How to Get Out of a Creative Rut

The new year is often a time of fresh inspiration, new resolutions, and fresh starts. Last year, I began the new year feeling excited about a new iteration of The 100 Day Project. Other days I’ve felt rejuvenated for new activities, trips, or plans. 

But this year? I feel a little meh. My family’s been pretty much constantly sick since Halloween. The forecasters are calling for snow, my least favorite weather. And when it comes to writing and making art, I don’t have a single new idea in my head. 

Have you ever felt this way? Here are four techniques I use to get out of a creative rut, at the new year or anytime. 

1 - Give Yourself Grace

While it may seem that the internet is teeming with artists who are constantly inspired and constantly producing, for many creative people, the ideas ebb and flow. A period of intense creation may then lead to a fallow period of rest. I like to turn to nature for reminders that it’s okay to take breaks. After all, it’s when a tree’s leaves are bare that it’s spending the most time growing its roots. 

2 - Visit a Museum

I find there are fewer places better for boosting my own creativity than an art museum. And it’s not just about what’s on the walls—take some time to sit in the museum cafe and people-watch, too. Imagining the interior lives and motivations of others can be especially rejuvenating in seasons of isolation. 

3 - Try a Different Medium

Whatever your usual artistic medium—painting, collage, photography, writing, piano, pottery—try something new when you get stuck. Working with different materials may unlock ideas you didn’t know were within you. With a new medium, especially one that’s unfamiliar to you, you can tap into the magic of the beginner’s mind—you’re not entrenched in familiar rules or patterns, so you can access something new. 

4 - Be A Consumer

Along with the idea of a fallow period, I think creativity often models inhalation and exhalation. In the exhale, you’re making, creating, brainstorming. But don’t forget to take time for a deep breath. Time spent in “consumer” mode can look many different ways. Read a book. Watch a film. Listen to a podcast. Have a conversation with a friend. Exposing yourself to new ideas and images will inform your work when you begin to create again. 

Do you have other ideas for when you feel stuck? Leave them in the comments! 

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