• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Logo
  • About
  • Book
  • Work With Me
    • In The Classroom
    • Customized For You
    • Remote & In-person
  • Creative Resources
    • Creative Toolbox
    • Creative Bites
    • Library
  • Blog

Creative Blocks Can Be Good

15 Jan 2022 by Holly Blondin Tags: creative attitude, creative blocks, creative mindset, reframe

Creative Blocks Can Be Good

Reframe the Purpose of Temporary Creative Barriers

 

Creative Blocks. We all get them. Every single one of us will experience the closed channels to our creative capacities at some point during the creative process.

Creative blocks can last a moment, a couple of weeks, or go on for great lengths of time — sometimes more than we ever thought possible. As a source of deep frustration creative blocks can bring excruciatingly painful moments of self-doubt or long bouts of depression. I have personally dealt with periods of creative depression, and have since learned to stave off such deep melancholy with a shift in my attitude towards creative blocks. 

The worst (and best) part about a creative block is that once you get past it, you can’t believe it was ever there to begin with. This got me thinking about the purpose of creative blocks, and why they really aren’t all that bad. 

The topic of creative blocks has been covered many times before by all sorts of successful creative people each one identifying the different types of creative blocks followed by the various actions to take to overcome them. I have recently read a fresh stack of articles and blog posts on creative blocks, and they all continue to have one thing in common — creative blocks are defined as a problem. 

I continued to ponder if creative blocks were, indeed, invented to crush us, or if there is a greater and more hopeful reason for blocks to occur. 

If creative blocks are, in fact, an inevitable part of the creative process, then why can’t they be a positive source of creative energy? 

Creative blocks close the comfortable channels to our creative abilities. Perhaps these temporary creative barriers are our body’s way of guiding us toward new channels of creativity, pushing us to expand our creative capacities. After all, aren’t complacency and stagnation the death of creativity? So it could mean that the true purpose of a creative block is not to stop our creative flow, but to force our creative process to change for the better. 

But Change Sucks. 

Yes, change sucks. Even though we want it or need it, it still sucks. It means shifting energy and changing routines. It means reframing narratives and facing fears. But there is something positive about change that wants to draw out the potential hidden within us. It is that part of you attached to starting a new habit or being curious about trying a new technique in your creative process that is begging for your attention. This nagging inner voice is your inspiration trying to communicate with you. So why do we find this so uncomfortable? Why do we choose to frame this positive voice into a negative one? Do we not want to collaborate with our own inspiration? 

Honestly, the more I thought about this, the more the theme of creative blocks as a problem provoked me. Although the articles on creative blocks were written to help us overcome frustration (and I fully appreciate that, thank you.), the main message was not, “Hallelujah! At last, a creative block!” Of course not. That sounds ridiculous, right? But what if we were to reframe the “Oh no, a creative block!” into an “Oh yes, at last, a creative block!”? What if we faced closed creative channels and frustration with an inspired attitude that starts with a different statement, “Yep, it’s time to change.”

When we choose the “oh no” attitude we tend to stay blocked longer. We hold ourselves in position. We panic. We fall into depression. We give up. Because this is how we have been educated to react to creative blocks. 

Truth is, all that suffering that presents itself as an ugly block is actually being driven by the inner voice of inspiration telling you something else is there. It is your creative intuition pointing you in a new direction. 

So how can you meet your inspiration halfway when it feels like it is the last collaboration you want to be a part of? 

Break the cycle of your mind’s thinking pattern by reframing your attitude.

There are plenty of resources to help prompt you out of creative blocks. One of my most recent favorites is Danielle Krysa’s book Creative Block. This book, like most existing resources on creative blocks, gives you a series of actions to help you move your mind to a different space; usually, one that will shift the energy away from the pressure of the frustration caused by the block. I agree this is reliable guidance. However, alongside this quality advice, I am suggesting an additional exercise for your mind, and that is to begin your actionable process of unblocking with a different attitude. 

Welcome Creative Blocks with a New Attitude

When you push up against your frustration you resist change and the good opportunities that come with it. A truly creative attitude embraces your emotions, including frustration, and says, “That’s cool, we can work with this. Let’s go.”  Frustration is driven by expectation. And those expectations create fortune-tellers within us. But, we cannot know what tomorrow brings, which means there is no reason to force ourselves into the tiny boxes that we once imagined without understanding that there are more options.

Shifting your attitude to one of curiosity and possibility can reframe how you view creative blocks and open new channels to allow your full potential to flow.

Look, maybe not all instances can be recovered by a new attitude. Having dealt with depression myself I understand it isn’t always that obvious, and it is never that simple. But, I have learned over the course of my life that attitude is 90% of what it means to show up. 

So I rest my case when I choose to state that creative blocks are not blocks at all. Think of them as urgent whispers from your inspiration asking you for more. Your creative intuition always knows best, and it recognizes there are different possibilities. So listen to it and collaborate with it.

The next time you enter the zone of creative blocks stop for a moment to check your attitude first.  Are you fighting with frustration or collaborating with your inspiration? Then empower yourself to work through your temporary creative blocks with an open and curious attitude. 

Share this

  • Share
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Primary Sidebar

About the Author

Holly Blondin is a creative artist and educator.
Barcelona based, she teaches creativity & innovation methods to global audiences. She writes about the creative process in strategic design, entrepreneurship, and the arts.

