To the writers out there, I’m certain you’ll know about the issue of writer’s block. It plagues us all from time to time, and it can happen in the case of other creatives too. Creative block, if you will. It’s something that comes and goes for a lot of us, and it’s nothing to feel nervous or panicked about. If you have deadlines but you’ve used all of your creative juice this week, here are some things to know:

Create first thing

This may not work for everyone, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten. If you need to be creative, be creative as soon as you wake up in the morning. It’s at this time that your creative juices should be working at their peak, and for me it’s when my word plumbing is working best. It’s also when I come up with gross phrases like “word plumbing”.

Allow yourself time to be inspired

When your job is to create every day, whether that’s designing logos for people, taking pictures of products or writing blog posts for brands, you may be using up all your creative fuel and not replenishing it. Take yourself somewhere new and fill up on inspiration: go to an art gallery, go see a film, read a book you’ve had on your shelf for years, see what other brands are doing. Get out and consume.

Get mobile

Working from home (or a coworking space or cafe) can sometimes make you go a little stir crazy after a while, so it’s a good idea to have other options. If you usually work from your local coffee shop, head to the library. If you work at home most days, take your laptop to the park. Change your scenery to recharge your batteries. It’s amazing what new surroundings can do for your productivity.

Take a break

If you’re feeling frustrated because a project just isn’t coming together, don’t stress. Save your work, turn off your computer and go get some of that inspiration I was talking about earlier. It’s always OK to take a break and come back to it with a fresh perspective.

How do you stay inspired and creative when you need a light bulb moment?

Photo by Diego PH via Unsplash Diego PH