I feel like we have all experienced writer’s block. The lurking feeling that you can’t pinpoint. No matter how hard we think about our experiences, we can’t think of anything to write about. Whether that be for creative writing, a personal essay for class, or even a Her Campus article. It sucks, it really does. It feels like you just can not be creative, which, as an artist myself, really puts me into a slump. But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be this way? What if there was just an easy step that could get you out of a creative slump? When you think about it, a creative block is just an opportunity if you use it right.Â
Now you might be reading this and say, “Girl, you’re crazy,” but stick with me here. When you are in a creative block, it forces you to think of the “why” rather than the “what”. For example, when I was trying to come up with article ideas for this week, I kept hating the ones I picked; I had no motivation to write. So, I had to step back. I had to walk away and resurface what it meant to write for Her Campus and how I could express my ideas. Sometimes, the best strategy to fight your creative block is to simply avoid it. As a type A, obsessive freak, this can be very hard, especially if I want to have things done before the due date. However, some of the best works are said to have been done right before the due date. If you keep thinking about one particular thing, your brain will genuinely get tired, and that is no way to create a master piece, whether that be a painting or an article. Once you come back to what you are working on, you can come in with a fresh mind and be able to think past the narrow field of mind you had beforehand.Â
Once you come back, you should be able to approach your work in a new way, but what if that didn’t work? What if you come back and you are still staring at the blank sheet of paper, wondering what to make next? The answer is simple: use the creative block to your advantage. Creative blocks, when you think optimistically instead of pessimistically, are just opportunities to think outside of the box. The best way to push yourself out of the box is to create about your block. It might sound weird, but hey, it worked for me because that’s what I am doing right now. However, this doesn’t just apply to writing. If you are creating music, use the aggression that is instilled with creative block to make something new, even if it doesn’t sound good. For an artist, use those emotions and create what it feels like to be stuck in an art block. Something created is better than nothing at all. It may suck, but pushing yourself to not only think outside the box but to analyze the problem at its source will lead to an influx of ideas coming your way, even if they are short-term.Â
Overall, creative blocks can feel frustrating, and they are. However, the only way to get out is to look up out of the hole you dug yourself into, and climb. Once you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up! With people today becoming less and less creative and AI taking over creative jobs that were once made through human thought, it is super important that we as girls say creative. Don’t let one missed idea or one wrong direction steer you away from the potential that each and every one of you has to produce something great, because that’s what we are all here for.Â