating a board for a particular project can help set the mood and feel as well as narrow down what you are wanting for the end result.
Feedback?!
Have you tried any of these, which ones are your favourites? If you have other suggestions please let us know in the comments.
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Yessss. Changing my environment is a big one. I’m a writer and usually I love the routine of having That One Spot that’s my working spot, but sometimes it gets stale, y’know? So I shift from the sofa to the kitchen table, or from my flat to a cafe that opens early enough to suit my writing habits.
Lately I’ve been trying to delineate working space and resting space, too. It seems to work so far. So I have one spot where I write, and then I physically move to another spot when it’s time for a break. It might only be from one end of the couch to the other end, but it’s enough to get that mental distance. And then when I move back, my brain knows okay, it’s time to work again.
Excellent insight, defining work and rest spaces seems to be crucial. Even exploring the types of workspaces and the environment can help creativity or mundane focused work, plus it keeps work life interesting.