Have you ever sat down to create something, only to stare at the blank canvas/page, feeling completely stuck? Creative block happens to everyone—but what if you could break free, find your flow more easily, and avoid blocks in the future? Here’s how to navigate the ups and downs of creativity while keeping your inspiration alive.
What is Creative Flow? (And How to Find it?)
According to a source on Wikipedia, flow (or being "in the zone") is:
"...the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity."
Chances are that you've experienced flow at some point in your life. Maybe it was during an inspired cleaning/organizing session, while running on a treadmill (or going for a jog), during a productive activity at work, or building with Lego.
Flow can occur during both work and play. Flow is balanced and enjoyable. Generally, it is suggested that the more flow you experience, the better your workday or playtime will be! Part of the challenge is to find the things that allow you to slip into a flow-state and do those things more often. Or find ways to create flow in your every day routines.
You're more likely to find flow when there is a balance of skill and stimulating challenge of a task. In a flow state, you may find that time slips by quickly, without your notice, because you've been so caught up in the moment and focused on the activity at hand. You'll be focused, but relaxed.
When this concept is applied to the specific topic of creativity, it often refers to a feeling that can be more readily accessed during a length of time (such as when you're feeling the creative juices flowing for an entire week or a month when it feels easier to come up with ideas and sit down to work on them.)
It's always a great feeling to take advantage of creative flow while you're in it, but if you over-work things and don't make time to replenish your energy, then it's possible to hit a creative block, or worse, become burnt out.
What Causes Creative Block?
Art block, writer's block, creative block... it's likely that you have heard of at least one of these terms and you've also probably experienced some sort of "block" before. It isn't limited to artists and creative activities. Blocks can accompany periods of stress or tiredness, when your body is telling you that you need rest. When you're experiencing a block, tasks feel difficult and more laborious to do, or even to start. You might feel a sense of frustration or demotivation.
How to Prevent and Overcome Creative Block
When I find myself experiencing creative block (or, ideally, as soon as I start to feel myself slowing down), I take a step back. I give myself permission and time to rest and recharge, as much as life allows at the moment.
Giving myself permission is an important mental step because it reminds myself that it's entirely okay and necessary to slow down from time to time. We can't operate at full speed, full production all the time. Most often, we will operate at an "average" somewhere between our best and worst days.
The most important thing, in my mind, is to operate from a place of best effort and our best effort will vary from day to day (and each person's best effort and capabilities will look differently).
The Power of Rest: Refueling Your Creative Energy
Rest is productive! Rest is what refuels our batteries and allows us to do and create more! It generates inspiration and ideas! It is important to explore other interests and make time for other hobbies and tasks. We are multi-faceted and being well-rounded will enrich both our lives and our art. The time we spend doing other activities can help inform ourselves about what we like and want to carry back into our work and lives.
My favorite forms of productive rest, and what refuels my creative juice, are:
Reading books
Going for walks outside
Being in/around nature
Enjoying a delicious meal
Naps (especially with a cat curled up nearby)
Playing video games
At-home spa day: baths, face masks, nail painting
Watching a TV show
Looking through art books
Listening to music
Meeting up with a friend
Going to a museum
Spending time with my husband
Watching a movie
A fun or cozy treat, such as boba tea, a fresh pastry, or hot cocoa
To name a few...
Most of these things probably sound quite ordinary, and they are! Some of these things I do every day just because that's how I like to spend my free time. Some of these things (such as walking and listening to music) help me think in the background and work out ideas subconsciously. They allow me to empty my mind to create more mental space, similar to how meditation works.
Do you ever get some of your best ideas in the shower? It might be because you feel relaxed and your attention is at least partly on the simple task of washing up, distracting you a bit from other thoughts and freeing up the mental space to re-assess.
Ideally, we should find even a little time every day to do something restful that we enjoy, rather than waiting until we burn-out entirely. But it's good from time to time to carve out a specific day or chunk of time to dedicate to these activities, with purpose: to intentionally recharge our batteries and give ourselves space to reset.
I think that's part of the difference between mindless activities (such as binge-watching a TV show or "doom-scrolling" to avoid something else) and setting aside time (to watch a TV show). One is intentional and the other might be a tempting distraction or form of procrastination.
(To be clear, no judgement if you enjoy a good binge-watch just because from time to time! We all need a good distraction sometimes!)
Navigating periods of creative block (or avoiding them) are made easier by routine and carving out time for intentional rest can play an important part.
