Navigating a Creative Block
‘It’s Gemini Season.’ ‘I am in the ovulatory phase of my cycle.’ ‘The weather is warm and the sun is out.’ ‘So why am I experiencing a creative block?’ These were the thoughts running through my mind while I was reflecting on what I should write about for this week’s blog post. There were ideas and topics coming through, but none that were firing me up; nothing I felt passionate about. Creative blocks do not need to coincide with the season, your cycle, or the weather. While I do feel a heightened sense of creativity when the weather is beautiful and my body has more energy, there are times when the outside world is aligned perfectly, but my inside world is not. If this resonates with you, let’s dive on in –
From my experience, a creative rut is developed from doing too much. It is derived from overworking, overthinking, and burn out. I find myself most connected to my creativity when I have time to breathe; when my days look less like: wake up, work, go to sleep. My creativity is most heightened when I have been traveling, when I am immersed in nature, and when I feel physically, emotionally, and mentally rested. Yes, of course I notice more creative spurts during ovulation and the warmer months, but it can be easily dissolved if I feel burnt out during this time. So how do you navigate a creative block, you ask?
You slow the fuck down.
This weekend, I gave myself time off from all things work from Friday to Monday. I promised myself that I would not make any commitments. What I failed to offer myself was space to actually connect with myself. Instead, I cleaned my house top to bottom. I spent a great deal of time overthinking about the future of Embodiment by B, my lack of content creation over the last month, and my commitment to writing this blog post. Rather than actually giving myself the space I needed to tap into my creativity, I self-sabotaged the whole weekend.
The first step to overcoming addiction is admitting that you have a problem.
Maybe that is a little dramatic; maybe not? Either way, I did not honor myself the way I should have over the last four days and in return found myself amidst a creative block. Once I was able to bring awareness to this (aka last night) I decided to focus on giving myself the space I needed. In return, I was able to wake up this morning refreshed and ready to go so I could show up for myself, for you, and for my business.
So how do I move through a creative block?
Move with Intention
Structure your day intentionally to avoid overconsumption of mindless information. It is very easy to get caught up in scrolling through IG or watching an entire Netflix series in one day. Although these inane acts seem like they are relaxing your body, they are actually doing the quite opposite. Rather than putting your nervous system in a rest and digest state, they are sending it straight into fight or flight (like when our ancestors had to run from tigers kind of fight or flight). This can lead to overthinking, stress, and a lack of creativity.
Come Back to Your Breath
Our nervous system has not yet evolved to our cozy everyday life. So when we feel stressed, our nervous system thinks that we're running from that tiger again. Coming back to your breath, even when you are in the midst of the most mundane task, will help to regulate your nervous system and send it back into rest and digest. I said to Eric this morning that I notice myself holding my breath frequently throughout the day. I am going to challenge you to bring more awareness to your breath and tally how often you catch yourself holding it throughout the day. Once you bring your awareness to it, come back to your breath.
Say ‘No’ When Deemed Necessary
Just as easy as it is to get caught up in IG scrolling or Netflix binging, it's easy to catch yourself overcommitting to others. While I agree that spending time in community is essential to our well being, it also sucks up your energy when you are already feeling burnt out. When you find yourself in the midst of a creative block, ask your body, ‘Do I need time in community or do I need space for myself?’ If you listen, your body will tell you. I turned down numerous plans over the past weekend because I needed the space to breathe in order to conserve my energy for the week to come. While it was hard because I did have the desire to socialize, I felt confident giving the time to myself.
Connect Back to Your Body
Tune in to what your body is craving. There is nothing wrong with literally asking your body for what it needs. Last night when I came to the realization that I did everything this weekend but rest, I decided to tune in and ask my body what it desired. From there, I made some dandelion tea with magnesium, took a hot shower, gave myself a lymphatic drainage massage, and moved through my skincare routine. For months I have been trying to finish Manifest by Roxi Nafousi, but I haven’t given myself the space to read and move through the journal prompts. So once I was cozy, I tucked me and Brody in on the couch with my book and my journal and I created the space.
Navigating a creative block can feel defeating if you are disconnected from what your body needs. By settling down, removing distractions, and tuning in to what your body craves you can move through a creative block and connect back to yourself. In doing so for myself, I was able to create space in my day today to design a new piece of content, write, and publish this blog post. If you have any other ways that you have moved through a creative rut, please feel free to reach out via DM or email. I am always open to fresh methods and ideas. As always, if you think this could help someone you love, please send it over to them.
xx
b
