How to Defeat Creative Block
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Do you often feel stumped?
Finding it hard to come up with ideas?
You’d probably call this ‘Creative Block’.
Creative Block is a seemingly ever-looming monster that seems ready to strike at any point — throughout the creative industry, we see the victims of this vicious titan everywhere.
Do we really believe in this myth… this legend… this monster?
I don’t — and here’s why:
As a full-time Packaging Designer and co-founder of Night Sky Creative, I rarely get Creative Block.
I know that's a whopper of a statement, and no, I haven’t sold my soul to the devil, either.
The reason why I don’t get Creative Block is actually quite simple — honestly, it amazes me that more creatives haven't realised it.
I have a process — the way I work — which ensures I have a continuous flow of creativity.
To some of you, this notion might seem contradictory: the idea of a process in order to encourage creativity — but I assure you it’s not.
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“Process limits creativity”
I know that many creative people still believe, as I did, that process limits creativity.
This is simply not true.
This limiting shared belief stops us from reaching our full potential, and only adds to the idea of creative block being an ever-present beast, waiting to strike.
In this article, I’m going to debunk the myth of Creative Block.
I’ll do this by understanding the reasons why we believe we suffer from it, exploring how you can develop your own working process so you, too, can defeat this legendary monster once and for all.
Let's start at the beginning...
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What gives you Creative Block?
Do you know the cause of your Creative Block?
You might not have even thought of it.
But you know the feeling of dread and crippling anxiety it can stir up, so let’s start there.
To defeat Creative Block, we must first understand where it comes from, but the cause of Creative Block differs from person to person.
Essentially, it's a perfect storm of your mood, situation and environment — a combination of all three.
The first step to finding out the root of your personal Creative Block is to understand yourself a little more, and your mindset when you work.
This means you need to be more self-aware of your feelings and thoughts when Creative Block strikes.
When you feel Creative Block creeping in, take a step back in your mind.
Take a deep breath, focus on yourself, and ask these questions:
What have you been doing?
What are you thinking about doing?
Where are you, physically, right now?
What’s happening in your life and work?
What words would you use to describe your current emotions?
It only takes a few minutes to carry out this self-analysis, but it can make all the difference and is the first step in defeating Creative Block.
Once you’ve answered these questions and identified the cause of your Creative Block, you can start to work on your process to avoid these situations, emotions, or environments.
Then we can move on to stage two::
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How do we work better?
In this stage, you will determine exactly how you work, and develop your process so you can be creative in a more effective way.
In order to work better, we must take back the power that Creative Block has over us.
Seth Godin has some useful, actionable insights on writer’s block that are relevant to Creative Block in his podcast, Akimbo, during the episode No such thing (as writer’s block).
For those of you not familiar with him, Seth Godin is a bestselling author and marketing guru, best known for his no-BS attitude and amazing storytelling abilities — something of a marketing master in the industry.
Here’s the episode so you have a listen:
In this episode, Seth Godin outlines his belief that Creative Block (specifically writer's block) doesn’t exist — weaving together great references, stories and unique Godin-isms.
“... a plumber never gets plumber's block, or a teacher gets teaching block, such ‘stuckness’ is a work of fiction.”
Seth’s main argument is to forget the inspiration, and just do the work.
Whether it’s good, bad, or somewhere in-between, it doesn’t matter — just do it.
You shouldn’t fear the outcome, because any outcome is better than no outcome at all.
The professionals who succeed are the ones who show up consistently and do the work.
It’s progress… or rather, process.
Everything that Seth outlines in this episode has the makings of a process, which I think looks something like this:
Start with the easy one.
Do the work, regardless of the good or bad outcome.
Repeat. Don’t whine and complain, just get busy and make something.
Even a loose process like this will help you avoid Creative Block — giving you more direction, like a compass, or a user manual.
The path is already laid out before you, all you need to do is follow it.
Don't see the process as limiting, see it as liberating — liberating you from the pressure of conjuring creativity out of nothing.
With this new perspective on process, let's take a look at the list of common causes of creative block:
Choice paralysis
Endless research
Fear of failure
Juggling too many projects
Chasing perfectionism
I could go on…
Do any of these sound familiar?
I thought they might.
Let’s dive into them further to see exactly how a process can help:
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Choice paralysis
More options don’t necessarily mean better options.
As a general rule, at the start of a project, it’s better to develop a small group of concepts to a higher standard rather than lots of concepts to a lower standard.
Showing lots of concepts suggests that you don't have confidence in any of your solutions, and it can damage your credibility as a creative professional.
So how can process help?
If you suffer from choice paralysis, ensure your process is tailored to the creation of a smaller group of concepts.
First and foremost, take your own personal preferences and biases out of any decision-making processes — these concepts are for the client/consumers, not for you.
