Feeling Stuck? Here are 7 Methods to Overcome Creative Block
- Leia Emeera
- Aug 13, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Have you ever experienced pulling out your sketchbook, Word documents, or even task list and drawing a blank at what to do?
Ideas are not coming in as naturally when you look down at your page. You might be going through a creative block.
Encountering art block or creative block is a relatively common experience among creatives—even so, it isn't any less of a difficult time to go through. But what is it exactly?
Table of Contents:
What is Creative Block and Why Does It Happen
What is Creative Block and Why Does It Happen
Creative blocks or art blocks are typically defined as a phenomenon where artists struggle to find inspiration, motivation, and/or creativity. Difficulty creating renders can make them feel “blocked” and unable to move forward in their work.
There are several reasons why this happens to artists and creatives. From mental and physical exhaustion to pressure of perfection and fear of rejection.
Additionally, many artists find themselves experiencing creative blockage when they feel overwhelmed by expectations and self-doubt. Unfortunately, it is a common experience for anyone who is in the creative industry.
Why You Must Overcome Creative Block
It may be tempting to wait until inspiration strikes, but creative block must be overcome through an active effort before it affects your mental health.
Eliminating it isn’t the goal. It’s about finding the right strategy to navigate these blocks when they arise.
By overcoming creative blocks, you will be able to enhance your productivity, boost motivation, alleviate stress, and mitigate self-doubt. Hence, encouraging you to grow and care for your mental well-being.
3 Reasons Why Art Blocks Happen
Creative blocks can start for any reason and at any stage of your career. When the creation of art is a personal process, the reasons for a decline can be as unique as it is personal. However, there are still common reasons for creative blockage, so here are some of the reasons:
i. Stress
You could be stressed out by something completely unrelated to your craft—but its effects can seep into other parts of your life, including your art. Studies have shown that stress can hinder divergent thinking.
The “Dual Pathway to Creativity Model” refers to how creativity is a cognitive function that can be affected by dispositional and situational variables—stress falling into the former category.
ii. Perfectionism
Dedication to your art is important, but there’s a fine line between that and obsession. The latter can be exhausting. If you allow yourself no room for error, it is likely that you may not stray far from your comfort zone or struggle to complete projects.
If you constantly fear imperfection, you’re blocking yourself from progression. Perfection is unattainable, but it’s important to remember that the closest thing to achieving it is through self-growth. Which, more often than not, requires you to make mistakes and learn from them.
iii. Criticism & Rejection
You’ll often hear that the worst critic is yourself, but criticism and rejection from an external party aren’t much easier to handle for many. If you pick up your brush or pen, and your first thought is about what others might think, chances are you’ll end the day with an empty canvas.
It’s understandably difficult not to take critiques personally, especially if it is an overly negative one about art you have put a piece of yourself into.
However, practice differentiating between constructive criticism and negative ones to avoid putting yourself in a headspace that prevents you from creating.
7 Ways to Get Out of Creative Block
Again, creative block can happen to any creative, and it’s not a deliberate decision, nor a pleasant one. Therefore, we should approach art blocks with empathy—be patient and understanding with artists and creatives undergoing creative blocks, including yourself.
Don’t beat yourself up if you’re in a slump; gather your thoughts, and you can try the following tips on how to overcome creative block:
i. Reconnect with Nature
Get some sun and immerse yourself in the local flora and fauna; it’ll help keep you grounded and remind you that life goes on outside your stressors. Nature can do two things for an artist caught in an art block—it can alleviate mental burdens and/or provide new perspectives. Inspiration may strike on a simple walk.
ii. Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Expand your range of sight. If you limit yourself to what you are comfortable with, you are also denying yourself a world of new knowledge, techniques, styles, and media. It’s okay to make mistakes when you’re exploring—you’ll come out of it with a better understanding of both your art and yourself.
iii. Be Kinder to Yourself
Don’t be too harsh on yourself. It’s okay if a piece came out differently than how you had envisioned. Care for your well-being by doing a favour for your mental and physical health. After all, with a fresh and clear mind, you might find yourself outside your creative block without even realising it.
iv. Break Down Your Tasks
Sometimes, you might be so overwhelmed with a creative project, you don’t even know where or how to start. This art block can be overcome by splitting your work up into small, more manageable chunks.
