Blinking cursors. Blank canvases. Empty spreadsheets. A feeling of slow frustration that doesn’t seem to end.
As we slide into 2019, we’re feeling the slow pick-up to get to our feet again after the holidays. Going from a relaxed state to a slow putter before we slide the key into our creative ignition and rev that engine. It’s not an automatic process. The tap that your creative juice flows from to fuel your ideas? It’ll get stuck. But that doesn’t mean it won’t flow again. The takeaway lies in how you get it started. Here’s how.
Break Down That Mental Block
Maybe you’ve taken a long break over the holidays, pausing work. Maybe you’ve developed a mental block, which is usually what is seen as the surface of a creative block. In it, you feel like you are trapped by your own thinking and locked in a familiar way looking at an idea, leaving no room for new ones.
Stop that endless loop by asking yourself “What if…?” and lead your mind to start adopting different perspectives. The age-old: visit new places, read new books, watch new movies works for a reason. If that doesn’t work out, try talking to people you can rely on and get an alternative point of view. Kickstart your creativity by exploring 123RF’s free downloads. Experiment with what you can do with our creative content.
Get Obsessed With It
Sometimes, you need to fill your head with your view of the problem in order to solve it. If your creative block is centralized around one particular project, make sure to review every part of it, do something else and fill your head with your view of the problem, looking for patterns in order to solve it. Take notes and you may notice a trend. We’ve done the hard work for you – check out our creative and lifestyle trends right here.
For the best results, some experts recommend coming up with as many solutions (to the problem) as possible. This way, you can urge your mind to stop fretting over finding the perfect one and kickstart your creativity effectively.
Change Of Habits
One great way to get the juices flowing when having a creative block – is to do things backward or break your habits.
For example, if you need to kickstart your creativity and you have to write something down, do it with your non-dominant hand. If it lasts for days, try changing your route to work – or pick up a new skill. It may seem strange, but a shock to your system like this can help stimulate your creativity.
If All Else Fails…Do Nothing
Do we have a winner in the form of the most non-demanding solution to overcoming a creative block?
It may seem like it. However, doing nothing can help you get your own space of time and rest your mind. Zone out, or just sit and think. When your mind is in a relaxed state, the best ideas spark from there.
Sometimes…
The hardest part of a new project is the start. Just like Mondays and the firsts of every month – their dullness can shade our creativity and make us reluctant.
At the end of the day, creativity is a funny business – and it sometimes requires funny solutions when you are experiencing a block. Still, instead of the classics like “listen to music” or “spend time in nature”, we all need to be a bit more resourceful at getting creative ideas.
To kickstart your creativity, explore our stock library to begin your designing journey. If you’re wondering where you should jet set to this year, check out our travel guides.