What To Do when You’re Stuck

Artist block can hit hard. Whether it’s been a long time since you’ve been into design or you’re feeling burnt out, here are some things to try when you’re stuck.

1. Rest

You might be feeling the pressure to come up with an idea soon. Maybe you feel behind on a project and the thought of it gives you anxiety so you keep pushing it off. I encourage you to pause the tasks you feel you can’t pause and take a moment to journal, talk with a friend, or go for a walk to process how you’re doing. Remind yourself of why you love design, and of the successful projects you’ve had in the past. I’ve definitely experienced times where I was feeling so uptight and stressed about everything I have to finish that I push certain projects to the side, thinking that I don’t deserve to work on them when I haven’t been productive. The truth is, if design is your main focus, it makes more sense to prioritize your design projects than other small tasks. Any ideas are good ideas at the beginning stage so don’t be too hard on yourself!

2. Seeking inspiration

Typically once you can catch up with yourself and sit with the task ahead of you, your brain will start moving forward with ideas. If you start to feel that stream of creativity running thin, seek out some inspiration to give it another boost!

Fun ways to find inspiration:

• Pinterest or Dribbble – both sites have millions of ideas, photos, and designs! Get creative with keywords to find things that are outside the box. Don’t be afraid to go down rabbit trails.
• Your environment – I’m often inspired by nature and vintage. Try going to a thrift or antique store and see what quirky, fun things you can find. I love looking at vintage clothing tags, books, or other patterns. Another idea is coffee shops! Coffee shops are often designed with a unique personality you can get inspired by.
• Childhood – Think about what intrigued you as a kid! Especially in that 8-14 age range, what were your hobbies or what experiences did you have that caused you to be in awe? Chances are those things haven’t really changed.
• Present interest – Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve been interested in lately. Has there been a novel or movie or song that’s really resonated with you? Sometimes building something off of that is a great source of inspiration!

These are some creative ideas! It’s often the most obvious things that will provide inspiration for you to get started. Getting started on a project can feel daunting, but once you choose to sit down and get through the stress of starting, you’ll find your excitement slowly returning.