Why Creative Block is Actually the Best Thing for your Business

All your good ideas are suddenly gone. Don't get frustrated, getting stuck is just part of the creative process.

Welcome to the creative process. It's grueling, excruciating, rewarding and delightful. It's grip is known to constantly grab at starving artists and madmen, but doctors and engineers are not immune from its embrace. It confronts a surgeon trying to understand a new way to treat a patient, a lawyer looking for the loophole in an ironclad argument, or even a financial analyst in need of new strategy. The process of creation is inevitable for every single human on Earth. So what do you do when the very thing you rely on to succeed lets you down miserably? How do you ignite that spark of innovation when all your good ideas have seemed to disappear.

1. You become an expert in multitasking

Need Something Done? Ask A Busy Person.

Ever heard the expression, "If you need something done, ask a busy person"?. You may say to yourself that whoever said that clearly had too much time on their hands. But hot take: yea, they were actually on to something. Because me- the overtired, anxious, busy bee- lives for the high of taking a big fat black pen and crossing the lines out off of my to do list. Having that list in the first place makes me feel like a superhero. But in truth, more than anything else, I thrive off of knowing that people can count on me. It's probably the biggest factor in letting me know I'm heading towards success. So, if you need something done and you ask me, I'll most probably say 'yes'. And since I have endless other responsibilities, I will most likely take care of you promptly. There's just not enough time to dilly dally. Get where I'm going here? Bear with me for a sec.

2. You gain perspective by stepping away to look at the big picture

Back to Being Human

Imagine this: you've got a work deadline due in three hours which actually takes four to complete, your client doesn't stop calling with demands, you've got infinite errands to run, and on top of it all you're exhausted and haven't had a second to eat all day. You're irritated and hungry, and could clearly be set off by the smallest hitch. At this point you're operating on auto-pilot, numb to the emotion and human technicality of it all. Then, someone- either a friend, a family member, a coworker- comes at you with an innocent request, "Can you please look over this email I need to send to my boss?". Something so small and trivial compared to the rest of your burdens. Their doe eyes stare at you hopefully, trusting solely on your unique judgement and expertise. Do you help them? Most will say 'no'. And I'm sure there are plenty of therapists out there who will probably tell you that prioritizing your needs would even be the "healthy" thing to do in this situation. But if you're like me, you set that aside because you fiercely crave to be there for the people you care about, to be relied on by them. So instead of this thing setting you off into a rage of horrific behavior (like you imagined it would), at that very moment something crazy happens. The initial wave of panic wears off and you realize that life is life, and all that's demanded of you in this moment isn't such a big deal in the grander scheme. You've tackled harder things and made it out the other side. The autopilot haze wears off and you're snapped back to being human. To being in the moment. Perspective in place, eyes open.

“Work doesn't seems like work anymore, and before you know it the clock tells you it's 3:00am.”

The creative process is kind of the same. On the one hand it comes in tantrum fits, where inspiration seems to draw itself from all ends, and the hours in the day never seem long enough to record your stroke of genius. You're in the zone. Work doesn't seem like work anymore, and before you know it the clock tells you it's 3:00am. Then on the other hand, the creative process lags in frustrating spells of complete productive dehydration. The flow of creativity is as dry as a well in the Saharan desert. You dream of the day your mind was full of brilliant ideas, and wonder how and why they suddenly developed an allergy to you. And now you're stuck, helpless, unable to think of anything else besides the fact that someone is paying you to produce something you can't seem to get productive on.

Instead of spiraling into complete imposter syndrome, here is the ultimate tip: stop chasing inspiration, and let the ideas come to you. What I mean is, instead of focusing on what you're not getting done, aim to do everything else! First, it will give you the confidence of accomplishing micro tasks (no matter how ridiculous they are), and will push you to keep the ball rolling. And second, crowding your mind with other menial undertakings gives you room to relieve the pressure of believing that you are only valuable in one way. Your mind clears a bit and finally has enough capacity to fill back up when the creative faucet turn back on.

3. You remain original by taking time to stay authentic to your brand identity

Get Inspired

Being original takes time, being like everyone else doesn't. Your business should always reflect your unique brand identity and no one else's. If you find yourself stuck in the creative process, just remember that good ideas take time to develop and also come to those who aren't afraid of failing.