Do you sometimes feel like you lack creative energy? Is it difficult for you to discover or create solutions to the problems you encounter? Well, you may experience some creativity-blocking obstacles and the solution to this is to first identify them, and then work your way around these obstacles.
Here are 10 of the most common factors involved in these blockings and some solutions we found to be useful:
- A cluttered mind makes creativity a challenge – try to clear your mind, take a walk or be alone for a while. You might find it helpful to have less going on and concentrate in a quiet environment.
2. You don’t prepare your creative skills ahead – for a few minutes, try doing a different creative activity; it will stimulate the creative process and charge you with inspiration
3. Stress – this is a tricky one, as we have a number of factors distracting us; when you have time for yourself, try to concentrate on the things you want to do, not the things you have to do
4. A limited perspective can narrow your ability to find solutions – keep your mind open to new possibilities – sometimes, the best solution is the least expected one.
5. You don’t trust your creative skills – think about all the situations you had to give a little bit more in order to deal with certain situations. Start seeing yourself as a creative person and things will change in time!
6. Procrastinating – it can be pretty difficult to start a creative task, so you leave it for later. What you can do is that everyday, set aside some time for a creative activity that you enjoy. It will boost your confidence and make you more motivated.
7. Fear of failure – we’re all scared of failure. But if you think of the times you failed, the things you learned from it and how you see that certain situation at this point in your life, the fear kind of fades away, doesn’t it?
8. Routine – you get stuck: in an idea, in a place, in a behaviour. Change the setting, push your comfort zone a little bit and you may start to see the changes.
9. Being a lonely wolf – you may enjoy working on your own, but sometimes you can be surprised on how creative the people around you are. Ask for their opinions and thoughts and you’ll see how it triggers the creative process.
10. Experience – even if you used to be a very creative person, getting stuck in a routine can make you a little rusty. Start practicing your creative skills a little bit every day and you’ll get back on track in no time.
Creativity is one of the most powerful tools a person can own. Practice yours a little bit everyday, and when you find yourself in one of these blockings, remember the ways of eliminating them that fit you best!