Some days, the brush feels heavy. The page feels cold. Ideas hover just out of reach. This is the nature of creativity: it ebbs. It flows. It sometimes disappears altogether.
But here’s the quiet truth: you are not blocked. You are becoming. Pausing. Processing. Gathering invisible threads.
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” — Pablo Picasso
A creative block isn’t a flaw in you. It’s a flag: your mind asking for space, your spirit whispering that it’s time to shift. The block is not the enemy—it’s the message.
What Causes a Block?
· Creative blocks can stem from many things:
· Burnout (overdoing)
· Perfectionism (overthinking)
· Fear of judgment
· Lack of play or input
· Life transitions or emotional weight
Research published in Creativity Research Journal (2020) shows that emotional exhaustion, self-criticism, and external pressure are among the strongest predictors of blocked creativity. Ironically, the more we force it, the more elusive it becomes.
So, what’s the antidote?
Gentle Practices to Unblock with Kindness
1. Switch Mediums
If you paint, try collage. If you write, try sculpting. Switching tools short-circuits the perfectionist brain and reintroduces play.
“When in doubt, scribble.” — Nayyirah Waheed
2. Make “Bad” Art on Purpose
Create the worst painting you can. Really go for it—ugly shapes, weird colours, chaos. This simple exercise has been shown to lower performance anxiety and increase creative spontaneity (Andriopoulos, 2009).
3. Go for a Walk, Alone
A Stanford study in 2014 found that walking boosts creative output by 60%. Movement stimulates both hemispheres of the brain. Take a sketchbook and let the outside world do the inspiring.
4. Return to Repetition
Repetitive motion—like line work, dot painting, or mandalas—can calm the nervous system and coax inspiration back gently. You can find repetitive exercises throughout the Mind Matters page.
5. Create a Ritual, Not a Goal
Replace “I need to finish something” with “I’ll spend 10 minutes in my sketchbook.” Let the ritual become the win. Often, it’s momentum—not motivation—that brings clarity.
What If the Block Is Long-Term?
Then rest. Not as failure, but as practice. Sometimes the most creative thing we can do is stop trying and trust that the tide will return.
“You can’t force creativity. All you can do is create the space for it to enter.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
Trust the seasons of your creativity. Every artist has winters. But spring always returns.
Brush Hour Prompt:
Set a timer for 5 minutes. Draw something with your non-dominant hand. No goal, no judgment. Just lines and curiosity. Let clumsiness be the point.
This post is a collaborative effort between AI and myself to help me work a bit quicker.
