How to Get Out of a Creative Funk
Image courtesy of @jasonstrull via Unsplash
It’s the start of another year and everyone has a renewed sense of energy. They’re ready to work on achieving their goals, whether they be personal or professional.
But what if that isn’t you?
What if you currently find yourself in a creative funk, unable to find the inspiration you need to move your career forward? We’ve all experienced that struggle at various times, so in this post I want to share a few recommendations that might help when you feel your creative tank is dangerously close to empty.
Community. We all crave community. We’re engineered as social beings. We need to be around others that share common interests, talents, and passions. So if you find yourself in a creative desert, seek out others in your field. Talk with them about past and current projects. Look at their work. Let their energy and ideas fuel your own.
Partner Up. Writers will often work in pairs in order to bounce ideas off of one another and challenge one another. Ad agencies often pair writers and art directors, each of whom bring different creative talents to every project. It may be that you need to find your own creative partner; someone whom you trust to give honest, helpful feedback on your work; someone who challenges you and holds you accountable; someone you can share ideas with.
Read about others in the industry. I love reading books about the process of filmmaking. I often take inspiration from reading about the struggles, the hard work, and the triumphs of the whole process. Learning about what worked and what didn’t work from another filmmaker will help you in your own projects. But it’s important to find books that are more anecdotal and less clinical. Personally, I don’t take much inspiration from a textbook. I’ve really enjoyed books like Rebel Without a Crew, The Jaws Log, and The Disaster Artist. (Well, maybe there isn’t much in the way of inspiration to take from the last book in that list, but it sure is entertaining). What are some of your favorite books about the process of filmmaking?
Watch. Get on YouTube and start subscribing to different channels about filmmaking, video production, graphic design, motion graphics… anything related to the creative field you’re interested in. Watching what others are doing and how they’re doing it will often give you great ideas and tips for how to make your own work better.
Anytime you find yourself in a creative funk, remember that it happens to everyone, but don’t allow it to pull you into a state of apathy. You have to push through it by finding ways to occupy your mind and your time on productive endeavors.
What has worked for you when you struggle creatively? Leave your tips in the Comments.