I am going to confess something to you; as I still write this article on “how to get out of creative block”, my innovative body is still harboring about 10% block since my last episode. Today, I want to share them with you because I feel that they only talk about how wonderful it is to innovate and create things. But part of the “dark side” we must also make visible and normalize.
I am going to speak from my own experience and I put this in bold because each one of us experiences it differently. But the symptoms are usually similar: exhaustion, indisposition, monotony, not satisfied with ideas, among others.
And this is very curious since we think that the solution to this is to get out of that state. Very similar when they tell someone that they are sad and that other person prescribes “there is, but do not be sad; they start giving you compliments on what you are”.
The first step
The first step to get out of a creative block is to recognize and be aware that you are in that state and live it. Because that is part of the life of an innovator, believe it or not, it is one of the best scenarios to create.
What remains after being at zero ideas? Well, let an idea appear; it probably will not be the brightest. However, it is the only thing your brain needs to remind you of the wonderful ability to associate you have. Yes, association of memories, senses, experiences, information that allows you to generate new and better ideas.
The second step
This would be to understand the chemistry of our brain at this time is also important. Because maybe yes, that a personal or work situation is promoting that blockage and is attacking you more on an emotional level. However, it is important to be in understanding of our physical state.
Dopamine and serotonin
We must recognize when the neurotransmitter of creative inspiration -called dopamine or others such as serotonin- is not being produced in the necessary amounts; the brain is always looking for experiences of happiness and reward.
This is how dopamine is generated when we make him feel intelligent, capable, unique. It also seeks to live emotions, feel them and express them and serotonin is activated when you transmit your emotions and become sensitive to those of the other. But for this you must eat well since 90% of serotonin is produced in the intestine and it is as if it were our second brain.
Now that you understand this, as a third step you can look to foods, activities and even supplements to generate these neurotransmitters. And understand that the result of getting out of a creative block is not to create and generate ideas again, but to regain their power and return to being in a state of mental clarity.
Finally, I recommend that you turn off that cell phone and computer and stop looking for inspiration in external things… Find them in the silence with yourself, in being in the present moment and help the brain to recover while you have a quality rest.
