Overcome Creativity Blocks in Business

Creativity isn’t just being artistic — creativity is how we approach problems in new ways and think outside the box. Creative blocks are a common occurrence for artists, musicians, writers, and other creative professionals. However, they can also occur in business. When you experience a creative block, it can feel like you’re stuck and can’t move forward. This post will explore some ways to address creative blocks in your work life.

What Are Creative Blocks? 

A creative block occurs when you’re unable to move forward on a creative task. This might look like writer’s block, an inability to write or move a story forward, or a more general creative block. They can be caused by a number of things, including lack of inspiration, difficulty setting goals, and stress from the business side of things.

Creativity in business can be a powerful tool for innovating and finding new ways to market your products or services. It can also help you come up with new ideas and solutions to problems. So when you’re blocked, it might feel like you’ve run out of new ideas entirely, and this can be extremely frustrating.

What Causes Creative Blocks?

There are a number of things that can cause a creative block. Lack of inspiration is often the first major sign, and can be caused by feeling frustrated about a previous project, feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand, or even just not feeling well overall — it’s hard to make your brain do stuff when you’re tired, sick, or not feeling great!

Difficulty setting goals can also be a problem. Clarity around your goals (creative, business, or otherwise) is key to planning the actionable steps you need to take in order to achieve them. Occasionally, you might find that you’re just not getting any new ideas at all. In any case, addressing these issues is the first step to overcoming a creative block.

How Do You Address Creative Blocks? 

To get out of a block, you need to take a step back and assess your current situation. What are the specific challenges you’re facing? What are your resources (time, energy, etc.)? What are your limitations (knowledge, skills, etc.)? Once you know what you’re up against and understand your creative pursuit in the context of everything else going on, you can start to untangle it and make a plan forward.

A great first step to clearing any block is to take a break. Get your eyes off the project and go walk around, get some water, stretch, do anything you can to get your brain off this problem. 

Next, give yourself some time to talk it through with someone, either a coworker or someone who also knows the project or even someone who is entirely unrelated to the project (fresh eyes can help a lot). Creative blocks can feel like they’re insurmountable, but talking to someone can help you break through the block and move forward. Talking to a friend or colleague about your struggles can help you understand the problem and work through it together. 

Creative blocks can be frustrating, but they can also be a sign that you’re on to something. When you experience a creative block, take a step back and analyze what’s going on. Then, try one of the techniques listed in this article to get moving again.

What’s your creative dream?

Creativity affects all aspects of our lives, but how can you know which creative passion is the right one to pursue right now? Get my free workbook for creatives to help you discover your deep-down dream, work through self-sabotage, and make a real plan to stick to your goals.