A creativity blockage can sometimes last for days to months. This is unfortunate because if you dare to face why your inspiration isn’t flowing, half of the problem is already solved.
Why do I keep struggling with a creative block?
If you feel like your creativity just won’t kick in, it’s tempting to think that you simply can’t do what you want to create.
These 8 insights will give you a better understanding of why you’re frustrated and why it seems like nothing meaningful is coming out of you:
1. You’re going through a phase of growing pains
The frustration you experience in your creativity is related to not getting much or anything done. Every idea seems bad.
Mastering new techniques or insights takes time and a lot of frustration. This growing pain is necessary for self-discovery and reaching a higher level.
If you’ve been expressing your creativity in the same way for a long time and now you’re trying to surpass it, experiencing a creativity blockage is not unusual. You’re venturing into new territories that can sometimes be very inspiring and sometimes drive you crazy.
2. You don’t really have a clear goal.
If you don’t have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, you won’t have a guiding principle in your creative process. You’ll often find yourself just doing random things rather than being guided by a clear vision.
What is the plot or vibe of what you want to create?
Do you want to create a structured piece or something abstract?
What message do you want to convey?
These are questions you can ask yourself if you’re unsure where you’re headed as an artist. It can be daunting to define these aspects, but it provides clarity and prevents you from jumping around aimlessly, which can lead to losing motivation.
By having a clear understanding of the building blocks you’ll use beforehand, you’re more likely to complete something.
Creativity tip:
Giving yourself some time and stepping away from your work can help give your brain the space it needs. You can only be truly productive for a few hours each day. If you push yourself beyond what’s good for you, the likelihood of experiencing a creative blockage increases.
3. You lack a solid foundation
For many people, creativity is an outlet to escape into their imaginary world. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it differs greatly from someone who sees creativity as a life force. This makes a creativity blockage even more frustrating.
If writing, designing, or acting is truly your passion, you ultimately want to create something of quality rather than aimlessly producing something “beautiful.”
In every craft, it’s important to have a solid foundation of insights and knowledge to bring your ideas to life.
“Often, a creative process stagnates because you want to achieve something for which you haven’t fully acquired the technical skills yet.”
Ask yourself: Are there things I can still learn before allowing myself to be frustrated by something not working out?
4. Your expectations of your creativity
Perhaps you have the idea that when you start something, you can effortlessly turn on your inspiration and immediately create everything exactly as you envision it.
This often stems from the fact that all the art and stories around us are “finished” and therefore appear to have been created with ease.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The creative process is unpredictable. One project may go smoothly, while others can be so frustrating that you want to walk away and forget about them.
Every artist experiences this. The key is to accept the uncertainty of what something will bring and allow ideas to develop along the way.
5. You lack originality
One of the biggest fears for a creative person is that their work will get lost in the crowd and therefore have no value for themselves or their audience.
Or you may struggle with the fear that what you’ve come up with is actually a cheap copy of an artwork you’ve seen before.
If this happens, you later realize that it bears a striking resemblance to a song or artwork you recently saw in a museum.
Your artistic self-worth takes a blow because you thought you had come up with something unique.
Stop this. Everything you will ever come up with is a blend of things you have previously observed. The most original artworks are often inspired by existing works. Artists often do this intentionally.
Therefore, it is important to see the fear of taking things from others as plagiarism. By doing so, you hinder your inspiration from unconsciously inspiring you.
6. Unconscious competition
Comparing yourself to others often happens unconsciously. It’s not difficult to do so, especially with social media where you can easily see who is “better” than you. At least, that’s what you think regardless.
This comparison plays a significant role in your creativity blockage. It can be challenging for an artist to be satisfied with what they have created. And when you also compare yourself to “better” art, it works even more counterproductively.
“It can be quite a challenge to see people you admire as inspiration rather than competition.”
Taking a break from social media for a while can be a solution if you constantly discourage yourself by what you see. Remember that the only person you should compare yourself to is your past self.
7. You’re too hard on yourself
Comparing yourself and talking down your own work is the biggest reason why many people believe they can never create anything of value.
- What you come up with becomes boring and irrelevant the next day.
- Small details annoy you.
- Creativity turns into a sense of obligation.
- You’re afraid to experiment because it’s not good enough.
These are just a few thought patterns that can lead you into a creative blockage.
What you see, others don’t. And if they do see it, they are just details.
You always tell yourself that you can do better, and as a result, things never seem to be finished. Because once something is finished, there are ALWAYS things that can be improved.
Even the greatest artists, like Picasso and Ludwig van Beethoven, sometimes became frustrated with their own shortcomings, leading to artistic blockages and rewriting entire works out of frustration.
8. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress
Perhaps you already know that you can be perfectionistic in your thinking. Taking the wrong path contradicts your expectation of always doing things perfectly.
This mindset can be challenging to break because it makes you more vulnerable to failed or poor works.
Without making wrong decisions, you will never grow and be able to be astonished by your own work. By remaining perfectionistic, you are actually preventing this and keeping your creative expression trapped in a cage.
“When there’s time pressure, such as a set deadline, your critical voice in your head no longer has a say.”
When something needs to be done by a certain time, you will start working without the fear of it not being good enough. You will notice that you become satisfied with what you do and create.
Lack of talent?
Is it true that some people have more talent than others and can effortlessly express their creativity?
Just the thought that you lack talent can already diminish productivity and inspiration.
Artists are born with talent, but not always >>
Final thoughts
The key to overcoming a creative blockage lies in identifying your fears. Once you know them, you can recognize them and attach less importance to them over time.
Inspiration often comes at unpredictable moments and cannot always be forced. The art is often simply to start and let that spark of inspiration come naturally.
Be easy and let it come to you.
