Creative blocks can be devastating if our livelihood relies on creative construction to make a living. The increased doubt that comes from our lack of ability to create and sustain a future spirals us downward. Creative blocks can even create a distorted sense of identity and self worth. While debilitating, creative blocks are very common and thankfully there is an easy way to break through.
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Creative Blocks Happen to Everyone
We’re often taught to try harder and push through it.
Sometimes, a brute force approach does work but in most cases, it becomes a vicious cycle of recrimination.
Our mind loops a recording of “You are NOT good enough…You are NOT that creative…You should QUIT!”
Some of us have heard it so many times, it can manifest physical pain and feelings of creative suffocation.
Whenever a creative block knocks on the door, it’s time to take a walk.
Seriously. A walk.
When we consciously choose to get out of our comfort zone and take walks to places we have never been before or have not been for a while, it creates an opportunity to open our mind and provides us with a new range of inspirations.
It could be a high street, a nearby park, museum exhibition or even a local café.
These dynamic environments help to rewire our mindset and replaces stuck thinking with fresh thinking.
Going for a walk activates the right side of our brain and triggers our creative neurons.
When our mind is free of worries, we tend to live in the moment and experience mindfulness. We become conscious of the sensations and stimuli all around us.
Change the Routine
It’s easy for us to have a pattern of routine.
Our routines allow us to find comfort and ensure the feel of security.
Unfortunately, this habitual humdrum way of living can work against us when we need to find a new solution to a new problem.
By taking walks, we change our environment to break these mundane habits.
We think divergently and enlarge our creativity.
Walks can cause us to experience intuitive moments when suddenly a solution pops into our heads out of nowhere.
Endorphins are Better than Coffee
The act of walking activates endorphins; the happy hormones. This, in turn, creates a positive mindset and relaxes us.
Walking has helped me to overcome my creative block many times, especially in times of big deadlines when I feel I don’t have the energy or time for walks.
Time and time again, with just 10 to 20 minutes of walking, my mind recalibrates and rejoices. In the end, the result of the work became better than what I expected.
I hope that going for a walk becomes something you explore even when you are not experiencing creative block.
But if you do feel like you just can’t think of what you need, give walking a try!
Today’s guest post comes from Lisa Wee, a debut author / illustrator of Li Na is my Name, published by Dixi Books Publishing, UK. Lisa has illustrated several picture books for prominent organizations and self-published authors. Her quaint, quirky and vibrant illustrations are inclusive and embrace diversity in celebrating the lives of children from all walks of life. Her clients include Celebrity Top Chef Kristen Kish, Babybug magazine for January 2022 and February 2022 issues, Ladybug magazine Fall 2021 issue, and World Vision International, International Day of the Girls campaign 2021. You can also find her on Twitter @LisaWee1970 and Instagram @Lisa_WeeIllustrator.
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