sourceI just read a couple of posts this evening about creative blocks. This isn't something new. As a creative, you experience this occasionally. It could be as the result of internal or external stress, or both.
Creative blocks often occur in two ways: the unwillingness to create and the inability to create. The latter is more common amongst creatives. People who find themselves in this situation can't create even if they want to.
A person with this type of creative block cannot come up with new and exciting ideas. They try a little too hard to create, thereby plunging themselves deeper into the creatives' hell.
When I find myself in this sort of situation, the best remedy is to consume other content and worry less about creating. Consuming content is an integral part of creating content.
There is no top-notch creative who doesn't consume large volumes of content daily. Doing anything other than that is counterintuitive. Why? Because over time when you do not let fresh ideas in you become redundant.
Also consuming other creatives' content keeps you updated. Thus, when you do have something to say or create, it is relevant to the time and sphere you're in. Timing is an important part of the creative process and should be taken into cognizance.
Now, regarding one's unwillingness to create, this is an extremely rare kind of creative block. I happened to have experienced this last week. This was mainly because my life was in disarray and I did not care about sharing my thoughts and opinions.
So this type of creative block is induced by anxiety. To overcome it you need to deal with the underlying problem that is negatively impacting other aspects of your life, including your creative process.
In some cases, time is all that you need. Take a break and do something fun with the people that matter in your life. It is the fastest way to feel refreshed and motivated.
Also, rather than forcing the process, try to identify your driving force. What do you do? Is it still important to you? I have noticed that at certain times we are so stuck in our routines we do not take note of the changes in our lives.
My girlfriend was asking me earlier today, why I don't make as many comments as I used to and my simple answer was that time has changed. I am responsible for a whole lot more than I was a couple of months ago.
I am still adding value to the chain but in a much different way. Of course, I do have time to engage in meaningful discussions but I can't churn 100 comments a day. Before I was trying to gain exposure, now I am more concerned about adding value to the projects I am involved in.
So I hope this post helps you think about your creative block (if you have one) more creatively and also simplifies the process of getting out of it. If you did enjoy reading this a reblog would be appreciated.