We always hear, “There are no magic bullets,” but in my creative work, I have found a few things that can really make a big difference when I’m feeling stuck.
Like the first block in a domino train, certain actions can set off a series of positive reactions that can get you flowing creatively, whether your block is perfectionism, procrastination, overwhelm, lack of time, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, difficulty focusing or whatever your inner demons are serving on that particular day.
Conveniently, they all begin with S. Let’s call them The 5 S’s.
1. Sleep
When I don’t get enough sleep, I don’t follow through on my intentions. I eat too much, and the wrong foods. I don’t exercise. I spend too much time on social media or email. I procrastinate.
And when I do get enough sleep, I do what I planned to do. I have energy. My anxieties about my creative work seem less powerful because I have the strength to overcome them.
I’ve come to think of denying myself adequate sleep as akin to dumping a cup of coffee on my laptop (which I’ve also done). My mind and body are tools I use in my work, just like my computer. If I don’t take care of them, my creativity suffers terribly.
2. Support
Creative work is often done in isolation, and your inner demons love to get you alone. Take advantage of every opportunity to connect with others around your creative pursuits.
One of my favorite tools I share with my clients is Parallel Universe Time, where we meet briefly on the phone before a creative work session, share our intentions and then check in again at the end. Even if the other person is on the other side of the globe, you can feel their presence and support while you work, and it has an amazing emotional charge.
Working with an accountability partner, enrolling in a class and hiring a coach are other powerful ways to create support.
3. Systems and Structures
Creative work is, by its very nature, ambiguous. You’re inventing something that hasn’t existed before, so there tend to be more questions than answers. Developing systems or structures to follow helps remove some of the uncertainty.
Having a few blog post structures that you rotate through systematically or a certain routine you follow to start your painting sessions can help put your mind on autopilot for at least part of the time. That leaves more creative energy available to work out the parts of the process that will vary each time.
4. Starting
When we’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious about our work, we can put it off indefinitely. There is magic in just starting. Tell yourself you’ll only work for 5 minutes, and let that really be okay. Before long, I guarantee your 5 minutes will turn into an hour. Overcoming the inertia is often all that is needed.
The twice-weekly creativity prompts I offer my Creative Juice subscribers are a good way to get things rolling. Anything that feels doable can be enough to let you start.
Your inner demons can’t hit a moving target. And a moving target with friends around really leaves those little buggers flustered!
5. Steps
Break your project down into small, manageable steps. Take the time to map them out. Your project will seem a lot less cumbersome, and the map you’ve created will help you feel grounded and keep a clear focus.
What works for you?
Have you found any magic bullets that consistently blast through your creative blocks? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
What a Spectacular post, Sue! As I was reading, I could see and hear all those dominoes falling on one another in clacking succession, following a winding path in the shape of the letter ‘S’.
I’m trying to get a handle on getting more sleep; it’s a challenge when my overactive brain seems convinced I only need about 4 hours or so of sub-consciousness before waking me up fully and keeping me from getting adequate rest with that random-thought audiotape playing in my head.
I also like how you share about overcoming the inertia by just starting for five minutes. Years ago I associated inertia only with inactivity, staying stuck or unmotivated. But on a whim during one writing session, I looked up the word in the dictionary and voila – I got a high school physics lesson ‘refresher’for my effort – inertia is ALSO about ‘being on a roll’ once you are already rollin’ (what is in motion tends to stay in motion). I’ve really found this to be true in many aspects of my life, but especially in regards to my creative work.
Carole Jane Treggett recently posted..Are you a writer or a mouse?
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Oh, I love that image of the dominos in the shape of an S! Very funny.
And YES to inertia also being the tendency to stay in motion. Starting really is a magic bullet, and now we can provide evidence from the laws of physics!
Sue Mitchell recently posted..Subscribe to Creative Juice!
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Love the 5 Ss. Nice how that worked out! My favorite is #4, Starting. Often the hardest part of creative work is starting. Not sure exactly why that is so, but it is! I tell people the exact same thing–just agree with yourself that you’ll give it 5 minutes. Before you know it, off you go.
Charlotte Rains Dixon recently posted..When is Watching Trash TV is Good for Your Writing?
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Yes, sometimes it’s important to tell yourself you’re only going to do a little in order to sneak by your resistance. Once you get started, you wonder why you made such a big deal out of it!
Sue Mitchell recently posted..Subscribe to Creative Juice!
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so magic bullets really do exist…Stellar!
Twitter: dawnkotzer
Let’s just say these are magic bullets for me and many others. Your mileage may vary. Although in your case, Dawn, I know you know their magic! Thanks for stopping by!
Sue Mitchell recently posted..Subscribe to Creative Juice!
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Great confirmation and inspiration. Interesting outlook on the power of sleep to fuel creativity. I still struggle with allowing myself sufficient sleep – even though I know my health is begging for it. But I never thought about how my shorting myself on sleep could be responsible for those unfocused mornings when I keep clicking links on viewing emails instead of getting into writing.
And I love the 5-minute idea. Overcoming that initial inertial is always key for me. Once I get going the more positive version of inertia usually takes over.
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Sarah, I’d love to hear if you see a difference in your unfocused mornings after getting a good night’s sleep. For me, it’s pretty dramatic.
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