Measures to Tackle Creative Block
Previously, I discussed what creative block is, its causes, and the scientific and psychological aspects of this experience. I had also promised to share all my findings on tackling this challenge, and here we are. In this chapter, I’ll share the various methods and measures that people I’ve met and spoken to so far take to help tackle their creative block.
Known Measures for Creative Block
If you search the internet on this topic right now, you’ll be flooded with many articles discussing various ways to tackle creative block. Many might sound pretty similar to each other, and some might be tailored specifically to the creative field you’re in. Some even talk about remedies that are the opposite of what the others tell you! But after I read as many of these articles and papers as humanly possible, I started to note down some of these that seemed to make sense logically and those methods that have worked with quite a few of the different people I’d spoken to.
These methods usually are as follows:
- Seeking feedback and constructive criticism from others and using that opportunity to brainstorm possible ideas
- Changing the environment and modifying your existing routines
- Blocking time for physical activity and movement
- Embracing a “Quantity leads to Quality” approach to projects.
- Breaking out of the norm and experimenting with new techniques and tools, even if as a new hobby
Personal experiences and survey results
While running a survey to understand better how others have been tackling this situation as well, I came across a few details that I found interesting. A large chunk of the survey takers recommend that when someone feels creatively burnt out or is facing a form of creative block, taking a break from all the work by doing something simple that doesn’t strain you mentally and distracts you from your current project for a short while as this gives them time to relax and when they return to the project, they see it again with a fresh perspective, this is something that even I recommend personally when someone who’s struggling has plenty of time or if the deadline is not specified.
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Some other suggestions include trying out a different medium, style or approach and studying that to understand better how that can influence the work that they’re doing, especially with the results. Or even trying out a different location to work from, the change of space and environment does seem to help pretty well. With these two, we notice a trend where taking a playful and experimental approach to one’s work appears to be of great benefit, and I agree with them. My workflow towards the early stages is almost always very playful and experimental. I visit new places or work on different types of projects at various locations, or I try working on a project with a new set of tools that I usually wouldn’t have, only to see how that turns out.
Now, when the job is too broad, or there exists a short timeframe, and one experiences a creative block, experimenting or taking breaks and distracting from your work may not exactly be great advice, well in those situations, seeking feedback and ideas from others around you can be of great help! As in this situation, you’re having someone not involved in the project have a look and give their honest feedback! Even if they’re working on a project of their own and are in the same situation as you are, you are helping them take a minute not to think of their project, which will help both of you simultaneously!
Finally, planning a project by breaking as much of it into actionable steps and tracking them using a product like Trello or even something simple as a To-do list on your phone or a notebook helps by a mile! It gives you a sense of confirmation that the work is being done and lets you stay calm and clear-headed, allowing room for more creative ideas.
Where does this lead us with this project?
It’s interesting to see the different methods and situations that best benefit one in being the most productive, especially being creative. What I want to know is how we can leverage existing technology to help us with these challenges. When I asked these people if they use tools or products to help them with this, almost everyone replied with either a “No” or they mentioned products like Pinterest or Trello. Some even suggest the ever-trusty Notepads and Notebooks.
So, for the next set of updates, I’ll look into the potential uses of powerful technology like AI and others in this field of the creative industry!
Stay tuned for the next post!
