Eureka! You have finally come up with that fantastic new idea that you just know is going to blow everyone away. You cannot wait to sit at your desk and start jotting your thoughts down. You start writing and all of a sudden, your mind goes blank. The inspiration you started with has left you. You are stuck.
Creative block can be a very frustrating experience. Creativity is essential in producing better and new products and solutions. This is especially true if you rely on your creativity to pay your bills and build your reputation. You simply cannot afford to be short of ideas or the energy to put them into action. Indeed, to remain relevant, it is imperative for business leaders to be creative.
So how do you know when you have creative block? One of the most common signs is struggling with new ideas for content topics and feelings of frustration or a disconnect with a project when the “ideas” well is dry. This of course, is not to suggest that you do not care about a project or client, but perhaps, you have been so close to a project that you seemingly run into an invisible wall. This is a common occurrence for individuals with roles in marketing, journalism, graphic designing, web developing etc.
The good news is that there are solutions that can get your creative juices flowing again.
Focus– Creative block can be attributed to two causes. First, you may have the requirements and tools, but not an idea and you may be stuck until you get a solid idea. The second reason you may get stuck is because while you may have an idea, the execution would take a lot of work and you are trying to get out of that. Turn off all distractions and focus solely on the work at hand.
Take a break– bet you saw this one coming! When you take a break, you give your mind the opportunity to rest. While this is going on, your subconscious mind is working on the issue and you are more likely to return to the job more refreshed and full of new ideas. Take a nap if necessary; sleep is the best (and easiest) creative aphrodisiac.
Get Inspired– Inspiration can be found in so many places and in so many ways. You can create an inspiration board of collage of images, quotes, and affirmations that bring out positive emotions specific to the area you are trying to gain inspiration for. Something as simple as a conversation can lead to an immense amount of inspiration.
Listen to the experts– subscribe to blogs, podcasts, watch videos on trending issues and things that matter to you in your industry and career. With new and improved technology, you can do most of these things while on the go.
Perhaps you are so scared of coming up with poor content that you feel it would be safer not to start in the first place. Maybe creative block is not a sign to stop, but to let go of your “perfect” expectations and keep writing.
Creativity is essential in marketing and creative block is a fairly common occurrence for marketing practitioners everywhere. For many creatives, their biggest struggles resulted in their best pieces. Believe it or not, creative blocks may be crucial in achieving creative success. One should see creative block as an opportunity to rethink, re-evaluate and make something great.
