We all have blah, lack of energy, or down days. For creatives it can be scary and feel like creator’s block or writer’s block is right around the corner. But what can you do when you just don’t feel like doing anything, whatever the reason? The key lies in understanding and embracing our creative process.

As creatives we are often moved to action by a spark of inspiration. Something we experience by seeing, hearing or touching some form of mental stimulation.

You have probably heard a fellow creative use the phrase, “I’m waiting for inspiration.” Maybe you use that phrase yourself, however irregular. The rub here is that inspiration is actually all around us, and we just fail to see it. The old ‘forest for the trees’ problem.

Here’s the simple steps you need to regain that creative inspiration.

No.1: RELAX

Once you start to feel that lack of creativity come on, don’t panic. Don’t fight it, and certainly don’t be negative with yourself in any way. Relax and accept it.

Surrender to the fact that every creative, including you has had, will have, or is going through a dry spell of creativity. It happens to everyone, regardless of the medium or discipline.

The upside of this ‘dry spell’ is that you are growing. Things that inspired you before may not inspire you now, lest you be a robot printing out art like a copy machine.

Your artistic eye is seeking higher quality things with more meaning. Your greatest work may indeed be right around the corner!

Relax. Stop focusing on what doesn’t or isn’t inspiring you and simply remain quiet, let your mind clear and see, take in everything around you. Be a witness, see everything through child eyes. This may take a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is to let it happen.

Do this until something brings a smile to your face, regardless of what it is.

And then . .

No.2: ENJOY

Focus on what has made you smile, for as long as you can. Enjoy that very thing that is bringing you joy and causing you to smile. Realize that everything around you in that moment is collectively as it should be, so that you can enjoy it. Everything!

Take your focus and shift it from in you (the worrisome, apprehensive non-creative feeling you), and shift it to the beauty and happiness around you that is giving you joy.

Enjoy it. Embrace it. Let it wash over you and become a part of you. Don’t put a time limit on it. Simply be in the moment, that glorious moment of happiness.

No.3: AGAIN, RELAX. AND GO TO SILENCE.

Give up the idea of needing to create. It will come, but not if you try to force it. That has probably caused the slump you feel yourself in.

Instead, appreciate all that is around you. All that you are experiencing. Let that happiness and wonderment generate ideas organically.

A clear mind allows ideas to flow. A critiquing mind stifles those ideas from occurring. Editing and critiquing stops the flow and forces us to focus on the past.

If you will relax, clear your mind and enjoy your present surroundings and stimuli, and then appreciate those things that make you happy, you will be rewarded with heart felt ideas and inspiration.

It is all inside of you. You only need to know how to see those things. Especially those right in front of you.

We all have blah, lack of energy, or down days. For creatives it can be scary and feel like creator’s block or writer’s block is right around the corner. But what can you do when you just don’t feel like doing anything, whatever the reason? The key lies in understanding and embracing our creative process.

As creatives we are often moved to action by a spark of inspiration. Something we experience by seeing, hearing or touching some form of mental stimulation.

You have probably heard a fellow creative use the phrase, “I’m waiting for inspiration.” Maybe you use that phrase yourself, however irregular. The rub here is that inspiration is actually all around us, and we just fail to see it. The old ‘forest for the trees’ problem.

Here’s the simple steps you need to regain that creative inspiration.

No.1: RELAX

Once you start to feel that lack of creativity come on, don’t panic. Don’t fight it, and certainly don’t be negative with yourself in any way. Relax and accept it.

Surrender to the fact that every creative, including you has had, will have, or is going through a dry spell of creativity. It happens to everyone, regardless of the medium or discipline.

The upside of this ‘dry spell’ is that you are growing. Things that inspired you before may not inspire you now, lest you be a robot printing out art like a copy machine.

Your artistic eye is seeking higher quality things with more meaning. Your greatest work may indeed be right around the corner!

Relax. Stop focusing on what doesn’t or isn’t inspiring you and simply remain quiet, let your mind clear and see, take in everything around you. Be a witness, see everything through child eyes. This may take a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is to let it happen.

Do this until something brings a smile to your face, regardless of what it is.

And then . .

No.2: ENJOY

Focus on what has made you smile, for as long as you can. Enjoy that very thing that is bringing you joy and causing you to smile. Realize that everything around you in that moment is collectively as it should be, so that you can enjoy it. Everything!

Take your focus and shift it from in you (the worrisome, apprehensive non-creative feeling you), and shift it to the beauty and happiness around you that is giving you joy.

Enjoy it. Embrace it. Let it wash over you and become a part of you. Don’t put a time limit on it. Simply be in the moment, that glorious moment of happiness.

No.3: AGAIN, RELAX. AND GO TO SILENCE.

Give up the idea of needing to create. It will come, but not if you try to force it. That has probably caused the slump you feel yourself in.

Instead, appreciate all that is around you. All that you are experiencing. Let that happiness and wonderment generate ideas organically.

A clear mind allows ideas to flow. A critiquing mind stifles those ideas from occurring. Editing and critiquing stops the flow and forces us to focus on the past.

If you will relax, clear your mind and enjoy your present surroundings and stimuli, and then appreciate those things that make you happy, you will be rewarded with heart felt ideas and inspiration.

It is all inside of you. You only need to know how to see those things. Especially those right in front of you.