As an artist or creative, it’s inevitable to experience creative block at some point. Whether you’re in the middle of writing a great story, working through a painting, or coming up with your next Youtube video, creative block will hit when you least expect it. Even more so, when you can’t afford to waste time. If you’re struggling to figure out how to overcome creative block, I’m hoping this post will help guide you through it and unblock creativity.
I tend to experience creative block more often than I’d like to admit, so I wanted to share a few things I do to recover, shift my perspective, and get the creative juices flowing again. We’re human — we can’t produce at 100% all the time—even if we wish we could. We’re bound to hit a wall with our ideas or feel stuck in how to execute our vision. However, we don’t have to let creative block keep us down for long.
5 Ways I Personally Overcome Creative Block as an Artist
1. Mood Boards
Creating a mood board is not only a great way to start a project, but I find that it can also work to get me out of a creative rut. If I can attach my current emotion or blankness with a visual then I can start making other connections in my head that does something.
My go to for this is Pinterest, but there are plenty of other tools you can use both digitally and physically. From websites to good old magazines.
Creating a mood board is not only a great way to start a project, but I find that it can also work to get me out of a creative rut. When I’m creatively blocked, it often feels like my ideas are trapped in my head with no clear way out. Mood boards help externalize that fog — giving form to vague emotions or creative blankness. By pulling together visuals (and sometimes even colors, textures, or music) that spark something in me, I start to make new, unexpected connections. It’s less about designing something perfect and more about uncovering the mood I’m already feeling — or want to feel.
A mood board creates a reference point for creative direction, especially when I don’t know where to begin. And it’s not just for visual artists — writers, musicians, or anyone working with emotion and storytelling can use mood boards to capture a vibe and reignite a spark.
2. Consuming Other Art Forms
I stand strongly behind the idea of creating more than you consume, but sometimes, consuming other art can help to inspire you in a time where you need it the most. When I need to overcome creative block, I turn to art forms that are completely different from the one I’m working in — music, film, even crocheting. The goal isn’t to copy or borrow directly, but to get out of my own creative tunnel vision and explore how others express emotion, structure, and movement. This peak inside someone else’s creative process helps me bridge the gap between art forms and often motivates me to use unexpected insights or techniques in my own process.
It’s especially helpful when I’m feeling a lack of originality or low motivation. Watching others create — even in ways I don’t — can trigger the urge to make something myself. This can be me watching some Youtube videos or taking myself to a museum—even exploring street art.
3. Creative Block Prompt Dice
Creative block prompt dice are specifically designed to get you motivated and unblock creativity. They add an element of play and surprise to the creative process — which is exactly what I need when I’m stuck in overthinking mode. They turn decision-making into a game, helping me break out of analysis paralysis by offering clear, randomized constraints.
What might seem like a limitation actually becomes a creative challenge: how do I work within this boundary and still make something meaningful, powerful, or bold? That shift in mindset helps me focus, simplify, and approach a blank page with excitement instead of pressure.
Whether you’re someone who thrives on structure or spontaneity, creative dice offer a new perspective — they either nudge you out of a rigid routine or channel your impulsiveness into direction. It’s creativity with a bit of a push.
4. Journaling
When I feel blocked, journaling acts as a mental and emotional release. It gives me permission to spill everything — distractions, self-doubt, half-formed ideas — onto the page without judgment. Sometimes that “word vomit” is all I need to clear the clutter and connect dots I couldn’t before.
The result is clarity. It feels like a weight has been lifted, which often creates the mental freedom and focus I need to step back into the creative process with confidence.
Journaling is a low-pressure, expressive tool that anyone can use, not just for those who consider themselves writers. It’s not about perfect format — it’s about clearing out whatever’s taking up creative space in my brain.
5. Step Away
When I’ve tried everything else on this list and am still as blank as a deer in headlights, sometimes stepping away from my project and creative process altogether is the answer.
When I try to force creativity, I usually end up more drained and frustrated. That’s when I know it’s time to step away — not as a quitter, but as a strategy. Taking a break helps me reset mentally and physically. It restores energy and perspective, and often brings me back to my work with renewed clarity.
It’s like trying to remember the name of a song — the harder you try, the further it slips away. But give it time, and it pops into your head out of nowhere. Creativity works the same way: it ebbs and flows, and sometimes walking away is what invites it back.
Even on a deadline, stepping away — even briefly — can be the most efficient thing you do. Pressure can choke creativity, and distance can make space for it to return.
Final Thoughts on Overcoming Creative Block and Staying Inspired:
Creative block and lack of inspiration don’t always come up when we talk about art — but for makers, creators, and artists, they’re a normal (and frustrating) part of the process. The truth is, creativity isn’t endless. It comes in waves, and learning how to move through blocks by discovering what works best for you, can make the difference between staying stuck and continuing to create. Understanding how you best get through these will ultimately lead to more great works over a lifetime of creating.