Take a step back, organise your thoughts, and take action to plan. Start from your daily schedule, then gradually move to arrange your week with a to-do list.
v. Just Start
You can’t force creativity or inspiration, but you can force yourself to work. It doesn’t have to be a profound piece; no one is expecting you to change the world of art in a day. But if you find yourself in an art block, sometimes the best thing to do is simply to start.
The time will pass anyway, so you may as well just follow where your pen takes you and push through a task. Actively creating increases the likelihood for you to generate new ideas and solutions. And remember, this jumpstart does not have to be good or perfect. It can simply serve as a stimulation to find your next true inspiration again.
vi. Take a Breather
If you’re constantly pushing your brain to the limit, it’s no wonder that you’re caught in an artist’s block. Sometimes, your body is simply telling you to stop and take a breather. So, turn to a task that allows you to shut your brain off—take it as a reboot or a factory reset; that’ll help you get up and running once more.
vii. Talk to Your Community of Creatives
Remember that you aren’t alone. Speaking and bouncing ideas off another artist might help you get your creative juices flowing. Alternatively, you could reach out to find out how your peers overcome creative blocks in their own ways. Overall, it’s good to stay socially stimulated—you might even gain insight into a brand-new perception.
Utilising Project Management Tools to Prevent Creative Blocks
Project management software like TESSR can assist the whole process of organisation, which can prevent creative blockages. As prevention is better than cure, tackle traits that could contribute to the chances of blocks.
Clear Tasks and Deadlines
When your tasks and deadlines are clearly displayed, you're less likely to feel lost or overwhelmed. Having defined timelines creates clear boundaries that effectively channel your creative energy, helping to prevent creative blocks.
Additionally, this approach supports your workflow and ensures that you stay on track to meet deadlines.
Establish Clear Constraints
In a creative team, it’s important to have proper workload distribution to prevent not only creative blocks but burnout too. When the capacities of creatives are clear, it prevents overloading tasks on their already full task list.
For example, TESSR’s Insight module helps with displaying the team’s workload and performance. This allows both the team and leaders to make informed decisions with real-time data and prevents the team from overworking.
Collaboration To Spark Ideas
It doesn’t have to be a direct collaboration. When there’s a space for everyone to contribute and give each other ideas in their work, it can encourage new thoughts and inspirations.
For example, your project management software should come with a feature where you can comment and put your thoughts on your team’s tasks. As one of our features, TESSR’s Review.
This feature will not only help in reviewing your team’s work, but it also gives the ability to doodle and mark on a visual work without having to switch platforms. A streamlined approach to giving comments and encouraging the sharing of ideas.
If you’re an artist or creative looking for solutions to manage your projects better, feel free to explore our project management product by clicking the link here.
Key Takeaways
Overcoming creative block isn’t easy, and there will be some trial and error until you find the right method.
This list may not provide the single solution to end all art blocks—but don’t hesitate to give them a shot.
And more importantly, remember that if you’re caught in a slump, there’s nothing “wrong” with you. It happens to every single one of us. What matters more is how you overcome it and never stop believing in yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does a creative block last?
A creative block lasts differently depending on the individual or the cause. To prevent it from lasting long, work on something different or change your environment.
What to do when nothing helps overcome creative blockage?
When nothing helps to overcome that creative blockage, consider taking a break. You might be struggling with burnout instead.
How to get out of an art block easily?
Other than the methods stated in our article, another way to get out of art blocks easily is to go to art galleries and shows like Kuala Lumpur Illustration Fair (KLIF) to help spark your creative mind. Consuming artistic works that are in your industry will help fire up your passion.
Author Bio
From Malaysia, Leia Emeera is a writer at TESSR and a published author. She has been putting pen to paper ever since she learnt how to, and has an anthology to her name, titled 'Ten'. Leia loves music, games and her beloved Labrador retriever, George. She aims to further her studies in English Literature and Creative Writing the moment her gap year ends. 'Till then, you will find her sitting behind a desk, writing with TESSR. Connect with her on LinkedIn: Leia Emeera
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything, from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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