Feeling creatively stuck? Not sure how to get through your creative blocks? Well I’ve got GREAT news for ya! I’ve put together my top 10 things that I do to get creatively unstuck to start being creative again!
Listener Question Time!
Before we jump in, I’m going to take a quick second to answer a question from Jen A. who asked:
“I have received a few requests from people outside of my target audience who want to be a part of the show, but I don’t feel like what they are pitching will connect with my audience. What should I do? Any recommendations to let them down gently?”
Here’s what I’d recommend. Go back to your why. What is your purpose? Why are you producing your podcast? And does this pitch fit your purpose?
Annoyingly, 9/10 guest pitches come from people who have hired PR reps that don’t do their research before pitching literally any podcast within a podcast category they can find. So if you have a business podcast, chances are you’re going to get random business people trying to get more exposure by being a guest on any show they can get in with.
Not only this, but these guests typically aren’t in it to share the love. Anecdotally, I primarily hear about these guests showing up and then ghosting, never sharing the episode with their followers, not doing ANYTHING to promote it!
Cynicism aside, if the person pitching doesn’t align with your purpose and is not a good fit for your audience, it is totally ok to just tell them to take a hike in whatever way is most comfortable for you. For me, it’s just ignoring their thoughtless copy/paste emails. If they put effort into the pitch you can politely thank them and let them know that you’re focused on a specific niche, and your guest roster is currently full.
NOW. Onto the 10 things you can do when you get creatively stuck!
I’m going to challenge you to make your creativity your responsibility. That means pushing through and working on your craft no matter WHAT. Well we can all take sick days and time for ourselves, but if you have a goal and want to make it happen, it’s all going to come down to you!
Here are my top 10 favourite things to do help me get creatively unstuck:
- Go outside! Go anywhere you can
- Take an active recovery break – Take in someone else’s art that you wouldn’t normally for a different perspective
- Make lists of things
- Schedule 20 min per day to mechanically do your creative thing
- Find a writing group (yes, even if you don’t like participating in group things)
- Let go of control & perfectionism, just put something out there! Who cares what it is?
- Give yourself a set of rules to stay within.
- Reflect on things you’ve been super successful with creatively before – maybe even over a long period of time!
- Write a story about literally anything, make sure it has a beginning, middle and end. It could be 2 paragraphs long, I don’t care, just practice the art of storytelling to remind yourself of the big picture. You can also look up LOTS of free writing exercises online.
- Journal every day and process your FEELINGGGGSSSS!
Your creativity is your responsibility!
At the end of the day if you’re making your creative passion a career, there is a level of professionalism you need to be bringing to it. Creativity and success need to be made possible by your dedication to your passions and craft. That means working on your creative output on the daily, not just when “the spirit moves you” – even if your creativity is stuck.
The less we work on our craft, the less we’re able to develop it. It’s not about getting things perfect every time, it’s really just about the journey and what you learn the whole way through. And yeah, that’s what they all say – and if you’re like me (totally impatient) this is basically impossible. But, that’s just the nature of creating things, pals! It’s a long game that needs to be nurtured!
What are some things you do when you get creatively stuck? I’d love to hear from you! Send me a DM on Instagram at @the_ultimatecreative!
Links:
- The Ultimate Creative Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tucpodcommunity/
- Impossible Horror Score: https://open.spotify.com/album/7meOnslAPVUxkfimzC9V6e?si=kgg_Q2Z9Sc2-Os9XnV1TjA
- My TikTok – 15 second songs: https://www.tiktok.com/@emily.milling
Learn how my team can help you launch and grow a podcast:
- Learn at your own pace with Podcast Rocket: http://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket
- Join the next 5 day intensive and launch your podcast in a week with Podcast Rocket: LIVE! http://theultimatecreative.com/podcast-rocket-live/
- Already have a podcast? Learn how my team can help you manage your monthly production with our top notch editing and marketing packages: http://theultimatecreative.com/podcasting
