Rut to Renewal: Escaping a Creative Slump

An important piece of my identity is centered around my love for creation. From a young age, I’ve found deep value in freely expressing my emotions through a variety of creative outlets. It began with doodling and playing dress-up as a child, evolved into physical movement through dance as a teenager, and now it’s rooted in almost everything I do: designing, writing, even building a magazine.

Creative blocks are no joke. We’ve all been there. Stuck in the mud. Creating comes in waves, a swell before something radical, a consuming riptide, a steady ebb and flow. And yes, sometimes a drought, sometimes a flood. The creative process is unique to each of us.

While there’s no definitive solution for escaping a rut, I’ve found a few things that help me reset and return to creating:

Be gentle with yourself.

At the end of the day, your creative projects should set your soul on fire. They should not be hurting you or stressing you out more than they bring you peace, happiness, and joy. Be gentle in the way you talk to yourself. It’s okay if your art isn’t perfect, there’s value in the learning process. Some of the projects I’m most proud of came from happy accidents in earlier work. The more you create, the more you learn about yourself and your process.

Sitting in stillness.

Be okay with stillness. Stillness is a skill, and one I’m still learning. Especially being in the college environment, it's easy to function in the comfort of other people’s company. Do something by yourself. Blocking out alone time may feel like a chore, but I can assure you- it is necessary in order to reset and get back to the ideal mindset to create.

A simple way to take a second to yourself is by having a meal with yourself. My favorite way to do this is by making breakfast my ritual. Taking a moment to focus solely on the task of sitting and eating (without distraction!) is almost a spiritual experience in itself. Those ten minutes at the beginning of the day help me recalibrate.

Get outside.

Mother nature is calling, answer her! Get yourself out there. Whether it's going for a long walk, or sitting in the sun for a few minutes before class, fresh air opens the mind. Nature is a living, breathing muse just waiting to inspire us. Nothing clears the mind quite like being outside.

Beyond that, I believe another important step in the creative process is to get out in the world and exist in a space with other people. The majority of the art and projects that we create are based on narratives and storytelling. These stories are out there for you to find. Even just sitting somewhere alone, like a fly on the wall, can spark inspiration. By getting out into the world, you invite the possibility of a story into your life.

Touch some grass and talk to a stranger!

Reset your space.

Take a minute and evaluate the environment you surround yourself with. Without realizing it, the space we are in impacts our creative vision in a huge way. Does your space inspire artistic expression? Though this tip may be dependent on what type of person you are, it can be beneficial to reset your space.

In my experience, keeping my space clean and decluttered allows me to fill the emptiness with original discovery, both tangible and intangible. A reset space often leads to a reset mind.

Nourish your body.

The body and mind are tethered. The mind cannot function properly when the body isn’t caught up to speed. You aren’t just nourishing your body, you’re nourishing your soul. Taking the time to let yourself rest will make all the difference in your ability to create. My weekly mantra goes something like this- eat well, sleep well, be active, and do something fun for yourself.

A few of my favorites: bubble baths, naps, stretching, home-cooked meals, or listening to soothing music. The self care Sunday is a serious matter!

Creative blocks can feel impossible, but I’ve realized that the process of climbing out of them can be the very push that leads to a breakthrough.