Continually producing great ideas and putting them into action is hard work. The life of a creative is rewarding, but there are just some instances when your mind refuses to work and nothing seems to end up the way you wanted it. At that point, you’ll know that a dreaded enemy has once again appeared in your midst—creative block!
Luckily, there are many ways you can deal with this foe. Here are ten pieces of advice from experienced warriors who have fought the same battle in the name of creating for the world: the members of our team!
1. Create more than you consume.
Every once in a while, take time to think about how much you've been consuming versus how much you've been creating. It's one thing to admire a beautiful painting or lose yourself in a well-written novel, and another thing entirely to try capturing the colors in your head with a paintbrush or building a world of fiction with your own words.
Every once in a while, take time to think about how much you've been consuming versus how much you've been creating. It's one thing to admire a beautiful painting or lose yourself in a well-written novel, and another thing entirely to try capturing the colors in your head with a paintbrush or building a world of fiction with your own words.
Don't just be awed; be inspired. And if you can - and believe me, you definitely can - inspire awe. The desire to find meaning in your existence through self-expression will definitely push you to create something extraordinary.
-Kyle Francisco, Content Marketing
2. Collaborate.
There are times when we come to the end of ourselves and admit that we can't think of any ideas anymore. Time pressure, lack of sleep and other restrictions are taking their toll, the visual pegs from the
internet aren't working and the things you see don't really satisfy the creative brief in front of you.
It's always better to team up and then discuss. (I usually start with making fun of ideas and laughing it off with my teammates.) A colleague might say an initial idea, and then you contribute (or vice versa) and voila! You have your awesome eureka moment. Two brains (or more) are always, always better than one and there's a lot to learn from other people's experiences/ideas.
-Jae Rosales, Creative Design
3. Take calculated risks.
Don't be afraid to take a leap of faith when trying new social media strategies. Creativity shouldn't be restricted, but it should not be compromised, either. Make sure that you've taken time to study the many possible outcomes of such risks - and that you've safeguarded ways to ensure that the odds are in your favor.
-Andrew Waga, Social Media Marketing
4. Just do it. No buts. No ifs. Creative juice will flow in when you actually start doing it.
-Mark Anthony Sumaljag, Market Research & Analytics
5. Step away. Take a break. Do something unrelated. Come back with a different mindset.
-Cezar Camba, Market Research & Analytics
6. I take detours once in a while. Sometimes at a whim, I change an ingredient in a recipe, take a left turn from my route home, random-pick a book from the shelf... among others. Uncharted waters are often home to new ideas. When I find that a routine is growing stale, I try changing one part of the plan to potentially make everything fresh again.
-Rigsen Gonzales, Creative Design
7. Gather all information you will need on your product and study the task at hand. Afterwards, daydream - it will allow you to incubate more ideas. Look for inspiration on the internet, write or sketch your ideas on paper, and do these while listening to your favorite jam!
-Zar de Pano, Creative Design and Charmaine Manaig, Market Research & Analytics
8. Prepare a to-do list every morning. I prefer the conventional way of writing in a notepad or planner instead of typing in my phone. As I write, I get familiar with the tasks. It also helps me avoid checking my phone every now and then.
-Ashley Cruz, Social Media Marketing
9. Restrict yourself (internally) by placing self-imposed limitations. Believe it or not, it can boost creativity since it forces you to go outside your comfort zone.
For example, you are to design images where you are pretty much free to do whatever and however you want as long as it shows the theme or the product. Set parameters for yourself, like using only 3 hues for the image or limiting the space occupied by the image in the canvas. You'll be surprised that your brain will come up with creative solutions to finish this project within the parameters you've set.
Plus, you are more focused towards the project because you're not overwhelmed by scattered ideas.
-Zenka Sabala, Market Research & Analytics
10. We use our off-time to generate positive energies, like doing a mission in remote islands in the Philippines to bring smiles (and school supplies) to school children. This is how we #CreateFTW at GetCre8ive - a delegate of Getty Images! #InspiringInnovation in every thing that we do. - Sarah Lumang (just back from #BabuyanIslandsMission2015 #JuanPortaitBabuyan #ProjectAralAtSilidAklatan)
-Sarah Lumang, GetCre8ive
9. Restrict yourself (internally) by placing self-imposed limitations. Believe it or not, it can boost creativity since it forces you to go outside your comfort zone.
For example, you are to design images where you are pretty much free to do whatever and however you want as long as it shows the theme or the product. Set parameters for yourself, like using only 3 hues for the image or limiting the space occupied by the image in the canvas. You'll be surprised that your brain will come up with creative solutions to finish this project within the parameters you've set.
Plus, you are more focused towards the project because you're not overwhelmed by scattered ideas.
-Zenka Sabala, Market Research & Analytics
10. We use our off-time to generate positive energies, like doing a mission in remote islands in the Philippines to bring smiles (and school supplies) to school children. This is how we #CreateFTW at GetCre8ive - a delegate of Getty Images! #InspiringInnovation in every thing that we do. - Sarah Lumang (just back from #BabuyanIslandsMission2015 #JuanPortaitBabuyan #ProjectAralAtSilidAklatan)
-Sarah Lumang, GetCre8ive
These are just some strategies you can use to overcome creative block. Mix things up and do what feels right for you and your particular working style!
What are your tried-and-tested tactics? Tweet us your creativity tips @StraightArrowPH or drop us a line in the comments section!
Topics:
Creative Design
WRITTEN BY:
Jessie Genio
Jessie is fond of the lovely, the strange, and the cute—think of animals, art, dance, literature, and the slow little spaces in everyday life. She’s one of StraightArrow Corporation’s Social Media Associates and she uses the whale emoji a lot.
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