This can be done by regularly referring to your brief to ensure alignment throughout the concept stage.
Leverage your ability and skills over your opinions.
Then, you need to narrow down your concepts to as few as possible.
A common way of doing this is to have three versions: Mild, Spicy and Hot.
Mild is the ‘obvious’ concept, drawing on traditional ideas — conforming.
Spicy adds just a little heat compared to the Mild option — taking it up a notch, an evolution of the Mild concept.
Hot is the riskiest option — a revolution rather than an evolution.
By adding these steps to your process, you can avoid choice paralysis as your cause of Creative Block.
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Research without end
Travelled down into a deep well of Pinterest boards, wondering how you got there, and why you’re scrolling through abstract patterns from the 60s?
Research without focus is a waste of time, money and resources.
Research without end is similar to choice paralysis and works in a vicious circle.
Research gives you more options, which gives you more choice, with more ideas — too many to action.
So how can process help?
Research without end is usually the symptom of vague design parameters from a poorly thought-out brief.
The solution: add a discovery session into your process.
A thorough discovery session is the foundation of any successful creative project.
It informs every decision that is made in the project from that point on.
A discovery session is a meeting with your client at the start of a project where you define their business goals, identify customer personas and curate the brand’s values and attributes.
For more information on discovery sessions, check out this awesome video from The Futur's YouTube series 'Building a Brand':
An informative discovery session allows you to focus and gain clarity on the project.
Focus your work from that point on towards delivering on the client’s objectives.
These sessions can often highlight important insights and details that might not be originally outlined in the brief, and can even lead to changes in the deliverables.
A thorough discovery session is a vital component of any creative professional's’ process, especially those who tend to spend too much time on endless research.
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Fear of failure
The fear of your ideas being rejected is common amongst creative professionals.
However, to be truly innovative you will have to go somewhere no-one else has been before, which can lead us to believe that the more innovative the idea, the greater the risk of rejection.
This fear can then prevent you from doing the work — fear of failure is possibly one of the biggest reasons for Creative Block.
So how can process help?
It's natural to fear the unknown.
When going into a project, we often have absolutely no idea what the solution is.
That's a good thing!
Starting a project from a preconceived personal bias is a sure path to a bad solution for everyone involved — your immediate reaction is emotional and subjective, not logical and objective, which your solution needs to be.
So how do we tackle this fear of failure and fear of the unknown?
With our process!
Processes are reliable and consistent — no matter the starting conditions.
Your process allows you to make sense of the chaos.
You just need to craft your process in a way that works for you as an individual and plays to your strengths.
It's like in The Matrix where Neo sees the code for the first time — at first, he doesn’t understand it, but with time, practice, and seeing things his own way, he eventually becomes The One.
Fear of failure is actually fear of the unknown, but how much of a project is really unknown?
Just that tiny bit at the end — admittedly, it is the most important bit — but it's a tiny bit nonetheless.
If you have a process that you use again and again, with good results, where is the unknown? Where is the fear?
If you have a consistent, reliable working process, you will realise that you have nothing to fear — your process will always deliver, and will always get you to the place that you were meant to be.
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Juggling too many projects
As humans, we cannot multi-task — our brains simply aren't wired that way — whatever you’ve heard something to the contrary, it’s not true.
As creative professionals, it can feel it like part of daily life, bouncing from one project to the other, with little time to achieve the flow you need to really get into your work.
Each project comes with its own set of mini-tasks to be completed, and can quickly become very messy.
Keeping track of all this work seems like a project on its own.
So how can process help?
As I mentioned before, process is all about bringing order to chaos.
By using the same process for each project, you can work systematically — projects are no longer a wobbly mess of tangled tasks.
Instead, they’re ordered into logical building bricks, each placed one on top of the other — like LEGO®.
Each task (or brick) is supported by the one placed before it.
A LEGO-like process means that you can more effectively jump around on projects, and it’s a lot easier and faster to get back into the flow on a different project.
You look at the last stages in the process (the last LEGO bricks laid), reading it like a story, and it will give you all the information you need to jump right back in where you left off.
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Chasing perfection
Perfection is damaging to mental health, and so many creative professionals are sucked into the mindset of creating The Perfect Solution.
Perfection is not a goal you can reach, but a goal you endlessly chase — there will always be room for improvement.
There is no Perfect Solution.
For perfection to exist, we would need to create a vacuum where nothing ever changes, and everything is fixed in place.
Culture doesn't stand still — people's perceptions change, technology advances and knowledge evolves, eternally.
It's time to abandon the ‘perfectionist’ mindset and replace it with the ‘better’ mindset — always improving, always moving forward.
Don't worry about it being perfect, just work to make it better than before.
