Stay Creative – Even During a Creative Slump/Block
There comes a time in every creative person’s life when their mind goes blank as if it has reached a saturation point. Whether you are a musician, photographer, painter, poet, or a writer, all your efforts to draw inspiration from the world around you to create something original become futile during this phase.
It is the time when your mind keeps looping around the same ideas over and over again… not able to think of anything beyond it. Nothing seems to spark the fire of creativity inside. And then, the unspeakable happens. A sense of cluelessness steps in making you feel vulnerable to self doubt. That’s how a creative slump can feel to any artist. Something that can be utterly frustrating when you are working and have a deadline to meet.
But, having worked commercially as a copy/content writer for over 14 years now, I can strongly say that this phase doesn’t last forever. While a creative slump (or a block) can be extremely demotivating, especially when the pressure to create is mounting, you can find relief in the fact that there are ways, I figured, to snap out of it. It worked for me. Let me walk you through some of these ways.
#1. Know your emotional state
The inability to think outside the box can result from a mental fog. This in turn comes when you are in a negative frame of mind. Distressing emotions can often cause your motivation to dwindle, and that intensifies the block/creative slump. While there are writers and artists who know how to channel their internal distress toward creative pursuits, it does not always work during a creative slump.
Therefore, you should start assessing your mental state by writing them or talking to someone to understand if there are any factors causing you to lose inspiration and motivation. When you become aware of such factors, you may take corrective actions and snap out of a creative slump.
#2. Distance yourself from your ‘art’ itself (for a while)
A mental block or a creative slump results in a lack of inspiration, which in turn is the result of a rigid way of thinking. The tunnel vision that a writer or an artist can develop when they focus too much on something can suck out the creative perspective itself. The more you think about it, the more you struggle to crack it. The key to getting out of this loop is to take a break from the current creative activity.
The temporary distance can help you calm the angst and frustration that entails a period of creative block. When you take a break and focus on something else for a while, your brain gets time to rearrange the thought process and give you a fresh perspective.
#3. Go for a walk amidst nature
Nature always heals in its matter-of-fact manner, and you can hope that you can find some way out of your frustrating creative block when you spend some time close to it. History has it that nature has inspired writers, poets and artists around the world with its splendor. So why not surrender yourself to its benign touch when there’s a hiatus in your creative activity? When you take a break (point number 2), consider spending as much time as possible in nature. Touch and feel its elements and relax your senses.
A relaxed mind thinks more clearly and creatively. Some time in nature can really help you beat a creative slump/block and refresh your mind to think afresh of new ideas.
#4. Avoid blocking out inspiration
Finally, while it is good to take a break from your creative project, you should avoid blocking out sources of inspiration while you are stuck in a creative slump/block. There is no point beating yourself up for not being able to think creatively. Know that it is a temporary phase, and you can come out of it. Always keep your mind open to new ideas from other artists in your niche. Their successes and masterpieces can inspire you to keep exploring your own creativity and come up with unique pieces of art. Tell yourself, “If they can do it, I too can do it too”. Appreciate what inspires you and try to incorporate it into your own creative pursuits.