How to get out of the creative blocks
The creativity of the human being is an inexhaustible source, thousands and thousands of ideas can flow through our minds and always be new and fresh. However, it is our humanity that sometimes limits us whether due to external or internal factors (or both), such as stress, noise, lack of sleep, demotivation among others.
Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
Creative Blocks
It has often happened to me that I have an idea for a script, I sit in front of the computer to give free rein to that thought and everything flows without a problem. But most of the time it doesn't happen this way; sometimes my mind is blank and no matter how hard I try, I can't even develop the beginning of a dialogue.
This can become frustrating and very demotivating, it can even lead you to give up on a story that could be very good; But don't worry, this is more common than you think, it usually happens even to the most expert screenwriters and writers. I´ll share with you some strategies that I apply to clear my mind or get out of those "creative blocks".
Change of activity
If you have been trying to write something for many hours and you definitely can't get anything done, the best thing you can do is put your writing aside for a while and do another activity that gives your mind a break. I have two activities that make my imagination explode, one of them is listening to music, the music stimulates the activity of different brain areas while it stimulates thinking skills and because of this, you release a lot of stress that is possibly the cause of your blocking. The other activity that I do and maybe the most curious because I don't like to do it, is washing the dishes, yes, I mean it, it has a magical power for me because it somehow helps me think. You don't have to do the same as me, you can try taking a walk or driving for a while, the important thing is to do something different.
Choose the best time for you
Rest is a fundamental element for a healthy and functional mind. Sometimes we push ourselves and demand too much for fear of not feeling productive, but trust me, spending a long time without sleep trying to break the deadlock, is the least productive you will do. Learn to listen to your body. In my case, I am the type of person who is working better at night, during this time I am good at writing and everything that requires creativity because there is less noise and fewer distractions. That is why I spend part of my day resting and collecting ideas in my notebook that at night will take shape and then become stories. Do you know what is your perfect moment of the day?
Go to public places
This is one of my favorite strategies to get out of limbo. Before when I was going to start a new project, I planned to take a few days not to leave the house and dedicate completely to writing. This may work when you already have a well-structured story because you just must sit down and define the details. However, when the course of the story is still not very clear, the blockages will come yes or yes, and being at home doesn´t offer you the same alternatives of the tip that I am going to share with you.
Go out to live the daily life of your city; listen to what people are talking about when you are on public transport, read the body language of people walking down the street, go for a walk in the park and observe every detail that the landscape offers you, look for crowded places and become a sponge that absorbs the essence of the daily life of the human being, that is what stories are made of, of experiences. You'll be back home with a free brainstorm ;)
The ideas box
This last suggestion will be an ace under the sleeve when ideas stop flowing, it's very easy to do and it will take you little time; this consists of taking 20 pieces of paper and dividing them into 4 groups of 5 each and carrying out the following steps:
First group: write 5 characters, their name, their age, and what they do for life.
Second group: write 5 different types of personalities, for example, outgoing, dependent, sociopath, among others.
Third group: write 5 different locations, for example, the mountain, a shopping center, a school, etc.
Fifth group: covers 5 different topics, these can be divorce, achieving a goal, infidelity, or the loss of a loved one, or anything else that interests you.
Now put all the papers in a small box and when those moments of little inspiration come, shake the box and take out four papers, you´ll have the beginning of a story. You don´t have to follow these references to the letter, but it will be of big help to you.
That's it... I hope these tips help you find inspiration and good ideas always flow.
--------------------------------------
Eliana Ossa (엘리)
Honorary Reporter at Asia Lab, #WeAreHere, Screenwriter and filmmaker in progress
Instagram: @ely_ossa
How to get out of the creative blocks
The creativity of the human being is an inexhaustible source, thousands and thousands of ideas can flow through our minds and always be new and fresh. However, it is our humanity that sometimes limits us whether due to external or internal factors (or both), such as stress, noise, lack of sleep, demotivation among others.
Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
Creative Blocks
It has often happened to me that I have an idea for a script, I sit in front of the computer to give free rein to that thought and everything flows without a problem. But most of the time it doesn't happen this way; sometimes my mind is blank and no matter how hard I try, I can't even develop the beginning of a dialogue.
This can become frustrating and very demotivating, it can even lead you to give up on a story that could be very good; But don't worry, this is more common than you think, it usually happens even to the most expert screenwriters and writers. I´ll share with you some strategies that I apply to clear my mind or get out of those "creative blocks".
Change of activity
If you have been trying to write something for many hours and you definitely can't get anything done, the best thing you can do is put your writing aside for a while and do another activity that gives your mind a break. I have two activities that make my imagination explode, one of them is listening to music, the music stimulates the activity of different brain areas while it stimulates thinking skills and because of this, you release a lot of stress that is possibly the cause of your blocking. The other activity that I do and maybe the most curious because I don't like to do it, is washing the dishes, yes, I mean it, it has a magical power for me because it somehow helps me think. You don't have to do the same as me, you can try taking a walk or driving for a while, the important thing is to do something different.
Choose the best time for you
Rest is a fundamental element for a healthy and functional mind. Sometimes we push ourselves and demand too much for fear of not feeling productive, but trust me, spending a long time without sleep trying to break the deadlock, is the least productive you will do. Learn to listen to your body. In my case, I am the type of person who is working better at night, during this time I am good at writing and everything that requires creativity because there is less noise and fewer distractions. That is why I spend part of my day resting and collecting ideas in my notebook that at night will take shape and then become stories. Do you know what is your perfect moment of the day?
Go to public places
This is one of my favorite strategies to get out of limbo. Before when I was going to start a new project, I planned to take a few days not to leave the house and dedicate completely to writing. This may work when you already have a well-structured story because you just must sit down and define the details. However, when the course of the story is still not very clear, the blockages will come yes or yes, and being at home doesn´t offer you the same alternatives of the tip that I am going to share with you.
Go out to live the daily life of your city; listen to what people are talking about when you are on public transport, read the body language of people walking down the street, go for a walk in the park and observe every detail that the landscape offers you, look for crowded places and become a sponge that absorbs the essence of the daily life of the human being, that is what stories are made of, of experiences. You'll be back home with a free brainstorm ;)
The ideas box
This last suggestion will be an ace under the sleeve when ideas stop flowing, it's very easy to do and it will take you little time; this consists of taking 20 pieces of paper and dividing them into 4 groups of 5 each and carrying out the following steps:
First group: write 5 characters, their name, their age, and what they do for life.
Second group: write 5 different types of personalities, for example, outgoing, dependent, sociopath, among others.
Third group: write 5 different locations, for example, the mountain, a shopping center, a school, etc.
Fifth group: covers 5 different topics, these can be divorce, achieving a goal, infidelity, or the loss of a loved one, or anything else that interests you.
Now put all the papers in a small box and when those moments of little inspiration come, shake the box and take out four papers, you´ll have the beginning of a story. You don´t have to follow these references to the letter, but it will be of big help to you.
That's it... I hope these tips help you find inspiration and good ideas always flow.
--------------------------------------
Eliana Ossa (엘리)
Honorary Reporter at Asia Lab, #WeAreHere, Screenwriter and filmmaker in progress
Instagram: @ely_ossa