Contact Me

Recent Blog Posts

  • Reenergize your creative practice
  • 7 Days, 7 Ways
  • What Is A ‘Creative Practice’?
  • Creative Blocks Can Be Good
  • Make Space For Your Creativity
  • Creative Invention

Create With Me

Sign up for your weekly Creative Bites.
A creative prompt will be delivered to you every Sunday to help you stay connected to your creativity and build creative momentum.

In the Classroom

  • ‘Confident Creative’ Online Workshop Series September 2022
  • Creative Methods for Creative Professionals
  • Economic & Cultural Context for Design
  • University Pedagogy Innovation
  • Cross-Pollination for Science Innovation
  • Ideation for Fashion Innovation

Work With Me

Let's talk about your next project

Let me help you develop a creative mindset for your context. I will create a customized creative classroom for your group, school, or organization.

Latest on Instagram!

TURN UP THE DARKNESS - Gain new perspectives using TURN UP THE DARKNESS - Gain new perspectives using shadow play. 
Weekly Creative Bites with Holly Blondin - Every Sunday! Subscribe using link in bio.
#creativity #newperspectives #shadows #darkness
ADAPTABILITY. Get cozy with uncertainty. Like th ADAPTABILITY. Get cozy with uncertainty. 
Like the chameleon, you can use your creative skills to make small adjustments to blend into your environment or use your eyes to bring new perspectives into focus. Everything you need for problem-solving is within you.
Weekly Creative Bites with Holly Blondin drop every Sunday - SUBSCRIBE to Creative Bites (link in bio)
#creativity #adaptability #innovation #creativemindset #designthinking
THE POWER OF QUESTIONING. Grow your curiosity, k THE POWER OF QUESTIONING. 
Grow your curiosity, knowledge, and empathy. USe creative prompts such as 'Why?' and 'What If' to activate your curiosity. Practive knowledge sharing with co-creators. 
SUBSCRIBE to Weekly Creative Bites with Holly Blondin (link in bio)
#creativity #inspiration #curiosity #subscription #newsletter
And the inspiration lives on...! I recently had And the inspiration lives on...! 
I recently had the pleasure of speaking at #tnwconference2023 Amsterdam about the struggles we face with our creativity in the process of innovation. 
TNW brought together thousands of imaginators, innovators, and visionaries to discuss how we can utilize tech innovation and creativity to 'reclaim the future'. Truly inspiring! It was an honor to stand next to so many talented and brilliant speakers.
In my opening day talk, I asked creatives to share their struggles with someone sitting close by. The room was buzzing! Everyone had something to share, which shows us that we are not alone in facing such struggles as burnout, obsession, creative block, and procrastination. 
At the book signing afterward, hosted by @theamericanbookcenter, I was inspired by the conversations I had with readers, who were creatives from all professions and walks of life. We discussed how natural it is to struggle with the overwhelm of having too many ideas at once and how striving for 'perfect' limits many creatives from moving forward. 
Working through the uncertainty of your creativity-in-action is inevitable, but it doesn't have to feel impossible. You can start by connecting to your motivations for creating and remember, 'To be creative, you have to do creative.'
***
Creative Struggle is Real @bispublishers 
#innovation #tech #future #creative #inspiration #creativity #creativestruggleisreal #tnw2023
TRUE COLORS. Connect and express through colors -- TRUE COLORS. Connect and express through colors -- and embrace your black & white periods. 
Subscribe to weekly creative prompts -- 'Creative Bites' with Holly Blondin (link in bio)
 #colors #truecolors #selfexpression #connection
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY. Let go of expectations and WORLD OF POSSIBILITY. 
Let go of expectations and embrace mistakes. 
This weeks CREATIVE BITES helps you approach the daunting blank canvas of a new project, creative urge or dream. Instead of falling into procrastination mode you can dive into the world of possibility where mistakes and "I don't know" are welcome! 
***
You can SUBSCRIBE to your weekly creative prompts - 'Creative Bites' - they are delivered to your inbox every Sunday! Link in bio.
#creativity #possibility #exercise #creativeprompt #creativebites #subscribe
CREATIVE TRAINING. Strengthen creative muscle step CREATIVE TRAINING. Strengthen creative muscle step by step. 
This Week's Creative Bite targets daily training to build momentum. 
Try a 30-day creative challenge. Learn more about building your momentum at the Eventbrite event - Build Your Momentum: Step 1 (JUNE 7th 18:00 CEST) - REGISTER fro FREE -->link in bio
Subscribe to weekly prompts - CREATIVE BITES- and receive your prompts every Sunday --> SUBSCRIBE using link in bio
#creativepractice #strength #train #creativity
WORK IN PROCESS. Fall in love with the unfinished. WORK IN PROCESS. Fall in love with the unfinished.
This week's Creative Bites with Holly Blondin focuses on enjoying the process of creating. Take the pressure off of your creativity and forget about completing and competing. 
SUBSCRIBE to Creative Bites -> Link in bio
#creativity #creativeprocess #reconnect
This Thursday, 25 May throughout Europe you can pi This Thursday, 25 May throughout Europe you can pick up your copy of CREATIVE STRUGGLE IS REAL in your favorite neighborhood bookstores. 
Also available in Australia from @booktopiabooks 
The book arrives in USA bookstores this October — also available immediately from @bispublishers and ships globally within days. 
USA pre-orders at @barnesandnoble @bookshop_org @chroniclebooks … among others. 
#international #book #books #creative #creativity #booklaunch

Follow Me

Footer

THE TIME FOR CREATIVITY IS ALWAYS.

hello@hollyblondin.com
© Copyright 2023 Holly Blondin ~ All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Designed by Gorgeous Geek