7 Ways to Obliterate Creative Roadblocks Nothing is coming out right, and you can't seem to figure out what to do. It happens to every creative professional, but it doesn't have to stop your work.
By Margaret Kelsey Edited by Dan Bova
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That feeling. You're stuck. Nothing is coming out right, and you can't seem to figure out what to do. It happens to every creative professional, but it doesn't have to stop your work.
Here are seven tips -- backed by science -- for you to implement next time you're grasping for the next step.
Related: Create the Best Environment for Creative Employees With These 6 Principles
1. Seek out inspiration.
Lots of things can be socially contagious: loneliness, laughter, itching, stress, and according to Albert Einstein, creativity. When you're stuck, give yourself time to be inspired again – by the people around you, a mood board that you created ages ago or a quiet place outdoors. Sometimes a few minutes away from your computer screen can work wonders.
2. Revisit project goals.
When the path forward is unclear, often the best remedy is reminding yourself -- and your team --about your initial goals. Be critical and honest as you reflect on what the problem is, how you are approaching the solution and whether or not the current project is aligned with the objectives.
And, as an added bonus, taking a step back and looking at the big picture can engage both sides of your brain and literally create new connections, as this Smashing magazine article explains.
3. Change locations.
An article by Scientific American reported that spatial distance has a huge impact on creativity. Even hearing that a problem is happening further away from you can help you come up with a better solution for it. Don't be afraid to talk a walk and physically distance yourself from your work (even if just for a short while).
Related: Moving From Brain Dead to Awakening Ideas
4. Talk to others.
A fresh set of eyes and a new perspective can help give your project a much-needed jump start. Product Hunt CEO Ryan Hoover has been known to crowdsource feedback on designs in progress –to the tune of receiving 50 pieces of feedback in one day. Talking to others, particularly those who have different backgrounds, might help you realize that there is more than one response to the same task, according to an article by Psychology Today about the psychological benefits of multicultural experiences.
5. Step back and take a break.
The article in Scientific American that touted the importance of spatial distance and creativity reported that increasing "psychological distance" from a problem (imagining you are someone else with a different perspective, rephrasing the question, and so on), can actually induce creative thinking.
6. Caffeinate.
Drink that coffee -- or two. Caffeine has been scientifically proven to enhance short-term memory, problem solving, decision making, and concentration, among a whole host of other factors associated with productivity, as mentioned in this article from The Atlantic. So, yes, now you have a great excuse to splurge on that afternoon coffee.
7. Scrap it and start from scratch.
Anecdotally, creatives have heard time and time again to throw out their first draft, but the core of this truth might be more about not quitting than the blank slate itself. Starting over doesn't mean you're giving up; it means you're willing to explore creative solutions, no matter what it takes. Even Thomas Edison said, "Many of life's failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
