How to Push Beyond Creative Block

Tips on getting started again after you’ve stopped for too long

Losing your creative flow is incredibly frustrating. It happens to me a lot, and I’m sure it has happened to you, too! There’s a lot of reasons why our creative flow can become disrupted or seem to stop completely - life gets busy, we have a few real “stinker” projects in a row, our physical or mental health starts to droop, or we simply…can’t find that groove. It happens, and it sucks. But one thing to remember is that creative block doesn’t mean we are a creative failure. Stopping for a while doesn’t mean we’ve lost creativity, even if we stop for years at a time. When you are a creative soul, whether it’s art, cooking, writing, home DIY projects or even things like making up games with your kids or students, creativity is part of you. Creative block can’t stop you…it’s just a matter of the hardest part: learning to begin again.

Why does creative block happen?

Creative block can creep up on you quietly. It’s not always dramatic, and it isn’t something we realize is happening, most of the time. One week, our creativity is unstoppable - we’re painting, writing, baking cakes and writing down ideas for how to redesign our garden. But by the end of the month, all the creativity has slowed down, and we couldn’t generate a single creative idea even if we tried. But why? Well, you had three work meetings last week. Your dog was sick and needed to go to the vet. Your son had after school activities three out of five days, and then there was that afternoon that you had a headache, oh, and it did rain this weekend. Life gets in the way. Those simple tasks can add up sometimes, and it takes time away from the creative flow. Sometimes it’s as black and white as “I just got busy!” But sometimes, it’s mental. Your schedule is open, and you’re so excited to sit down and create, but…nothing happens. Maybe it’s the pressure to make something “perfect,” or you have this fear of using those good materials you bought. Or maybe, you’re caught up in your own head wondering if this idea is “good enough” to actually do it. And then there’s the idea of comparing your ideas and work to someone else’s…it’s a trap. And these traps can stall you out. While busy schedules and chaos can stop creativity in its tracks, perfectionism and fear of mediocrity can keep you from starting at all. That’s all part of creative block. And while the reasons for block may vary, the result is the same: it becomes harder and harder to get into a rhythm of making.

So What Do We Do?

First of all, let’s be realistic: you’re not going to go from completely blocked to “super free flowing ideas” in one afternoon. When you’re knee deep in the sludge that keeps you from creating, it takes a little time to clear it all out. And I’ve found that starting with small, short, actionable steps is what really gets the creativity back on track. Here are a few of my go-to favorites:

