This question was originally answered in the Q&A Thread in the forums.
Jason how do you get out of a creative funk? I’m working on a project I can’t motivate myself to finish. Always looking for new ways to cope.
Most of the time when I find myself in a creative funk it boils down to me not feeling inspired. There are times where there’s just something I don’t really feel like doing, and so I end up procrastinating.
When it’s that kind of thing I basically try and think about why I don’t wanna do whatever it is, is it boring?, do I just not care?, and then try and motivate myself with a reward. “Ok, I hate doing financial reconciliation, but if I don’t do it taxes next year will suck, so go for a walk/gym first and listen to a nice podcast, calm yourself a little, get a good six pack from the store and just get it done.” If I plan a way to trick my brain into feeling like I’m getting something special it makes it easier to do for me. That ‘reward’ path works mostly on the mundane shit. However, for creative funks/writers block/coding issues/not feeling motivated in general … that’s different.
What I’ve found works for me the best is trying to find inspiration, usually in a different kind of medium than the one I’m currently working in. So, if I’m not feeling right about something on the computer/work, a lot of times what helps me is reading a book about business, or watching something like The Social Network, or listening to my audiobook of Meditations, or something along those lines. I was not feeling very motivated a few months back, read Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, and it kickstarted a really productive time for me. A combination of jealousy and inspiration, a weird combo for sure, seems to do this for me well.
Other times I’ve found finding some kind of new hobby or thing to distract me for a little while works. Be it learning about something new, or getting into something that’s very far outside of my regular routine and trying that for a while or learning about it to kind of “shock” my system and it’s regular state. I’ve gotten deep into trying meditation, yoga, running, cooking, different kinds of cuisine/diets, and all sorts of things over the years to just mix things up enough that I’m outside of my routine/comfort zone but am also trying to do something that I find intellectually stimulating. For whatever reason, that usually really helps. Sometimes those things then end up getting folded into a regular routine as well.
And lastly, and this is one that took me forever to finally try/do … but sometimes, time willing, I need to walk away from something for a while. I need to take a weekend off, or a week or longer away from a project I’m working on if I can tell I’m not invested in it. I find other smaller things to tackle, or look at other bigger projects that maybe I think I can be more focused on finishing and wanting to work on. Getting away from it helps me come back with a clearer head and focus.
And then other times I just end up getting overwhelmed, angry, flooded, and pissed off at myself because nothing works. That usually ends in a cycle of self-doubt and anxiety. In those moments, a long walk, a nap, and a long hot shower in the dark are the only ways I can get out of my head for a little bit.