Is your ego really that big to believe you can create the perfect thing?
I have a massive ego, and even I know I can't.
But I know that by following my process, I will always create the best possible solution for any particular problem at that particular time.
So how can process help?
A good process is a framework, like the scaffolding used around a building during construction.
The scaffolding structure looks the same around every building, but there are infinite ways to create buildings, all using the same scaffolding structure.
Following a process removes the concept of the Perfect Solution by focusing on the development of the idea, not the end results.
The best solution will present itself if your process is sound.
Process also removes ego from your creativity, instead putting the focus on the client’s and stakeholders’ needs, wants and desires.
It empowers you to create solutions beyond your own limiting beliefs and concepts, exploring new ideas you may not have been open to before.
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Trust the process
This is my favourite creative mantra, I find myself quoting it all the time at work.
Process defeats creative block.
It banishes all fear and anxiety about doing the work, focusing my mind on the process of actually doing the work rather than the end deliverables.
After all, it is where you spend most of your time on a project — developing ideas and solutions.
It's time to take back the power of creativity!
Amplify your creativity through your process to deliver ideas and solutions faster and more effectively.
So how do I develop a creative process?
Developing a creative process can be a long journey, but one well worth the effort.
Processes are not one-fit wonders — they’re individual — what works for me may not necessarily work for you.
However, there will likely be similarities and cross-over with other creative processes.
My process is a mash-up of various techniques and approaches that I have researched and tested throughout my career.
I’ve found that some things work for me, and others don’t — it’s a case of testing various methods and merging them together until you find your own process.
Here are some prompts to help you perfect your own working process:
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Process is not set in stone
Many creative professionals see process as a limiting structure, stopping them from being truly creative.
They proclaim in one way or another that structure is restrictive, therefore processes are restrictive.
This is simply not true.
Process, at its best, is a flexible structure.
A good process is adaptable, flexible enough to overcome the challenges of any project.
It’s also able to evolve as you introduce new ideas and skills and grow in your career.
See your process as an ongoing project — process is not set in stone.
It takes time, like developing muscles — they need regular exercise and care to ensure they are in peak condition.
Think of developing a process like you are developing your creative muscles — it takes time and effort.
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Question everything
How do you work best?
Where do you need more support?
What are your common sticking points in projects?
How do you breakdown each element of your project?
To develop a good working process that delivers for both you and your clients, you need to understand the way you work at a deeper level.
Ask yourself questions regularly to uncover insights and develop your best process.
Your process needs to work with you, not against you.
Be honest with yourself, but remember to also be kind to yourself — after all, you have to work with yourself for the rest of your life, so you may as well have a good working relationship!
Developing a good process means asking some tricky questions — don’t shy away from these, this is where good insights are hiding, these are the things that will turn a good process into a great one.
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Test. Adapt. Repeat.
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” — Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Developing a process takes time, so stick with it.
You may have to try lots of different things, with different cycles of testing before you find something that works for you.
Just remember that each iteration brings you one step closer to the ideal process for you.
There’s no shortcut, you just need to do the work.
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Learn from others
Don't reinvent the wheel, learn from your peers and mentors — there’s a reason why you have them in your life, and they often have the best ideas.
Some of them might not be a good fit for you, but it’s just as useful to know what doesn't work just as much as what does.
Personally, I’ve created my working process from a variety of sources: Blair Enns book, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto, combined with my background in Product Design with a sprinkle of Chris Do-isms and findings from The Futur fam.
This unique mix works great for me — a perfect process cocktail made just for me and my tastes.
A similar mix of process ideas will work well for you, you just need to try as many as you can.
Who doesn't love a good cocktail?
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Ignore the outcomes
You are not the work, you are your unique process.
The work belongs to your client or stakeholders.
When you get emotionally attached to your work, you lose your objectivity.
No matter the area you work in, your solutions should be grounded in objectivity.
The work should deliver on the goal set out by your clients and/or stakeholders, and the way you do that is to refine your individual process.
This is when your process, the way you work through projects, becomes your unique selling point as a creative professional.
By following these prompts, you will be able to develop a process so powerful that you can defeat your own Creative Block every time.
No matter how it attacks, or in what form, your process will provide the structure and safety you need to deliver creative solutions in a faster, more effective way and without fear of failure.
I hope this blog has helped you to question your own assumptions and perceptions of Creative Block, opening your eyes to the potential freedom and protection a good process can offer.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below.
Let's slay the myth of Creative Block once and for all.
Thanks to all the various sources used in this blog and all my online mentors, without them I wouldn’t have my own awesome process.
Bigger thanks to my fellow NSC co-founder Tassia, for helping me with developing this blog into a legible piece that actually makes sense to others.
