What to Do When You’re In A Rut
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Are you feeling stuck or uninspired?
Creative block can be a bitch - listen to Season 2 Episode 14 of Her Messy Bun Podcast to learn how to get out of your rut and back into the zone or keep reading.
How to Overcome Creative Block
Creative block when self-employed can feel a lot like being uninspired, low energy, feeling like an imposter and even worse feeling like you should just give up.
First let me remind you, we’ve all been there - feeling stuck and overwhelmed like this is more common than social media portrays. As a Creative Consultant I help artists and other creative entrepreneurs get out of their creativity rut all the time. The 3 major things you need to do are:
Figure out exactly where you are feeling uninspired
Prioritize what has to be done
Create a system that encourages balance
If you’ve been feeling stuck in your business or just in a rut let’s get you back into the zone!
Where you are feeling uninspired?
When you’re going through a creative block, sometimes it feels like EVERYTHING in your life is in a rut, but really when one thing is off in our lives everything can feel off. In order to pin point exactly where you are feeling uninspired you need to be able to process your thoughts.
My biggest suggestion is to try Morning Pages. Morning Pages is a journaling concept that originated from Julia Cameron in her book The Artist Way. Over the years I’ve altered them to fit my ADHD creative entrepreneur mindset, but the original concept works wonders.
Dear Small Business friends, we know what it's like to feel stuck, overwhelmed and wanting to do it all. We're here to remind you to stop, take a deep breath and focus on what you are already doing when you're feeling like this. In today's episode we share our ways to get back to focusing on what needs to get done, how to figure out your why and give you ways to get out of that rut and back into the zone.
Prioritize what has to be done:
Understanding what still needs to get when you’re feeling stuck in your business will help you push through your creative block. When you are self-employed and rely on your business to pay the bills, sometimes you have to make sure the priorities are taken care of before you can take time off.
do you have a client meeting?
do you have to do a delivery?
are you hosting an event?
HOWEVER! That isn’t always the case especially when you are on the verge of burnout or in burnout recovery. Sometimes the only priority when creatively blocked, turning off all the screens and devices and taking a day or two off.
go for a walk
see something new
get fresh air
take a nap
see a loved one
And remember: at the end of the day - you are the boss. Your mental health and creative mindset are extremely important and it’s completely ok to cancel everything and take a personal day.
Create a system that encourages balance:
Realistic systems and routines that encourage balance, mental health, recharging and tapping into your creative mindset are the best way to not only get out of a creative block, but avoid them all together.
If you’re feeling stuck in your business a few things to incorporate into your systems and business rituals are:
Find ways to talk about the things you’re passionate about. Remember what you’re passionate about - and feel the joy that comes from that.
Create and evaluate your evidence list. An evidence list is when you write down all of the things you’ve accomplished in your life. I call it your evidence list because it helps prove to yourself you have the ability to do anything.
Try Morning Pages. I know I mentioned this one earlier, but it’s the thing that single handedly saved me from creative block, imposter syndrome, chronic burnout, and feeling lost with my next steps.
Having creative systems in place that help you prioritize yourself and reconnect you with your energy is what will keep you from falling prey to creative block and toxic work environments.
Remember! You are in charge - you get to decide what that looks like.
More Resources
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Reclaim your days with my Work Intuitively Masterclass
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Take Messy Action
Whether you’re determined to do it yourself or prioritize yourself, my blog, templates and services are designed to eliminate the guess work.
Feel confident in your brand so you can focus on what really matters.
Did This Help?
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And As Always – Don’t Give Up, Take A Day Off Instead.
Until next time!
xo Danielle
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Danielle’s TikTok: @her.messy.bun