Do you ever set aside for you to be creative? Your workspace is ready, the house is quiet and then crickets! Your head feels void of any ideas and you just don’t know what to do or where to start? It can be so frustrating when you’re ready to go but you feel creatively stuck especially if you only have limited time to work to set aside. Then the more you worry, the harder it gets…..

So how do you overcome artists block and get your creative juices flowing again?

How to overcome artists block- 7 tips!

1. Creative Thinking Exercises

​If your mind’s completely blank, sometimes getting just one idea down onto paper can spur on lots of other ideas. One easy way to get this process going is to do some creative thinking exercises.

You could first try brainstorming where you give yourself a few minutes to come up with as many ideas as possible. The trick is to write down whatever comes to mind and not to overthink the outcome. You can be as crazy with your ideas as you like. You’re going to use these ideas as jumping-off points for you to further develop and refine.

Once you’ve finished your brainstorming exercise, you can further develop this idea by doing a mind map. A mind map allows you to take one central ideas and then further create sub ideas off that initial idea.

2. Review your inspiration

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be always on the look out for inspiring images or ideas. Hopefully with all these amazing ideas you’ve collected over time, you’ve taken the time to collate these ideas in a way that’s easy for you to find them. Looking back at inspiration that you have collected in the past can be great at triggering new ideas. Have a look through all of your inspiration see if anything catches your eye. You may be inspired by a colour palette, a technique or theme to use for your next design.

3. Go for a walk

Sometimes the best way to find be inspired is to simply get some fresh air and go for a walk, even if it’s just to take a walk around your local neighbourhood. As you’re walking take the time to notice your surroundings.

The changing of the seasons is a great place to find inspiration and there’s no better way to see those changes than going for a walk. You may notice changes in colours within the environment, new blooms, old blooms, reflections… the list is endless. Make sure you take photos of what you see.

4. Look in unusual places

Sometimes changing your focus on something completely different will help spark an idea.

Go somewhere that you don’t normally spend much time. Take notice of what you see.  You can find inspiration for your next idea in the most unusual places so make sure you put your observation hat on and take in new surroundings.

5. Try and different medium

Experimenting with different media or working in a different way than you normally do can help spark inspiration. The great thing about doing this is that  you’re more likely to be more open to working freely and with fewer expectations. You can allow yourself to just try and see what you can create without any limitations. This will allow your creativity to emerge and new ideas to flow.

6. Work in a different environment

Sometimes by simply changing the location where you’re working will help you feel fresh and invigorated. Take your sketchbook out to the park and enjoy some fresh air or work in a cafe for a little while. Working in a different location can often take you out of your day to day rut and help you feel inspired.

7. Recreate

There are times when you just don’t have the energy to create something new. If you’re feeling this way then you can select some of the work you’ve created in the past and recreate it in a different way. You could try using a new medium or having a slightly different take on the subject matter. This will help get you creating without the stress of thinking up a new idea.