4 Tips to Shake That Creative Block

We all fall into a creative rut once in awhile and while I normally kick myself out of it within a few days, the last month of 2017 ended up being one of the worst creative blocks I've experienced. Granted it was the holiday season so things were hectic, but I had accidentally taken on way too much and therefore, I exhausted myself - mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The pressure to finish the year strong was prevalent, but I had sold myself short on time as I attempted to juggle way too many projects at once. Needless to say, I had one too many breakdowns and found myself staring at a blank page. The content I ended up publishing was below my expectations and I knew I could've done better, despite the fact that the brands loved it. At the end of the day, I felt like I was missing that spark and found myself questioning my direction. It took a few long talks, a disconnection from the digital world, and a couple of getaways from the city before I was able to reset myself. Of course, this is all easier said than done. 

While it's easy to summarize the month down to just a few sentences, it was in fact a challenging and long, progressive period of time. Any creative who's had trouble overcoming that wall can relate so I'm sharing my 4 tips to shake that block. Hopefully this will help shorten that length of time you feel stuck and if you have any tips of your own to share, I'd love to hear it in the comments!

1.  Go Away

Literally. Get up, get out, and just go some where. It doesn't have to be far, but a change of scenery helps. I went on a quick getaway to Malibu and in those two days, I felt less stressed and more focused. For me, being by the ocean calms my nerves and who doesn't love waking up to th sound of the waves crashing against the sand?

You don't have to specifically go on a staycation, simply taking a drive to another city or spending the day hiking Wherever you go, just make sure you don't think about work. You can afford to take a few hours off or the entire day or better yet, the weekend, so go now!

2. Link Up

With people in your industry and/or with friends who you can bounce ideas off of. Sometimes surrounding yourself with likeminded individuals will help ignite some ideas. I went on a work date with one of my blogger besties at Starbucks and within those two hours, I felt a bit more motivated than before. 

3. Read

Your favorite book, a self-help book, or even your go-to magazines. Sometimes just reading other people's words help and I personally love flipping through magazines, ripping pages out, and pinning them to my inspo board and/or wall. 

If you're not a huge reader, turn on your favorite podcast and/or simply bump up your favorite tunes. Go ahead, have a dance party while you're at it and shake all that bad mojo off.

4. Brain Dump

If you're like me then your mind is always running a mile a minute with things to do, ideas, and all that other fluff. It's hard for me to just tune out and when I'm stuck, I grab my journal and just let it all come out. I start with a blank page and write down anything that comes to mind. From there, I can get a little more specific on whatever is on my mind and try to figure out why it's lingering. This is a great way to gain more clarity and you can take it one step further by letting a significant other or friend look at what you wrote. Have them ask you questions about the subjects as talking it out usually helps too!

As a bonus, I like to also ask so I'll ask my audience on social media what they think of certain things, get feedback, and will go from there. But be aware that this option is only if you're comfortable and ready to accept the good and the bad feedback. 

I hope all those tips help you as much as it has helped me - and let me know if you have tips of your own that helps you!