You don’t need to wait for a breakthrough. You just need a place to start.
Let’s be real — creative block is frustrating, disorienting, and (let’s be honest) a little scary. Whether you’re an artist staring at a blank canvas or a designer dragging the same three layers around for an hour, the feeling is the same: stuck.
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your life or have some divine inspiration to move through it. Sometimes all it takes is a little shift — something simple and accessible — to get things flowing again.
Here are 5 quick, honest ways to work through a creative block. You can try one, try them all, or just see which one speaks to you today.
If your usual materials or tools feel stale, it might be time to shake things up — not by abandoning your idea, but by approaching it differently.
Sometimes our brains just need novelty to re-engage. You’re not giving up — you’re rerouting. And you never know: the shift might uncover something new about your process or idea.
Bonus: Give yourself permission for it to be “bad.” The goal isn’t quality — it’s momentum.
Yep, you read that right. Grab a timer (5–15 minutes is plenty) and commit to creating something unusable, unfinished, or flat-out ugly.
Why? Because when perfection is the goal, creativity shuts down. But when the stakes are zero, ideas loosen up.
This technique works especially well when:
Set a timer. Make a mess. See what shows up.
Remember: nothing kills creativity faster than pressure to perform. Play is the antidote.
Sometimes the fastest way forward is to name what’s holding you back.
Take five minutes and write down (or speak into a voice note):
This isn’t journaling for the sake of journaling — it’s creative triage. Getting the noise out of your head makes room for clarity. You might realize the block isn’t about the work at all — it’s about self-doubt, expectations, or not knowing where to start.
And once you name it, you can work with it instead of against it.
It might sound counterintuitive, but adding a rule can unlock new directions. Creativity loves boundaries — it just doesn’t love being boxed in by fear.
Try giving yourself a challenge like:
The constraint gives your brain something to push against — and that’s where creative energy often lives.
Here’s a hard truth: not everything you make needs to be profound, portfolio-ready, or on-brand.
In fact, that kind of pressure is exactly what causes creative paralysis.
So give yourself a task that’s deliberately meaningless. Make something silly, ugly, or strangely beautiful. Copy a design you like, doodle nonsense, recreate a painting using only triangles — whatever lets you play without purpose.
That’s often when your voice sneaks back in — right when you stop trying to prove yourself.
Creative blocks happen to everyone — yes, even people who’ve been doing this for 35+ years (hi 🙋♂️).
The key isn’t to shame yourself or wait for the perfect moment.
It’s to take small, low-stakes steps back into your practice — gently, consistently, and with curiosity.
You don’t have to push. You just have to start.
And if you’re feeling stuck in a deeper way — creatively, professionally, or emotionally — coaching can be a powerful next step. You don’t need to do it alone.
Book a free discovery call if you’re ready for clarity, direction and some honest support.
Let’s get you from stuck… to studio.