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Working in a creative industry is great, but finding ideas for your next project doesn’t always come in overflowing waves of inspiration. Staring at a blank canvas can present visions of endless possibilities or just the opposite… the dreaded creative block. If you have entered the “no idea zone” and just want to get those creative juices flowing again, here are a few ideas to hopefully get you back on track.
1. Shake Up Your Surroundings
Try different working environments to keep things fresh. Sketch out ideas at home, on the train, or in a coffee shop, then refine the final work in your studio. Speaking of your workspace, always try to inject some color and life into your studio, as sterility leads to an empty void of nothingness.
2. Find Inspiration in Other Creative Disciplines
Great ideas can come from anywhere. If you specialize in magazine layout, for instance, look beyond other illustrators and designers. You can jump start your next “aha” moment by simply checking out photography, typography, fashion, film, packaging, and signage, for example.
3. Carry a Sketchbook
Creative ideas do not hold a 9 to 5 schedule, so be ready when they hit you. Don’t completely rely on your memory. That cool layout you saw on a billboard while patiently waiting for your train to leave the station will be gone from your mind without a trace later that day. Be sure to sketch those ideas down when they come.
4. Listen to Your Body
If you are finding yourself tense with pressure, give yourself permission to ditch the struggle. Breathe, eat a snack, go for a walk on your lunch break, or do something else. Be good to yourself. Sometimes taking care of yourself is all you need to recharge the battery and trigger a breakthrough.
5. Push Boundaries
It’s quite possible you’re putting up your own creative barriers from fear of pushing your skills. Maybe your creative block means that deep down you’re afraid to take things to the next level and do something new and different. There are times it takes a certain amount of guts to be truly creative and put new ideas out there. Figure out what it is that’s worrying you. What’s holding you back? Once you overcome that concern, you’ll overcome creative block. Time to push the boundaries and knock those walls down.
Creative block happens to the best of us, but it doesn’t have to stop you in your tracks. Even professional designers with years of experience face creative block and deal with it in different ways. What works best when trying to overcome creative block is different for everyone. So when creative block ultimately strikes, and it will, refer to some of these tips and see what works. Get inspired by other artists and creatives, do something completely different, or just simply take a break to get those ideas flowing again.
