Giving Yourself Challenges To Get Out Of A Creative Rut

Business

Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to create another IGTV video, blog post, podcast episode, newsletter or social media post and the well was empty.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

*raises hand*

>>Oh, buttercup, if you are building a business, it is not a matter of *IF* you will experience of a creative rut, but rather *WHEN* it will happen.<<

I have been there before and I know I will be there again in the future, but I am less afraid of the creative ruts for one main reason:

>>We experience God-given emotions to feel them all at 100%.<<

  • We feel pain so that we fully enjoy the pleasure of joy.
  • We go through anger so that we fully enjoy the pleasure of delight.
  • We experience sadness so that we fully enjoy the pleasure of happiness.

Friend, being in a creative rut is a gift because when you get back in your zone of creating, you will be totally lit up and excited!

It is the universe giving you a gift to say, “Taste this now and don’t forget, because if you continue to show up it will get *really* good.” 

The question is: Will you continue showing up?

Whenever I get into a creative rut, I continue showing up. But I discovered a trick to keep things interesting and show myself how good I really am. The trick is:

>>Get out of a creative rut by giving yourself creative challenges.<<

I can remember one instance a few years ago, when I had written over 2,000 blog posts on photography and truly did not think I had a SINGLE topic to write about that I hadn’t previously covered.

I was shooting a wedding with an African American groom in a black tuxedo, with a fair, blonde hair and blue eyed bride in dressed in a white dress.

*For any non-photographers reading–this is almost an IMPOSSIBLE lighting situation!*

Instead of running for the hills, dying my hair jet black, running away to Paris and from now on going by the name of Amelié, I embraced the challenge.

I figured out how to balance the light and go for an *epic* shot on the coast around noon.

Not because I necessarily HAD to…. But because I *wanted* a creative challenge.

Afterward, not only did my couple have an incredible experience with an amazing photo, but I had MORE content to serve my audience with.

*Problem solved!*

So friend, if you are in a creative rut, this is my advice to you: keep the content the same, but make it harder for yourself.