Best Ways to Dismantle & Help Prevent Creative Blocks

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing well. =)

So today I'm going to discuss the best tips, tricks, and advice that I've discovered over my years of songwriting, performing, and playing music that work really well in helping to destroy and prevent creative blocks.  Whether you choose to do just one or all of the following things, you will definitely start to feel much more free from your hyper-critic and more creatively "in the flow."  So here we go!

What To Do To Destroy Creative Blocks:

1.  Write Morning Pages EVERY SINGLE DAY:

Okay, so this one is one that you CAN NOT skip, EVER!, no matter how much you hate doing them or if you think they're not helping you at all because I've thought that before but they are the single most important thing to do to help you stay creative and in the flow.

Basically what you want to do is write 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness in a standard-sized notebook every single morning.  You want to do this as the first thing you do every morning and you want to write as fast as you possibly can so you don't have anytime to over-think or over-analyze what you're writing and you don't want to stop writing to think about what to write next.  Just write whatever is on you're mind.  Many of you may have heard of this tool through Julia Cameron's "The Artist Way" and I can tell you that it definitely works to silence your critic and allow you to be more creatively free.  Try it and you'll see. =)

2.  Take An Artist Date At least 1 Time/Week:

So this one is also something I got from Julia Cameron's books on creativity.  She really is a wise person, so definitely check her books out.

You want to go on an "Artist Date" at least once per week.  Basically this means to do something that you find fun and adventurous and you do it once a week for about 2 hours and you have to do it by yourself.  Some examples of things I enjoy doing, but remember to do what you find really fun, are:

*Watching a movie or two in my bed while eating a snack I love. =)  This is one of my favorite date ideas.

*Going for a long drive around town to see cool spots like lakes, forests, ect. while listening to my favorite bands/music

*Going to bookstores/record stores and browsing books/music that really interest me

Those are just some ideas, but there are millions of things you can do.  This tool helps you because it allows you to let loose and find the fun in yourself again so that you can stop being so damn serious all the time in relation to your art and let the fun back into making your art.  So be creative and have fun with this one!

3.  Take a Walk (Exercise) At least 2 Times/Week:

This one's really simple.  Exercise!!

How does exercise help you to be more creative?  Because it gets you out of your head and into your body which allows you to stop over-thinking everything and just flow.

Now you can do any exercise but I highly recommend taking a walk twice/week for at least 30 mins each time because walking allows you to clear you head and allow creative thoughts to occupy your mind much better than any other exercise I've tried.  Don't listen to any music and do whatever exercise you choose to do by yourself so you can allow your thoughts to clear out.

4.  Be Willing to Make Bad Art/Be a Bad Artist:

Now I'm sure many people will not understand this one or will become repulsed when reading this, but the truth is that this is probably one of the best things, or "attitudes," you can cultivate to help you dismantle your creative blocks.

You have to tell yourself that you're "willing to make bad art & be a bad artist."  Now this doesn't mean that you will make bad art or be a bad artist, in fact you most likely will make very good art, but it means that you're willing to make bad art/be a bad artist.  By having this state of mind, you free yourself from your inner perfectionist who always demands that everything you do/make is perfect and amazing.  By being willing to make bad art, you are able to make art.  This "tool" helps keep you humble and humility is one of the best ways to circumvent a very stubborn block.  Always try to remember this state of mind and keep this up so you can prevent more blocks from forming too.

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Alright, so there's the 4 things that I do all the time that help to keep me creative and in the flow.  Remember, you can do all or just one of these things, and even doing just one will help you with your creative blocks.

I may add more tips in the future if I remember any more that really help me, but for now do these things and you'll see a huge change in not only your art but also your life.

Thanks for reading and enjoy these tools!  =)