Research-Proven Ways To Overcome A Creative Block

Are you struggling to come up with ideas? Do you feel like you have no motivation to be creative? Sounds like you have an acute case of creative block. But you are not alone!

A recent survey indicated that 31% of creative professionals suffer creative blocks due to tight deadlines and 30% due to the unwillingness of clients to take creative risks. Others said it was due to a lack of project diversity.

Luckily, creative block is easy to diagnose and has some sure-fire remedies. We’ve compiled our research to bring you Simplified’s methods of sparking inspiration and working through a creative block.

Take a break, you’ve earned it!

If you’ve found yourself mulling over the same piece of work for what feels like an eternity, it’s time for you to take a break.

Graham Wallas, a renowned English psychologist and London School of Economics co-founder, penned The Art of Thought – a hypothesis outlining the four stages of the creative process: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Verification.

Incubation is voluntary abstention from conscious labor. In other words, during incubation, your mind is relaxed and free of mental work on any problems. This is the ideal state to be in if you’re feeling overworked or uninspired.

Here are some things you can do to re-energize during a creative block:

Watch an inspiring movie
Read a book
Go out for a walk; explore places for ideas
Spend time doodling
Take a long no-regrets nap.
Color code your library
Reorganize and redecorate your workspace
Check out memes on the internet

Digital Detox is A Must

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a while. Including you. – Anne Lamott

One of the best ways to deal with a creative block is to unplug yourself from screens. Take time to put down that smartphone and get back to the basics. There is something different about actually drawing in a sketchbook or jotting down your ideas in a journal.

In her book The Art of Slow Writing: Reflections on Time, Craft and Creativity, Louise DeSalvo reveals how author Joan Didion used her notebook. She drew people she observed, wrote facts she learned, recipes, and more.

Use a notebook to save interesting thoughts, quotations, and observations. Keeping a notebook will help you gain a new perspective and will be your saving grace during moments of zero inspiration.

Simplified Tip: Write down your ideas in a column and be descriptive. Next time you return to these ideas mix and match to create something new.

Organize A Creativity Routine

We know it sounds bizarre, but most high-achievers have a well-laid plan of what their day looks like. Simone de Beauvoir worked by herself in the morning and joined Sartre for lunch. In the afternoon, they worked together at Sartre’s apartment. Anne Rice, for her first novel, would write sleep through the day and write at night. That was the time when she could concentrate best.

Creating a schedule and making priority lists are habits you should inculcate in your lives. It will help you analyze your most creative hours and consequently encourage you to stop procrastinating. You might also end up with extra time to do other things that you enjoy!

5 Day Challenge to Get Creative

The best way to get into the groove of full-fledged creative work again is to start with the small stuff. We recommend you put yourself through a 5-day challenge where you draw what inspires you. For instance, you can draw a still from that movie you watched. You can write about a song you heard or draw your dream room.

This challenge will get your creative gears turning. Moreover, it will help you fall in love with the process again and not just the final result.

The important thing to remember is that creative block is just a part of the creative process. Try some of these ideas and let us know in the comments below what worked for you!