Whether you’re just starting to tap into a creative outlet or you’ve been creating since before you can remember, it’s guaranteed that you have, or will, experience creative block somewhere along the way. Creative block is essentially “writer’s block” but for all creative fields (not just writing). The beautiful paradox of the artistic process is that on some days, inspiration feels abundantly accessible, but on others, your mind is an empty tundra.

Artists throughout the ages have found inspiration in muses. In Greek mythology, a muse was one of nine goddesses who represented and ordained over arts and sciences. In the non-mythological realm, the archetypical muse is a captivating person who helps the artist see the world through a new lens. Taking a broader perspective, a muse at its essence is simply a spark of inspiration – any activity, person, natural element, book, or undefinable feeling that prompts new ideas, fresh perspectives, and a renewed excitement for making art.

Today we’re sharing five ways to end creative block by finding your muse daily.

  1. Seek out other artists. We’ve written about the importance of finding your creative kindred spirits, an artistic community who will support, motivate, and guide you on your imaginative path. Even if you’re not in a tight-knit community, you can still seek inspiration from fellow creatives. Listening to creators talk about motivation and overcoming obstacles is a great way to get direct advice about conquering creative block. Another option: Read books and listen to podcasts by amateurs and professionals who are actively pursuing their craft.
  2. Go on a vacation. It doesn’t need to be expensive and it doesn’t need to be far (although try to get out of your town!). Use Airbnb, couch surfing, your friend network, or a campground, and change your routine for at least a few days. A change of context – of your physical environment – provides new stimulus and can inspire creativity. “New ideas arise from an interconnection of old ideas. So that means, at the very least, you have to be exposed to a novel stimulus,” said Robert Epstein, a senior research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research. “It gets you thinking thoughts and combinations that you’ve never experienced before.” If you can’t go on frequent getaways, change your physical environment regularly, whether by rearranging your office space or working from a cafe instead of your home office.
  3. Take up a mindfulness practice. Journaling about your life (a digital journal like Zinnia makes this easy!), focusing on a new coloring project, learning yoga, or doing guided meditation are all accessible, inexpensive ways to practice mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness allows you to reduce stress and anxiety, increase calm and peaceful thoughts and live in the present. Addressing and eliminating some of your mental clutter will allow you to carve internal space for new ideas.
  4. Don’t wait for inspiration. Creating is a hobby and a passion, but it’s also a practice – the more you do it, the better you will be. Only creating when you feel inspiration is a recipe for very, very low creative output. Sometimes your muse is a magical moment of inspiration and you will pull over your car or stop in your tracks or grab the nearest object to write your idea on. Other times, your muse is a little more pedestrian: it’s your alarm clock letting you know it’s time for your daily writing/painting/sketching, or it’s spending dedicated three hours to find that one perfect dance move for the dance you’re choreographing. Set aside time for creativity every day, whether it’s 30 minutes or three hours. “I write only when inspiration strikes” Steven Pressfield famously wrote. “Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” 
  5. Expose yourself to new experiences. Meeting new people, seeing new places, and learning about new topics are all great ways to jumpstart your inner creator. New people = new ideas, worldviews and experiences to learn from. New places = rediscovering nature, problem–solving a new environment, seeing old things in a new light. New topics = new knowledge prompting new ideas and understanding. Consider grabbing your schedule and planning something new/unexpected in your routine every week. (Ah, the irony of planned spontaneity.)

Art – whether it’s designing, writing, painting, composing, or another iteration – isn’t created in a vacuum. It comes from reorienting, reimagining, and refreshing ideas that we have been exposed to. It comes from seeing or hearing something and thinking “what if?” Sometimes inspiration is an elusive, magical moment that feels like it’s beyond anything our brain can conjure up. More often, your muse is something you will have to cultivate, feed, or hunt down like a crazy person. If that’s the case for you, we hope these tips are helpful for your creative process.

How do you combat creative block? Let us know on social media with hashtags #zinniaApp #pigmentapp #assemblyapp