Welcome to the last instalment of a 10 part series all about breaking those creative blocks down into manageable steps. Hang around to the end for a journal prompt you can use to expand your thinking.
Surely you knew this one was coming – you didn’t think I would totally let you off the hook, did you?
The phrase “get out of your own way” is the one I’d love you to keep in mind today, for that’s what we’re going to unpack.
Part 10 of this Creative Urge series is dedicated to probably the most annoying, complicated and important creative blocks of all time: YOU.
Your creative potential is limited by your life
The most creative people in the world aren’t the ones who are the most talented or skilled… they’re the ones with the MOST life experience.
Reminder: creativity is an organic process of connecting the dots in new and interesting ways. And in order to do that, you need to have more ‘dots’ (aka reference points).
So if you find yourself feeling stale or coming up with the same ol’ shit, you might need to push yourself into unchartered territory. I’m not talking about jumping out of a plane – though that might be fun – I’m talking about changing your inputs.
But, here’s the kicker: you have to be discerning.
I ask myself 3 simple questions to decide what input I’m going to consume:
Could it challenge my thinking?
Could it move me?
Could it make me feel uncomfortable?
If I can get 2 out of 3, it’s a YES – only one and it won’t have a big enough impact to add an extra ‘dot’ on my map.
Your gut is the key to overcoming any block
We live in a ‘top down’ world that prioritises intellect over other forms of knowing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not that great for creativity.
Your body is where creativity happens, despite us thinking that the idea begins in the mind.
So your gut feeling or reaction, often quietened down from years of formal education, might just be the answer to your blockedy blockness.
Next time you feel the familiar screeching of the creative breaks, take a moment to drop in:
Put your feet on the ground and close your eyes
Take a few long deep breaths and try to unclench your jaw (drop your shoulders too), THEN
Listen to your gut.
A few words might come through, or you could see an image or symbol – either way, trust that this is what you need to hear right now.
Please stop dismissing the feelings that linger in your gut… they might be the missing link you’ve been waiting for.
Your work isn’t just an extension of you – it IS you (at a point in time)
So often you hear that the work creatives do is an EXTENSION of who they are, but I don’t think this is true. I think it’s much deeper and more personal than that.
Even if the work is for other people, so much of your energy goes into it. Little pieces of who you are in your creative journey live on in the work you produce, which can feel, at times, fracturing.
When I say that you might be your biggest creative block, this is what I mean: perhaps you’ve given away too much for too long to too many things.
The pressure to constantly produce is everywhere – and it’s not likely to change any time soon. Even with the help of AI, there’s always a never ending pit of a platform to feed, clicks to be had and attention to monopolise.
So now, MORE THAN EVER, it’s vital you disengage every now and then.
Yes, I’m talking cold turkey: no screens, no internet connection and no creating.
Absence makes the ART grow fonder and you’re not a fucking machine – and it’s time to stop acting like one. Nothing will happen if you step away for 24 hours. It’ll all be waiting there for you when you return.
I challenge you to give yourself a 24 hour connection ban and sit with yourself. Let your brain deflate a little, your heart slow down a few beats and your body totally relax.
If you don’t, you’ll keep spinning the same wheels in the same way until your next burnout cycle kicks in. And I don’t want that for you, ever.
Journal prompt
Why are you your own biggest creative block?
Creatively yours,
Dr Maz oxox
PS: Thanks for joining me for this 10 part series! I’ve had an absolute BLAST. In May, the format will be changing, so make sure you upgrade to a paid subscription to get the biggest bang for your buck. I’ll still be landing in your inbox on the first Monday of each month with a big juicy Creative Urge, so don’t panic!