5 tips to break through creative blocks

Here are some of my tried and true ways to break through that creative block.

1. My first tip may seem counterintuitive but I can assure you it is the most important tip of all. When you hit a creative block accept it. It is part of the process. I’ve done a lot of research and have yet to find a creative person that doesn’t encounter a block here and there. You’re not only going to accept it, you’re going to lean into it. By leaning into it I mean sit back take a deep breathe and see it as a part of the whole creative process picture. By doing this you are not focusing on the block as something that is stopping you. You are focusing on the block as an integral part of the larger creative process.

2. Reread or look through what you were working on and hold some of the big ideas you were working on in your mind. Then, walk away from your desk and do something that does not require fixed thought. Take a walk, garden, mow the lawn, take a shower or just vegetate for a while. This gives your mind a chance to sort through things beneath your awareness while you are focused on the mindless task. This almost seems like a magic pill and has worked for me many times.

3. Tinker. Play around with it. And by it I mean the idea or the problem you’re having trouble connecting to the next step. Even when we are “engaged in the creative process” it can become mundane after a while and our way of approaching it can become habitual. Now this can both feed the process or block it. If you find that you are stuck in a habit when you’re creating. Try setting up or changing your work space. Add music to the scenario if you don’t normally listen to music when you create.

4. Breathe. When I’m blocked or frustrated my energy wanes. I feel like someone has let all the air out of my balloon. This is what makes encountering a block so counter productive. The depletion of energy and the feeling of being stuck is the thing that is most likely going to keep you blocked. This is why I will try to engage in an activity that restores my energy. I like Tai chi because after a few minutes I feel reconnected to my life force “chi” which will help me move past the block.

5. My last tip is for those of you who continue to struggle with tapping into creativity. Go and write anything for 5 minutes. Or grab a piece of paper and doodle for 5 minutes. Just let yourself explore and don’t judge. Creativity is a muscle like any other and it needs to be exercised. The best way to exercise it is to take action. None of our creative projects start off as masterpieces. Each time you engage in the process you’re building your creative muscle. After many years of being disconnected from creativity, I started exercising my creative muscle by painting furniture. Little did I know that would lead me on a creative journey to the rainbow framework.

So dive into the yellow realm and express your creative side and when those blocks pop up know that they are only a temporary part of the creative process.

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