If there’s one problem all creatives have in common, it’s creative blocks. No matter who you are or what you’re creating, you’re bound to hit them from time-to-time.
I believe the key to building a successful and sustainable life as a creative isn’t learning to avoid creative blocks. It’s learning to beat them as quickly as possible.
With that in mind, I put together six tips to help you break through a creative block time and time again.
Take a walk
Staring at your project and forcing yourself through a creative block almost never works. One trick that might help is getting away from your project and taking a walk.
Research has proven that walking can help boost creativity and problem solving skills.
According to this article, it doesn’t matter if you walk indoors or outdoors, which is good news if the weather’s bad. But I’m partial to the outdoor walk if you have the option.
This trick is also something I’ve personally tried and found to be true. When I find myself blocked, stuck, or struggling with a creative project, I’ve done my best to get in the habit of taking a walk.
This may not be enough for a more sizable block, but it definitely can’t hurt try give it a shot!
Take an extended break
Stepping back from your project for an extended period of time can do you a world of good. This may not always be possible if you’re on a schedule or a deadline, but if you can, this is absolutely worth exploring.
Sometimes a creative block is actually more a mental block that’s the result of burn out. This is even more likely if you’ve been pushing really hard on this project.
Stepping back from your project for an extended period of time can give your brain a chance to rest and reset. Then when you return, you’ll get the chance to view your block with fresh eyes.
You may even find the solution finds you sooner once your brain relaxes.
What “extended” means can be up to you, but I’d recommend at least a week. More if you’ve been pushing it especially hard.
Work on something else
Sometimes, one of the best things you can do for a creative block is give your brain something else creative to work on.
This can be in the same medium as your project (so, if you’re a writer, it can be a different writing project), or something else entirely.
Like we mentioned earlier, forcing yourself to push through a block almost never works. But if you’re in the mood to create or just need to feel like you’ve made some progress, switching gears and working on something else may be the way to go.
This forces your brain to stop thinking about the block and gets the creative juices flowing again in a different way.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and found my block disappears as soon as I return to my original project.
Change up your process or location
Sometimes, you just need to see your project from a different perspective. In this case, mixing up your process or changing your work environment may be enough to get you going again.
For instance, I typically like to write a story in sequential order. But if I hit a block, I’ve found that sometimes it can be helpful to jump ahead to the next part I know, then come back and bridge the gap.
And sometimes, your environment might be part of your problem. The spaces we’re in hold energy. I believe if you keep trying to work in a space were you’ve been stuck and struggling, your environment picks up this energy.
So relocating can help break up that stagnation and breath new creative life into your project.
Share what you’ve made and get some feedback
If you’re really stuck, it can often be helpful to get another point of view. Seek out some people you trust and share what you have and what you’re struggling with.
Talk it through with them and see what thoughts are and what suggestions they have.
However, make sure you’re being very selective about who you go to with this! You’re looking for people who can see the strengths of what you have, see and understand your problem, and help you work through it.
You don’t want someone who’s going to be over critical and pick your work a part at this point. You also don’t want someone who doesn’t really know enough about the medium/what you’re creating to be helpful.
Get a tarot reading!
As an artist and creator myself, tarot has been a pretty transformational tool to help me lock in on my strengths as a creator, remove a creative block, and seek more clarity and direction on my projects and process.
It can also help you determine what’s at the root of your creative block, where your attention should go, what you still need to do on your project, and if it’s time to let it go and set it free.
This is why Foreshadow Intuitive Tarot offers a Guidance for Creators and Creatives Reading, which is designed to give you the guidance and empowerment you need to move your creative endeavors forward with confidence!
This reading can be customized to meet you where your at in your unique creative journey. It can also be structured to help you gain the insights you need for your creativity to flow and your projects to blossom.
I also have a post that shares 7 ways tarot can help your creativity if you want to learn more!
For more on my Tarot philosophy, you can can check out the About page.
If you’d like to know even more about me and my own personal creative experience and how tarot supported me, you can read my story here.
How do you beat a creative block? How have you struggled? Tell me about it in the comments!
