13 Ways to overcome creative blocks and stay inspired

Creative blocks are not uncommon among people in the creative industries.

You spend hours and hours on your computer but nothing seems to be working. No inspiration, no new ideas, nothing.
This is completely normal. However, there are no excuses. The show must go on.

See 13 ways to work through a block and keep your creative juices flowing fresh.

Quit. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is give up.

Leave your desk. Get away for a while and do something wild like draw with crayons or play with LEGOS.
Assess yourself wholly, not just the creative part. Don’t just treat the symptoms; address the root problem of what’s blocking you.

Stop avoiding: Pull up a chair and listen to what the Block has to say. Have a conversation with it. Don’t reason with it, but hear it out. Listen and learn from it. And then move on.
Face your fears, whatever they may be. Whatever it is you’re afraid of, do that thing. Even if it has nothing to do with creativity.

Do something completely unrelated to your discipline. If you’re a writer, paint. If a photographer, draw. You get the idea.

Look in unlikely places:
Go and do something else entirely. You’d be amazed at where new ideas are hiding out. They’re often where you would least expect them to be. Move around. Kinesthetic learning has been proven to work.

Laugh out loud. No, I don’t mean writing that meaningless phrase “LOL” on your computer screen. I mean to literally laugh. Loudly. Really cool stuff happens to you physiologically and mentally when you do this. In particular, it relieves stress.

Go for a photo walk. Just take pictures of random things and look at what you find afterward.
Watch The Matrix. It’s chock full of symbolism. Plus, I just love that movie. Remember: there is no spoon.
Go on a diet. Often, one kind of discipline begets another kind. Plus, all those trips to the fridge or lounge can add up.

Shun technology for a day. That’s right. Get off the dang Internet.