5 Ways to Overcome Those Pesky Creative Roadblocks

There are various reasons as to why we get writers’ or creative blocks. But the ‘why’ of this situation isn’t what stumps us all. Getting over that hump seems almost impossible—especially when you need to the most. Meeting deadlines suddenly becomes that much harder, and we feel drained.

Luckily, these things are just temporary. Naturally, the dark hole stealing our creative juices lifts, and we can see the light again.

Well, let’s face it. Not all of us have that time to wait around for you creativity to kick in. You suddenly have an article due first thing tomorrow morning; so, now what?

Confirm your slump is a creative block and not you burning out

An almost immediate halt to your creativity could be one of many signs of burnout. If that’s the case, then you really have another problem. Burnout and a block are very different.

Burnout is more serious, and should be handled at once. Some awesome self-love and a good break from the office craziness usually does the trick, temporarily. Balance is the key to burn out; inspiration is the key to creativity.

Take your mind off of it, really

No one is saying forget your troubles and responsibilities, and have fun…well, not forever, at least. But giving yourself a day or a couple of hours to refresh your mind can do wonders. What could this possibly entail?

Do something you love. When my inbox gets into the double-digit territory, I go for a round of Word Streak. I escape for less than 10 minutes, let loose a bit, and come back feeling a little better. Reading a book, listening to a playlist or getting in a quick episode of Sex and the City distresses me when I’m working from home helps me get back into a creative mood. It gives me a chance to stop thinking about all the things that need to be done, and collect myself.

No one is saying forget your troubles and responsibilities, and have fun…well, not forever, at least. But giving yourself a day or a couple of hours to refresh your mind can do wonders.

Pinterest your way to inspiration

Hopefully your office allows you appropriate mind breaks during down time. A little Pinterest never hurt anyone, or Polyvor, Instagram, We Heart It, etc. If I seem to go blank for a great upcoming client pitch, I immediately head to one of these sites and check out my trending feed.

What’s going on? What are editor’s pinning themselves? What awesome new trend sets are in the works? You get inspired by other equally fabulous people and before you know it, you’ve got yourself two pitch angles! Visuals can really get those wheels turning, especially if you have a time crunch. Type some keywords into the search bar and you’ll really get to where you want to be.

Fresh air can also do the trick

Speaking of getting your mind off of your creative block, step outside. Some fresh air can help you feel renewed, and it’s totally free. If you’re chained to your desk most of the time, carve out a moment to step outside and grab some coffee.

For remote workers, we can thankfully step outside whenever. Take advantage of a lunch break and go for a run, or do a power yoga session. Is it raining? Who wants to risk getting drenched? Crack open a window. Many people find listening to the rain quite soothing. Who knows, you could become one of them as well.

Some fresh air can help you feel renewed, and it’s totally free. If you’re chained to your desk most of the time, carve out a moment to step outside and grab some coffee.

Phone a friend

Or if it’s during the workday, a text can do the trick. I find that people are great at not only distracting us, but also getting us out of a creative rut. Who better to help you come up with three phrases for ‘ultra-trendy’, other than your best friend?

Times like this call for a group chat where my girlfriends can throw all the NYFW trends they’ve been loving at me.  Plus, they’ll surely throw in a couple of outrageous memes for an afternoon pick-me-up—it’s perfect.