As a side note: What I described is different from going on a vacation or taking a true full break/rest from something, even though those absolutely count as carving out time for rest and can be very important for mental health. I encourage taking complete breaks when you need them! But this post is more about navigating the regular ebbs and flows in your day-to-day routine.
Small Daily Habits to Keep Creativity Alive
I make time for art / my business (or whichever pursuit/goal you choose) at least a little bit, on most days, even when I'm not feeling quite up to it. It's like I said before:
The most important thing is to operate from a place of best effort and our best effort will vary from day to day.
For example, if it's a working day for me and I am feeling extremely sluggish or like none of the ideas I have are coming through the way I want them to, I plan to have a slower, more restful day and I set much smaller goals. I can still accomplish something, chip away towards a larger goal, or set myself up for future success, without making a masterpiece. Progress is progress.
Here are some ideas of smaller tasks to keep the creative gears turning and the business running smoothly:
Loosely sketch while watching a YouTube video or TV show
Small studies (pick a specific skill to work on: maybe portrait studies, practicing drawing hands, or sketching objects around the house or outside)
Researching ideas for future work
Reading books on subjects that fascinate you, such as mythology or history, can be a great source of inspiration! Take notes when something strikes!
Take a class or online tutorial to learn a new skill or sharpen existing ones
Alternate between paintings/projects
Play with a new/different medium for 30 minutes
If you’re a writer, plan a chapter, describe a character, or write one page, a poem, or a single sentence!
Break an upcoming project into smaller tasks and write a to-do list/plan next-steps.
Organize your desk or creative space.
Tackle small business tasks or chores around the home, such as planning a social media post, updating your bookkeeping, or washing the dishes.
I've found that once you get out of a habit, it's harder to get back into it. Whether that be going to the gym, making your bed every morning, or working on your art/podcast/book/thing that you want to make. So I try to regularly and routinely do even the smallest things to keep the gears turning (even if they turn slowly).
Record Your Ideas and Never Run Out
Write down ideas whenever you think of them! It's easier to always have something to do/draw/write when you don't have to come up with ideas from scratch. Usually, we have more ideas than time to work on them. Keep track of them with a note on your phone, a scribble on a post-it note... Keep them in one place so that when you feel your idea well is empty, you can pull up these notes and see if something strikes you to work on.
Remember Self Compassion
Lastly, it is completely normal for creative juices to ebb and flow! We won't remain in either state forever; everything in balance and moderation. Most of the time, I find myself in the middle. I do what I can to avoid burn out, take time to recharge when I feel tired or when I feel a creative block start to creep in, and I appreciate the times when I feel in a creative flow! It's about learning to ride the waves as they come and consistently put one foot in front of the other.
Of course, life happens and we’re bound to hit a roadblock from time to time. If you find yourself in a stressful situation (such as coming down with an illness) then the best thing you can do for yourself is to rest and take care of your health, family, and well-being first, above all things. Your art will be there for you when the clouds clear.
If such a thing happens, or if you find yourself completely blocked for whatever reason, for an extended period of time, then my advice is full-circle: Be gentle, patient, and kind with yourself. Do what you need to do to heal, to survive. Give yourself permission to rest. And then give yourself permission to start again, and to start small, and to give your best effort. Not your best productivity possible, just the best amount of effort you feel able to give on that particular day.
Maybe it's five minutes on your lunch break, writing ideas. Maybe it's two hours a week practicing painting, skateboarding, learning a language, or whatever it is you are wanting to do. It could even be as simple as opening up a sketchbook in your lap in the evenings while you watch TV, regardless of whether or not you end up drawing. Simply starting to do something can help your brain begin to connect to the habit again. Start small and try to build a consistent routine that allows time for rest, play, and work. Allow yourself, and your routine, to be flexible based on how you operate and what you need as an individual (or a household).
I usually find that organically, with consistency, something will eventually click into place. Your brain is like a muscle that you need to train to get into these habits. That only happens through doing, but once you are able to establish a routine, it will become easier for your brain and body to understand what it needs to do regardless of whether you are in an ebb or flow.
Conclusion
Creative blocks are normal, but they don’t have to stop you in your tracks. By balancing flow, rest, and routine, you can keep your inspiration alive in a healthy, consistent way.
I hope you've found this to be helpful and encouraging!
If you'd like to read more about habits and creative flow, here is a list of some of my favorite books about the subject:
As always, I hope you remember to stay hydrated and be kind to yourself!
Until next time,
Rachel
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