{"id":2156,"date":"2024-06-11T16:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T16:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/?p=2156"},"modified":"2024-11-07T00:57:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T00:57:31","slug":"creative-block","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getleadster.com\/blog\/creative-block\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Exercises to End Creative Block Right Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Check if it’s true: 10 minutes ago, you were staring at a blank sheet of paper\u2014or a Photoshop canvas, or an empty Google Docs document\u2014in the deepest state of creative block.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who produces knows that sometimes we try and try and try, but nothing comes out. In the reality of a marketing agency, this is even more complicated: it feels like we\u2019re not doing anything.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the blank page brings you all sorts of thoughts except the ones you need to fill it, it\u2019s time to do something to overcome the creative block.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout this article, you will see that taking a break is often the cure. But for those who are restless, the cure might also be the Nike method: just do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve compiled 15 techniques to overcome creative block, inspired by great authors and marketing professionals.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something for every personality, so if one technique doesn\u2019t work for you, keep reading until you find the one that fits your production style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, just a word:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does creative block really exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Of course it does. For some people, it exists; for others, it doesn\u2019t. Many authors and writers are completely opposed to the idea of creative block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if even one person in the world has creative block, it exists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What doesn\u2019t exist is a creative block without reasons. No one wakes up super motivated, with several articles to write for various clients, and simply can\u2019t do it because of an attack of creative block. \u201cBut I was so eager to write!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something is behind it. Creative block isn\u2019t like a cold. It happens for reasons we often don\u2019t even notice. Anxiety, fear of not being able to deliver, tight deadlines: everything contributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, the first and most important technique in the article is: always try to investigate the real reason for your block.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t solve it right away, at least you know that creative block is a symptom. And it becomes easier to deal with it this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s move on to the techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15 exercises to overcome creative block right now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It’s very important to take care of mental health, especially when working in an environment like an advertising and digital marketing agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The need to deliver faster and faster takes away one of the main characteristics of good ideas: gestation time. This anxiety accumulates until it culminates in problems like creative block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with good planning, you can take a little time to…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 – Produce despite the creative block and then revise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This exercise is easy to do, and you can start right now without even getting up from your chair. Go back to the blank page and simply do anything related to the topic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what author Ann Handley (Content Rules, Everybody Writes) describes as TUFD\u2014the ugly first draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produce as if you don\u2019t even know you have creative block. Even if it\u2019s just a list of what you want to talk about, or a small sketch on a notebook page. Just do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After you finish, revise. The ideas will be waiting for you. No creative block can survive ideas you\u2019ve already thought of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper..\u201d – E.B. White<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2 – Take a break and read a book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, the creative block is so deep that you feel incapable. Nothing comes out, you even lack the will to touch the keyboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these moments, taking a break works wonders. Read an inspiring book, and it doesn\u2019t even have to be about content production.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContent Rules\u201d by Ann Handley<\/a> is a great book to read little by little, savoring it. It talks a lot about inspiration and copywriting in general, and it\u2019s not just for writers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading is good because it works like meditation. You can\u2019t think about anything else; your focus is entirely on the book. And that\u2019s great for calming the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always have an emergency book drawer next to you. And if the creative block appears, counter it with a good read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWorking in an agency taught me to think, not just to write.\u201d – Malcolm Gluck, legendary copywriter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

3 – Research more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Look: producing something in an agency\u2014be it a video script, a blog article, an Instagram post, etc.\u2014is 90% research and 10% execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything done in an agency is based on the target audience. If your creative block is because you don\u2019t know what to say, it\u2019s time to research more.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tip that will help you a lot: join Facebook groups and Instagram profiles and research there. If you\u2019re working with a client who sells car parts, join mechanic groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This way, you\u2019ll see how the people who will consume your content talk, and you\u2019ll have a better idea of how you need to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you already know how to speak but not exactly what\u2014meaning you don\u2019t fully understand the content\u2014it\u2019s time for deeper research. Interview your client to better understand the product or service offered, and jot down key points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These points will help you overcome the creative block because they refer back to the first technique: write quickly and then edit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re not very motivated to research…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 – Eat something<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the best exercises to overcome creative block: simple to follow and involves food. Perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not everyone takes this advice because it seems pointless. But it might be due to a lack of glucose in your blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glucose is our body\u2019s fuel. Without it, the brain works slower, and you have more difficulty focusing on what you\u2019re doing. And you also have more difficulty accepting new ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, take this little break. Eating is good and can relieve your creative block. <\/strong>If your low-glucose body screams \u201cwork more! Food isn\u2019t the problem!\u201d, ignore it. Having a snack never delayed any article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve been writing long enough to know that blocks are temporary, and if someone follows a routine and tries to write regularly, something eventually shows up.\u201d – Jhumpa Lahiri<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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5 – Produce something else<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Need to write a sales email? Write it as if it were a poem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need to write a blog article? Write it in question-and-answer format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need to create an Instagram post? Draw something by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subvert your creativity. Sometimes working in an advertising agency makes us forget that creativity doesn\u2019t get along well with pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So be revolutionary, even if it\u2019s just for an hour or two. Creativity, which has always been rebellious, will thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDelete the unnecessary and redo the ambiguous. And redo. And redo. And redo.\u201d – Steve Harrison, legendary copywriter.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

6 – Take notes by hand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one also aligns with the spirit of the first technique. Instead of staring at the computer screen, grab a notebook and start scribbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scribble what you think about the job. What you know about the client and what goals you want to achieve with the piece being produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scribble first drafts, structures, and ideas. Write what you think about the personas. Gradually, you will be building a knowledge base that will help you when it\u2019s time to get to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The screen remains blank. But the idea is within you, not it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cGood writing requires us to have an understanding and empathy for our audience, their situation, their needs, and goals.\u201d – Johnathan Colman, Facebook.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

7 – Consume a different type of content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another great tip for those who need to step out of the bubble for a minute and come back more inspired. Consume a different type of content, in a completely different medium.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a designer and nothing is coming out, read an article on the topic on Medium. If you\u2019re a writer, go to Behance and analyze the design of advertising pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This always helps with creative block because you allow yourself, even for a second, not to think about what you need to do. And creativity works better this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe draft needs some adjustments, but first, it needs to be written.\u201d – Don Murray, writing professor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

8 – Take a walk in the park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your dog will love this one. If you\u2019re thinking too much and doing too little, force yourself to stop thinking. Grab the leash, call your pet, and go for a walk.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 minutes of a good walk will make you focus on a million different things that aren\u2019t the work you need to deliver. The birds, the clouds, the car, another dog, people who don\u2019t pick up their pet\u2019s poop (who does that?), and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If taking a break is hard because your mind doesn\u2019t stop, give it something else to think about. Anxiety is creativity\u2019s greatest enemy, and the more you think about it, the more anxious you become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMuch of creative block is expecting too much of ourselves in the first attempt.\u201d – Ann Handley, Everybody Writes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

9 – Use a breathing technique<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are several breathing techniques that can help you reduce anxiety. Yogis have been using some for millennia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But look: don\u2019t spend 3 hours searching for breathing techniques on the internet! Find a simple one that you can do right now:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n