How to Push Through Creative Blocks: 4 Tips for Creators

Hey, Jessika here 👋

In this post, we’ll tackle how you can push through a creative block as a creator with 4 practical tips. After reading this newsletter post, you’ll have more tools to guide you through a creative block.

Here are some feelings, patterns, and behaviors that characterize a creative block:

Feelings

Behaviors and patterns

There are also physical symptoms that can show up, like headaches, tension, insomnia, and fatigue.

But don’t worry. The four tips we’ll discuss today will help you navigate these emotions and behaviors, allowing you to overcome the creative block and bounce back.

Let’s get into the 4 tips to help you get through a creative block!

Tip 1: Establish Routines

What we want to accomplish with routines is to reduce the number of decisions we need to make each day and have our brain prepared for the tasks coming up, in this case: creative work.

Time Blocking - Set aside a specific time block for creative work. Doing administrative or social tasks alongside creative work can disrupt your creative flow and make it hard to concentrate. I sometimes take whole days for creative work, not having any other tasks than to sit and think, create, and generate ideas.

Have a Starting Ritual - This can be effective for signaling to your brain that it’s time to get creative. Of course, it takes some time for the brain to get used to it. It can be sitting in a specific environment, making a cup of tea, or putting on a specific type of music. I put on my favorite songs or a TV show I like in the background on low volume.

Tip 2: Embrace the Block

Embracing the block is important to understand why you’re feeling this way, what you can change, and how to tackle it in the future.

Acceptance - Every creator experiences a creative block now and then. It’s very normal and not something you have to fear. You’ll experience more creative blocks in the future, and accepting them for what they are will help you get through the next one.

Reflection - This is a great opportunity to journal and reflect on yourself as a creator and your work. What do you think caused this creative block? Was there a specific event that happened, or a thought that threw you off your game? Sometimes, events in my personal life that have nothing to do with my work or creative process can put me in a creative block.

Patience - Take a break and do something else. It will probably not help to force yourself to create something, and you’ll not feel good about it afterward. Go on a walk, meet a friend, read, or do anything else that can stimulate your creativity in a way you’re not used to.

Tip 3: Change your environment

The environment can be more important to our creative flow than we think. Sometimes, changing your environment can be the breakthrough of getting out of your creative block on its own.

Try a New Location - Go to a cafe, a library, or just sit in a park. It can be inspirational to see other people, reflect on their lives, what they’re doing on their computers, or where they’re heading in the park. If you’re a solo creator, this can also help you feel less lonely.

Do a Workspace Makeover - Every time I have made a workspace makeover, my creativity thrives. It can be as simple as arranging your desk differently, buying some plants, or candles, or getting tech gadgets that make it a little bit more fun to sit at your workspace.

Tip 4: Set Boundaries for Perfection

Perfectionism is hard to live with and can often be responsible for putting you into a creative block.

Set Realistic Goals - We all want everything we create to be perfect. But we often forget that we usually create the most awesome things when we don’t have such high expectations of ourselves. It’s not realistic that the outcome of every piece you create will be perfect. That’s the beauty of creating.

Embrace Imperfection - Allow yourself to make mistakes and instead view them as learning opportunities. See your projects as iterative processes, where you focus more on the progress of it, rather than perfection. Be open to revising and improving your creations over time.

And of course, don’t forget to celebrate your small wins! Everything can be celebrated and should be celebrated to keep yourself motivated and to keep going forward.

Summary

With these tips and ideas, you will have more tools in your toolbox for when a creative block occurs. And don’t forget to let yourself take breaks, even if you're not in a creative block 🤝

I update daily on Instagram and X (Twitter).

Best,
Jessika