Creative Block

Being a content creator or having a career as a creative sounds all sunshiney until you see that it comes with its own challenges. Creativity takes a lot of mental energy. Even though writing catchy captions, taking cool pictures, shooting video is fun, it is by no means easy. So hitting a creative block every now and then is only natural. Feel like you’re closing in on one? Don’t worry, MintStars has got your back.

Let’s first understand if you are indeed experiencing a creative block. We can then dissect and see what may have caused it, since naming the problem makes it far easier to tackle it, before we arm you with suggestions to claim back your creative prowess and put you back on your glorious track to success.

Signs you’ve hit a creative block:

1. Loss of motivation: You love your chosen career to bits, but right now you feel no inclination towards it. This was something you once looked forward to every day, and you were overflowing with ideas. But now, it’s all a dud. Nothing makes you want to sink deeper into your couch than the idea of doing the work. 
2. Difficulty coming up with new ideas: Previously, while you could churn out content like nobody's business, you had more ideas than time to implement them. But lately, you just can’t seem to crack the code. It’s like yesterday you were writing blogs after blogs, but now you barely know the alphabet.
3. Feelings of frustration and anxiety: You suddenly become far more problem-oriented than solution-oriented. You’re worried about deadlines, the time limit, and results instead of simply focusing on creating more. All the positive feelings associated with your work have been replaced with daunting, negative feelings.
4. Decreased productivity: Even if you somehow bring yourself to produce or plan some content, you end up dilly-dallying for hours, barely getting anything done. You'd rather procrastinate and protect yourself from facing the ugly possibility of not being able to finish the tasks you take up. 
5. Increased self-doubt: Instead of taking the leap, you keep doubting your ability to finish any tasks or make it as a creator. You’re probably wondering if this will ever go anywhere. Your self-confidence plummets, and you disregard all your achievements.

What is the cause of creative block?

1. Higher stress levels: Creative blocks are often associated with performance anxiety. It’s likely that you’re concerned about how you’ll be perceived and whether you can meet expectations. When you nitpick instead of seeing the creative process as the journey it is, you're bound to dig yourself a hole. 
2. Lack of motivation: Motivation is ever-fluctuating. No matter how much you love your work, there are bound to be phases where you don’t feel as excited about showing up. It’s a universal phenomenon that haunts people at all levels.
3. Overthinking: Spending too much time on planning instead of execution is a great way to distance yourself from the task more and more. If you falsely convince yourself that you’re in motion, you have to take no action. Catastrophizing, critiquing, or excessively planning can bog you down. 
4. Fear of failure: focusing too much on the result and comparing your first step to the desired outcome can lead to catastrophizing a problem you might very well be able to manage otherwise.
5. Perfectionism: Perfectionism is one of the most common and daunting hindrances in any creative’s life. The fear of being anything but perfect is based on the false notion that perfection exists and can be achieved. It’s an impossible standard, and unless you realise and accept that done is way better than perfect, you’ll stunt your growth.
6. Burnout or exhaustion: It’s easy to get too caught up in the race and take up too much on your plate. If your schedule is cluttered and you’re overwhelmed, it will be a good idea to put some things on the backburner and realign your priorities. You'll find yourself here often if you forget you're a human and not a machine.
7. Distractions or outside factors affecting focus: Creativity demands focus, clarity, and peace. If some aspects of your life are chaotic at the moment, your creativity will be disrupted. Sometimes life throws you a curveball, but sometimes it’s an avalanche and everything is going wrong at once. It’s okay to give yourself a break at these times and focus on fixing the root cause of your distraction.

What does creative block feel like?

1. Being stuck in a rut: You might feel trapped where you are, unable to come up with any feasible ideas or the will to see them through.
2. Feeling like you're not making progress: Wracking your brain, punching in extra hours, and still getting nowhere. Your creative muscles are knackered but there seems to be no end in sight.
3. Lack of motivation: Far from seeing a project through, you feel apathy about taking the necessary steps. You don’t have it in yourself to take on your projects right now.
4. Difficulty focusing: Even if you diligently get to work, you have a hard time retaining interest. The stain on the couch, the crumbs on the counter, your taxes that aren’t due for five months—everything is more interesting and urgent compared to this task, and you welcome any distractions coming your way.

How do you get over a creative block?

1. Take a break: When you’re overwhelmed, some distance works like a charm. Step away from everything that reminds you of work and recuperate. Calm your senses. That could mean sleeping, watching a fun movie, listening to some music, or calling a friend to have a chat.
2. Step outside: You know what many, many creatives have recommended doing for a creative boost when things get tough? Take a walk. It’s as simple as that. Studies sing the praises of the benefits of walking. It doesn’t matter where you’re walking; it matters that you’re walking. Try to spend some time in nature, or if some social interaction energises you, go see a friend or fetch your favourite ice cream from the shop. A change of scenery will refresh you.
3. Try a different approach: Maybe you’ve been so set in your ways that you don’t see you’re up against a wall. Perhaps the old ways aren’t working anymore, and it's time you switched it up and added some spice to the good old formula. Change is the only constant, and being dynamic and forward-thinking will pay off well in your career.
4. Collaborate with others: Collaborating with other creators forces you to step out of your comfort zone and think differently. A synergy of ideas compels both parties to come up with something complementary. It’s a great way to upgrade your skills while also expanding your network.
5. Seek feedback: Open yourself up to some constructive feedback. People who’ve been following your work for a while will have something substantial to say about what they expect and might have ideas as to how you can improve. You don’t have to apply it if it doesn’t align with you, but the results can surprise you.
6. Set realistic goals and timelines: Don’t keep throwing darts in the dark. Understand what your goals are and set up proper, achievable systems to help you achieve them. Go easy on yourself by having daily bite-sized, actionable steps you can take to slowly make your way forward. Keeping small promises to yourself every day also keeps your motivation in check.
7. Embrace imperfection: Perfection is an illusion. If you’re hoping and striving to be perfect, so much so that you’re paralysed in fear, you’ll end up going nowhere. Instead, allow yourself to make mistakes. Have a messy beginning and be open to flaws in your journey towards fruition. Every hindrance is nothing but another opportunity to learn and grow, and you'll know success as you slowly embrace that. Remember, done is better than perfect.

Thanks for reading! We hope this helps you understand more about the challenges of being a content creator.

If you're a creator that wants to push interactions with your community to the next level and earn more from your content, register to join MintStars here.

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