Many creatives sometimes face a lull in their production of new works or the continuation of an existing work due to a “creative block”. They may often find it difficult to conjure up an idea to work on a new piece or to even finish a piece they’ve already begun.
It can feel like the end of the world (or at the very least, your career) when this occurs, but alas, there is hope! Below are five tips that have worked for me in the past – as a writer, an artist and a photographer – which I hope will help you to overcome a creative block and get you back on track to create more new and extraordinary works.
1. Start a creativity journal. Keeping a small notebook with you at all times can come in handy for jotting down that fleeting idea that you might have during the day (or night) that you may forget after 10 minutes otherwise. A creativity journal can also serve as a place to create sketches of things like wardrobe ideas you would like to shoot, recording lists of names, places or words and descriptions of things to use in your prose and much more.
A creativity journal can serve as a record of your thoughts and ideas – something you can refer back to during those times when you might have a creative block.
2. Look to other media for inspiration. Sometimes looking through your favorite magazines, reading a good book or taking in other works of art at a museum can be enough inspiration to spark the creative flow in someone going through a creative block.
Other forms of art such as watching a film or listening to music can also be just as inspiring and motivating to cause a boost in your creative juices.
3. Experiment with new media. Try drawing or painting one of your photographs. I very often will take my charcoal pencils out and draw one of my photographs. You can also try to sketch out a scene from your story you are crafting, or describe in words what you want to photograph.
Flirting with other art mediums can not only assist in getting the creative juices flowing again, but you may find you like practicing in a new type of art!
4. Assign yourself a project. There are numerous books as well as websites and articles on the internet that are devoted to daily, weekly and monthly art and photography project ideas for artists and photographers to aid individuals in getting their creative juices flowing again. Writers can also set goals for projects – one popular organization that aids writers is NaNoWriMo which “helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel”.
Some examples of projects for photographers might be:
- Shooting a monochromatic theme for an entire day. This helps you to become more aware of your surroundings by looking for things that are one specific color.
- Taking a photo walk and shooting with only one prime lens (a 50mm is a good example). This also helps you learn to zoom with your feet and experiment with different angles to capture a subject.
- Shooting one self-portrait a day. Each self-portrait has to be different, which forces you to dig into the deep crevices of your mind to come up with a new way to shoot a portrait of yourself every day for a week, month or even a year.
5. Participate in a contest. Sometimes a contest can be all it takes to get your head back in the creative game, especially when there is some type of incentive involved. Many contests and competitions are based on a theme, such as “best travel destination” photo or a “tell us your best travel story” writing contest. Since the actual “what” is already decided for you, it’s only up to you to determine how to create it. Participating in a competition can not only get you practicing your craft again, but it may also yield you some type of reward!
Creative blocks are not the end of the world. They are just a small bump in the road to becoming a better, more creative individual. Creative blocks can provide you with opportunities to look at other works and try new techniques granting you continued education, practice and production. Have patience. Don’t look at a creative block as an obstacle, but as part of the creative journey.
You’re not alone. Not this time. With the exception of our frontline heroes who are supplying medical care; law enforcement, public safety and EMTs; food and agriculture; utilities; communications and information technology; transportation and logistics; critical manufacturing; public works; hazardous materials and chemical workers; government operations, military and national security employees; among others; most of the world is self-quarantining at home, many of us – alone. Other than the masked trip to the supermarket, if that, most of us have been stuck inside for weeks now, if not longer. Cabin fever may be starting to set in. If you’re hibernating alone, it may be hitting you harder than others – that need for in-person human interaction and physical touch. Spending an exorbitant amount of time alone now compounded with the fear of the Novel Coronavirus pandemic can be enough to set off anxiety and depression in someone who may have never previously experienced these mental issues. I’ve put together – and would like to share with you – a short list of my five tips for taking care of your mental health during this hibernation period whether you are alone or with someone else; and whether you currently feel fine or if you are starting to experience anxiety or depression. 
