Overcoming Creative Roadblocks

In the last post I spoke about how I ran into a creative roadblock. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it really throws me off my game. Often times roadblocks happen due to fatigue and burnout and it's not out of the ordinary that this does happen. We've all been there.

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Reset⁣⁣

Close your laptop, take a deep breath in, and walk away. Give yourself some time to reset your thoughts instead of forcing a creative push. I tend to prefer going for a walk around the neighbourhood, fetching a cup of caffeine, or temporarily put my attention into something different such as a book or a magazine.

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Seek Inspiration

Creative output is so vast and we have access to many channels of inspiration. Pull ideas from external places. Hop on Pinterest, read a book, open that magazine that's been sitting on your coffee table. Inspiration can be found everything. Look around.

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Let Your Mind Wander

Ideas flow better naturally, when they aren't being forced. If you're not on an intense deadline and can afford to put the project aside, even for only a day or a few hours – do it! One of the things I've recently started doing was putting a notebook beside my bedside table. This encourages my to write down any thoughts I have, even in the late hours of the night. Sometimes our best ideas come when we're least expecting it!

Restart

Scrapping a project is sometimes the best option when dealing with a creative roadblock. Don't feel bad about it, it truly has some benefits. A clean canvas can bring you clarity in your work and will allow you to approach the project with new ideas and a different angle. I used to get frustrated having to restart a project but it's been effective in creating my best work.

Ask For Help

If you have a mentor, a community, or even a close friend around – don't be afraid to ask for help. I think often times we have imposter syndrome where we hesitate in asking for assistance, and really this is only a disservice to ourselves. Asking for help will generate new ideas and will also be a perfect opportunity to learn and understand someone else's approach.

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