When You're Stuck In A Creative Rut...

If you've seen my last post you'll know I took a blogging break for a while. This was due to a variety of reasons but amongst them and probably the main reason was my lack of creativity. Or dare I say it...my desire to blog was missing. I know that an aspect of this was that my blog was becoming something I never intended it to be; what was once an outlet for creativity and rambling thoughts turned into something I constantly used as a comparison of success. If you're a creative person, that creativity will always be in you, it's just about feeling inspired and motivated so you can use that creativity to it's highest potential. 

It's okay to take a step back. 

Taking a break has been the most important thing because it reminded me how lucky I am to have this little space and be able to use it on my own terms. I prefer to be honest and say my head just wasn't in it, rather than uploading something of little quality or value. Taking a step back may just improve things in ways you didn't expect. I could tell you about books you could read or podcasts to listen to that might help, but taking a break was the piece of advice I gave myself so it's what I'll give you. Simply put - don't force it, it always comes back.

The creative industry can be a tough place - it's heavily saturated with people all wanting the same thing and vast amounts of people reading or looking at their work. This is the moment you have to remind yourself why you started; your blog is a place where you can express your thoughts and write for yourself - if other people like it, bonus! When I started my blog this was my focus because I wasn't yet part of the larger blogging community. However, after a while I began to sink into the mould that every other blogger is part of. Constantly wishing for that flawless, perfectly themed instagram feed; an ever growing stream of followers; a blog with an impressive amount of views. Let's be honest, it's not always attainable and why do we want it to be?! I've now realised, as cliché as it sounds, that putting your personal stamp on things is the true mark of success and the simplest way to let your own creativity flow. Do what works best for you and what makes you feel most inspired - that's what counts. 

"Creativity is not a competition" - Autumn Sky Hall

Anyone in a creative field can get stuck in a creative rut but when it comes to blogging, why don't you take a step back and ask yourself some questions. First and most important - What do you want to see? If you wouldn't want to read something in particular yourself, don't write about it. It'll be hard for you to strike up the passion to write about something if you have little interest in it and are just doing it for the purpose of your audience. Make your blog a space that you want to come back to and that others will want to come back to. Secondly, what ways can you push or challenge yourself to make your blog better? Whether it's having a complete rethink of post ideas or layout, thinking of ways to further promote your blog or interacting with other like-minded people. Furthermore, what ways can you make your blog different to others already out there? Putting your own spin on things is a natural way  to do this but are there any questions you could answer in a blog post that aren't already out there? Has there ever been something you wanted to know but found it hard to find? Lastly, what excites you and makes you tick? You can go through phases of falling in and out of love with blogging but ultimately the more passionate and inspired you are about a topic, it will really have an impact on what people can get from your blog. 

In A Nutshell... 

• Don't rush it
• Let your personality come through in your work
• Lower your personal standards
• Let comparison go
• Allow yourself to take a break
• Jot down ideas as they come
• Look at other blogs for ideas and inspiration
• Surround yourself with inspiring and like-minded individuals
• Remember that creative ruts are completely normal