3 Ways to Fix Your Creative Rut
By: Tim Chuon
Tags: Creativity, Creators, Videography, Photography, Design

3 Ways to Fix Your Creative Rut

Creativity often works as an outlet; take that away from us, and it’s mentally deprecating so here are a few ways you can avoid that.

A creative rut is when… you’re out of ideas. You’re no longer motivated to do anything. You have no desire nor will to pursue your hobby, and it doesn’t matter what it is. Board games, photography, knitting, kayaking- whatever it may be, a creative rut is writer’s block: it’s a block for your creativity.

Clearly, you don’t want to be in that state of mind so here are 3 ways that have personally helped me, from a photography perspective, remove myself from that state of mind:

1) Find your foundation again:

What made you start this hobby or profession to begin with? Think about what sparked this creative outlet for you. What about this particular hobby made it interesting? For me and photography/videography, it was always the music. As a photographer, I am glued to visuals. However, as a videographer, you can’t help but picture (pun intended) different edits that sync to beats in a song. Every time I hear a song with a catchy beat, I just instantly start visualizing all of these scenes in my head. It’s been like that since I picked up my dad’s Sony’s camcorder back in the 90s. A song, especially one that you enjoy of course, is a great source of inspiration. With music, it invites different cultures, different styles, different synchronicities that channel your imagination and creative flow. Some photographers even play music on a photoshoot because it sets the mood for the model and the photographer; when they’re in sync, it absolutely shows in the emotions of the photo. Since photography and videography go hand-in-hand for me, they both stimulate creative flow once I hear a song I can visualize edits to. Here is an example of how much fun I had integrating a science theme into a cinematic board game showcase.

The whole reason I started making videos to begin with was to show board games in a way no one has perceived them before. Every time I lose that creative interest, it always helps me to remember why I started this journey to begin with. In turn, understanding the purpose for pursuing your creative pursuits can help you get out of your creative rut.

2) Analyze your limitations:

You’re probably in a creative rut to begin with because something about your hobby isn’t satisfying anymore or maybe you realize that you want to do more but are limited by your tools. Once you feel as though you have maximized how much you can possibly learn with your tool, consider investing in another tool or upgrade. The excitement of learning something new and visualizing the potential ideas that can be crafted with a new tool are great sparks of inspiration.

Sunrise at Moraine Lake, Canada

Initially, I shot with only one camera body and one lens for two years. Yes, photography is much more than the next camera upgrade; however, there are times when you miss opportunities that eventually just aren’t worth it. Imagine flying out to Banff and instead of capturing as much of a view of Moraine Lake as you can… you move 10,000 feet back to get two trees stuck on the sides of the lake because you’re using a crop sensor + 35mm. IT. IS. FRUSTRATING. There was even a time while I was shooting a wedding and missed the wedding party because my DSLR couldn’t keep up with autofocus or shoot in rapid succession: there goes moments you’ll never get back.

If tools are a limitation that are genuinely inhibiting you from creating, think about what will help you further your ideas. Maybe it’s a c-stand that would help you get better overhead angles. Maybe it’s a GoPro so you can just grab a camera and film your surfing adventures during sunrise. Maybe it’s a new calligraphy pen you’ve been wanting for ages. Regardless of the tool, ensure that it breaks your limitations and is necessary for creative growth (although it does help to treat yourself and splurge once in a while too!).

3) Balance your role model:

It always helps to find inspiration in others. If you have someone in your creative field that you look up to, there is certainly one source that can pull you out of your creative rut. You do have to tread carefully here though; know the difference between what will inspire you versus comparing yourself to others.

Seeing your favorite creator make content that teaches you a new perspective, inspires you to maximize your potential, and just makes you happy inside are reasons why they are a great solution to our creative rut. With that solution though comes a double-edged sword. It’s also possible that if you start comparing your work to theirs and if it lowers your confidence in creating, then that would cause us to spiral into a worse state than where we originally started. Be proud of the work you have done. Feel accomplished for everything that you have created because it matters. See your role model more as someone who keeps you learning and constantly progressing; remember, they started out exactly where you were, and that’s not to say you don’t have the capability to accomplish the same-if not more!

As creators, we’re a team. We all inspire each other. We all push forward and as we break our own limits, we start furthering the creative field as a whole. Thinking back to the reasons why we’re pursing a creative field, analyzing what limits us, and finding resonating sparks in other creators are all ways we can avoid succumbing to a creative drought.

NO. MORE. RUTS.