We’ve all been there. You sit down to craft the “big idea”, and instead of a flash of brilliance, you’re met with… tumbleweed. And suddenly reorganising your desk drawer feels like an urgent priority.
While creative block is frustrating, there are a few smart tricks you can do to kickstart your brain and get those ideas flowing again.
Accept the block
The first step is not to panic. Creative block happens to everyone – from designers and copywriters to famous songwriters. The key? Recognise it, accept it, and then you can move on.
Top tips to beat creative block
- Change your scenery – If the office walls feel like they’re closing in, take a walk, swap desks, or escape to a café. Fresh air (and sometimes caffeine) works wonders.
- Go analogue – Step away from all screens. Grab a pen, doodle, scribble nonsense words. Sometimes your brain just needs a different tool.
- Adapt your routine – Sometimes doing the same thing day in, day out can stifle creativity. Try switching up your daily routine to see if it sparks something new.
- Seek out inspiration – Flick through magazines, revisit old campaigns, scroll Pinterest. You’re not copying, you’re cross-pollinating.
- Talk it out – Bounce ideas off a colleague, a mate, or join creative communities to get fresh perspectives – they’ve all been there too!
Advice from our creative team
Beth Loder, one of artisan’s Graphic Designers, shares how she gets unstuck when the fog of creative block rolls in:
“I like to start simple – scribbling loose ideas or mapping a spider diagram. Sometimes just seeing thoughts on paper helps. I’ll also Google around the subject to learn more and gather new angles.
“If I’m still not sparking, I step away: make a drink, have lunch, take a walk, or chat with colleagues. The old saying ‘two heads are better than one’ is spot on, which is why it’s so nice working with the Designers at artisan. I really value the advice and ideas my colleagues share. Once I talk it through, ideas usually start to fly and the clouds are busted.”
Inevitable, but not a showstopper
Creative block gets us all at some point. It isn’t failure – it’s just part of the process.
Sometimes the best way to crack a brief is to stop staring at it. Creativity has a funny habit of sneaking back when you’re not looking directly at it (usually in the shower, or at 3am!).