Take 10 minutes: First thing you need to do is find time. I know, that’s hard. But that’s why we’re starting small. Just 10 minutes is all we need. Find 10 minutes every day (or “most” days if that’s all you have) to give yourself time to create. While you’re having a cup of coffee, while you’re on that work Zoom that won’t end, staying up 10 minutes later each night - it doesn’t matter when the 10 minutes happens, let’s just find it.
Start with limited tools. I don’t care if you have a closet full of expensive supplies, when you’re blocked, creatively, it’s time to get back to basics. A pen and a piece of notebook paper. Crayons and a coloring book. The notes app on your phone. Keep it simple - in that 10 minute window you’ve created for yourself, doodle in a notebook. Make little swirls, bubble letter words, or draw a picture. Whatever calls to you. If you’re playing with crayons and a coloring book, color that page your kid has somehow left blank. (It’s usually the character they don’t care for!) The goal here is to fire up those brain connections that generate the creativity. We’re not looking for perfect or masterpieces, we just want to start it up.
Make some lists. I’m a list maker. I always have been. And when I can’t get myself in a creative place, lists definitely help. I’ll sit down and write out all of the creative things I’d like to do. They aren’t even necessarily ones I know I will get around to trying, but it’s a list of things I would like to do. From a drawing I want to create, to my odd desire to bake that 3 layer cake, all the way through my call to paint my family room purple - this list now can serve as my “idea list,” and in those moments where I have a few minutes but don’t know what to do, I can pick something from that list and either DO IT (or, really, start…) or I can plan it, daydream about it, or just tap into that part of my brain that inspired me to put it on the list in the first place. It keeps that part of my brain in the “on” position.
Revisit something unfinished. Have you started a few projects and left them unfinished? When you’re in the middle of the creative block situation, that’s the perfect time to revisit them. At one point, your creativity was flowing enough to get you to start that project, so maybe by picking it up again, you’ll get back into that place. Now remember, we’re not looking for perfection. Just pick it up and do some work on it. We’re sparking the creativity and pushing through block - that’s ALL!
Try out a prompt or challenge. Need something a little more structured? Look up a prompt or try a “challenge” - no need to commit to a 30 day challenge or anything, but take a suggested idea and put your spin on it. Search “artistic prompt” or “creativity challenge” and see what’s out there. Conquer one prompt, or fire out six or seven in a day. Whatever makes you feel good. When the idea is generated by someone else, you’re using your own creativity, by default, to bring it to life.
Change up your environment. Feeling like you’re ready to actually put tips to use? Feeling that little fire starting to burn and ready to commit to more than 10 minutes but still needing that final push? Try changing up your environment - where you’re working, the time you’re working, or even the feel of where you’re working. Take the project to another room, or move it outside. Usually work in the morning? Try working at night. Have a dedicated creative space? Try rearranging the furniture. When I hit a block, one of my favorite things to do is bring my sketchbook to a different place - the zoo, the lake, my favorite lunch spot - taking in new sights, sounds and energy, my creativity seems to spark up so much faster.

Will it feel great right away? Probably not.

When you’ve been away from creativity for a while - days, or even months or years - it won’t always be an instant feeling of super hero creativity. Let’s be honest. At first - those first couple of times you try to get back into the groove - it’s going to feel weird. It might feel like you’re not sparking anything. It might feel awkward or even difficult. That’s NORMAL. It’s like anything else - when you don’t do it for a while, you can’t just jump back in where you used to. If you haven’t run a 5k since you were 19, do you expect that at 28 you’ll be able to just jump back in at your old pace? Nope. It’ll take a few awkward weeks of retraining those muscles and a slow build back to where you once were. Creative block is the same. The work will be slow - and the longer you’ve been away, the slower it will be. But remember, slow is still movement. Your progress will start slow, and then it will build. And then build some more. Your work, your ideas, your end result…they won’t look like they used to, and that’s okay! Remember, the point of pushing through creative block isn’t perfection - it’s finding that spark that satisfies your creative spirit. It can feel awkward at first. You may find you have sharper ideas and thoughts than you ever did before, but the work isn’t going the way it used to. The disconnect between idea and end result may be…disappointing. But that’s why we keep working - to bridge that gap between the idea and the end result. We practice, we use our creative spirit and skills, and we keep doing it more and more.

Wrapping it up:

Creative block is a pain. It’s hard, it’s annoying and because it usually creeps up slowly…it feels impossible to overcome at first. But remember, we all feel this sometimes. It’s not the end of your creativity, and it’s not even a message that you need to stop. If creativity is part of who you are (as it should be!), it’s just a pause that we can push through when we are ready. You don’t need to wait for the perfect idea or the perfect moment, you just need to take small steps to get your momentum going again. Pick something small and start. Ten minutes to start - that’s enough. It might feel strange, awkward or frustrating at first, and it probably won’t generate the results you want it to…but that’s fine! The goal isn’t to immediately make perfect results, it’s to reconnect with that part of you that loves to create. Turn that part of your brain back on and want to improve again. So choose one idea from this list and give it a shot the next time you’re feeling that creative block. And hey, if you have a tip of your own that helps, let me know. I’d love to hear about it. Leave it in the comments or send a message. Let’s keep showing up for creativity, even when it’s hard and the world is trying its best to crush our spirits - we owe it to ourselves!