Published on April 22nd, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

When You Hit A Creative Wall, Try These Tips For Success

Creativity comes in all forms. It may be writing a new story, approaching a new client or creating a new masterpiece. One thing is for certain, though, when creativity is lacking, even the work you once enjoyed can seem unfulfilling. In this instance, you may question all of your artistic talent, and believe that you are unable to be successful. Like any other human quality, creativity can rise and fall. If you are currently in a creativity “fall”, read on. Gathered here are some quality strategies to help recharge your creative juices.

Collaborate with Others

When you feel as though you are stuck on a project, sometimes it can be beneficial to reach out to others. Talking about the block allows your brain to see it differently and may spark a solution. Feedback from peers, and people who have “been there” is often a good source of advice and solutions and may help to generate new ideas. These fresh perspectives can also be sourced from motivational speakers. Often these creativity giants have been exactly where you are, and offer tangible, relatable solutions.

Get Some Exercise

Moving your body has a lot of benefits. Creating a clear mind, allowing the body to relax and focus on a different task can be beneficial to the creative process. Allowing your brain to function on autopilot during these physical tasks allows it to just process away at complex ideas and problems. Another benefit many people have experienced is their ability to be a more effective problem solver when removed from the scene for just a few minutes.

Allow Yourself to be Bored

While boredom may seem counterproductive to creativity, in all truth, it can be very helpful. Allowing your brain time to rest, and process information in an uninterrupted manner can create new solutions. When stress and pressure are removed from the equation, the subconscious brain is enabled to efficiently work on problems.

Start a Regular Reading Habit

Often, motivational speakers relate their success to reading. Incorporating a regular reading habit can be hugely beneficial to your own creativity. In reading, your body is allowed to relax. Enjoying material that you would not normally read exposes you to new ideas, and diverse ways to solve problems.

Learn Something New

Undertaking a new hobby can be challenging and hugely rewarding! Besides the joy you experience by learning and honing your new skills, hobbies are a challenging way to stimulate all parts of your brain. Artistic hobbies encourage increased right brain involvement. This ensures that you experience subject in different ways, and then replicate them in your own way. All of this adds up to an increase in creative ability and knowledge.

Create your Space

Having a space in your home or office that you can become completely immersed in your project in, is important. In creating this space, learn what makes you tick. Does music help? Is it just white noise that gets your brain working? Many people feel inspired by the use of ambient noise, similar to that in a coffee shop. Having room to work and create solutions in is also important. Clear your clutter and make space for creativity in your work area.

Embrace Frustration

No one likes to feel frustrated. This feeling of total powerlessness and overwhelm is often mistaken for an inability to create. However, keep pushing through that feeling, no matter how long it takes. The frustration you feel may be your brain simply switching modes. The left brain is responsible for logic, while the right brain is in charge of creativity. When originally presented with a problem, the brain will try and solve it with logic. Welcome the frustration that occurs when that isn’t feasible. This is your right brain taking over, to formulate a creative solution.

Act Like A Kid Again

Through aging, we lose many things. Collagen, the lack of back pain and sadly, creativity. As children, we worked on projects and new ideas for the sheer joy of doing it. As we age, we don’t spend as much time concerned with what we are creating, but with how it will be received. When on a creative roll, try not to let the naysayer’s effect you. Working on achieving the same mindset as a youngster can be beneficial to stimulate creativity.

Grow Your Curiosity

Working towards increasing your creative bounds, or overcoming a creative block sometimes has to come back to basics. Start by brainstorming. In this activity, Start with a general topic. Then refine it down. Your general topic may be “what interests me in this moment” or “how am I feeling right now”. When you begin to refine your idea down, you may find that you come across topics you want to explore further, or ideas that make you curious. Completing this activity with zero judgement towards yourself can often lead to a new personal project!

Allow Yourself to Try Something New

Work within yourself to give permission to try a new skill. Contemplate researching the best of the best in areas that interest you. New skills may be taken away from the masters in your field. In researching them, you may find inspiration for new tones, topics and the projects. In exploring others’ works, you increase your ability to allow your work to evolve. Even though the fear of failure may be strong, try and keep in mind that even a failure can allow for expansion of ideas.

While these tips are merely suggestions, they have been used by creative people for years to break through a creative block. Creativity can be found in areas besides the arts (although that is the most common belief). Teachers, trades people, and even corporate sales utilize creativity to some extent. Whether it is creating a new masterpiece, coming up with a new way to help explain a topic, or even gaining a new client, creativity is all around Feeling blocked, or downtrodden in your craft can be extremely frustrating and disheartening. Here’s to hoping these tips can set you on the right path.

Tags: creative wall, hit, roadblock, success, tips

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.