“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” — Edward de Bono
Indeed, true. Creativity is a vital element that sets apart “somebody” from “nobody”. It is the very thing that helps you bring forth something that has never been done or introduced before. Creative people think differently than others, i.e., they think out-of-the-box. However, a lot of fuel is needed to keep this engine alive and kicking. Sometimes we find our creative tank completely empty, i.e., out of fuel.
When this happens, we undergo a lot of anxiety and it feels like our whole world has come to an end now. Our stress elevates to even more heights when there is a project that needs to be taken care of immediately. During this critical time, we tend to put pressure on our creative-engine in the hope of breaking past this dreadful phenomenon; but to no avail.
Now the question remains how do we overcome a creative block? Well, try the following powerful techniques when you hit a creative-block:
Factors That Cause Creative Block
“… every event has had its cause, and nothing, not the least wind that blows, is accident or causeless.” – Pearl S. Buck
Given that there is a cause behind every event or phenomenon, you first need to understand the cause before making efforts to break it. Following are some factors that may lead you to bump on a creative-block:
• Physical / Mental stress
• Boredom
• Inadequate understanding of the project
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Monetary problems
• Irresolute Mind
• Lack of specific goal or aim
• Idleness
(Note: Do let us know in the comment box, any factor that we might have missed)
Let’s Learn How We Can Defeat Creative Blocks
• Take a Break First, Brainstorm Later
Oftentimes, overexposure of a project ends up causing mental exhaustion. In such case, it is not advisable to continue brainstorming and putting more pressure on your overly-exhausted mind. Though it is a fact that brainstorming help you gather new creative ideas, but with a dried tank you won’t be able to start your engine, let alone drive it to 7 miles.
Take a break from the work and relax for a while. Let your mind be rejuvenated again. When you brainstorm with a complete fresh mind, you’ll see thousands of ideas flowing down your veins thereby fueling up your empty creative-tank.
• Defeat Laziness With Determination
It is true that coming up with thousands of raw ideas and materializing the best one of them is a pretty hard work. It not only requires patience and efforts but also unwavering determination. We often think that it is the creative block that is obstructing our way. But in fact it is simply the laziness that impedes our progress.
To defeat it you’ll need to dive in your inner-consciousness and find the determination. Though this could be a little tricky work but it’ll do the work fine, that’s my guarantee. So, perform some exercises that can assist you in finding back the determination such as setting up a goal, knowing the reward, etc.
• Do Research & Find Inspiration
A random surfing on the World Wide Web isn’t researching and you should know it very well. So, we say research, we mean a focused research. Carry out a research and find your inspiration that can help you kick start your mind. Focused-research depends on the nature of your field. For instance, designers find their inspiration when they look at artworks, illustrations, images, other’s work, etc.
Checkout some interactive websites for inspiration
Inspiration finding exercise is a great and a surefire way that can help you get started with your creative thinking.
• Connect With Other Creative People
Social networks have now made our life more exciting. We get to meet new people and understand their perspectives about things. Some present same view points while others present a different opinion on things.
Find creative people in your field and connect with them. Follow them on different social networks and build a buddy-buddy relationship with them. You can share ideas with other creative individuals and see what they have to say. Connecting with other professionals in your niche can help you see a different perspective of your project thereby leading to more ideas.
“It seems to be one of the paradoxes of creativity that in order to think originally, we must familiarize ourselves with the ideas of others.” — George Kneller
Verdict
Given that everyone born with a unique mind and different perspectives, we can’t outline the exact factor that is hindering the chain of your creative engine. But you understand your own mind better than we do. Therefore, you have to find the cause of your creative block and then make efforts to overcoming it.
Read More: Some Basic Principles of Graphic Design