When Creativity Goes AWOL

Creative Burnout is Real. Here’s What I Did About It.

 The ghost that haunts every creative person; the blank-page-phantom.

Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “just take a break,” I did.

I took a nap. A walk. A scroll. (Well, someone’s got to watch those reels!)

I drank tea, cleaned the fridge, washed the clothes… no, not folded, that’s what that corner chair is for.

Truth is, writer’s block isn’t just about not having ideas. Sometimes it’s about having too many. A veritable Whac-a-Mole of half-baked concepts; each fighting for attention until you do what any sane writer does. Let them duke it out while you “accidentally” rewatch Queen Charlotte (DO YOU LOVE ME?).

And then.

Step One: Accept the Funk

I stopped pretending I wasn’t in a slump. I said it out loud. The laptop didn’t hiss or slam shut. If anything, it felt... freeing, like peeling off a pair of jeans you had no business wearing in the Texas heat.

Step Two: Make Terrible Stuff on Purpose

I chased every idea, zany, poetic, or plain bonkers. One involved a sentient to-do list. No, it’s not usable. Yes, it was fun. And yes, I’m probably fine.

Step Three: Lower the Bar Like It's a Limbo Contest

I told myself I only had to write one honest sentence. Just one. Writing is like plumbing. Sometimes you have to let the gunk out before the clean water flows.

Step Four: Create in a Different Way

I reorganized my bookmarks. Yes, that counts. Even doodled a plot twist… shaped like a pretzel.

Step Five: Read

Not something that makes you feel like an imposter. Go back to old favorites. Books that whisper, “Hey, remember why you started?”

Step Six: Start Typing

No expectations. No filter. Just me, the keyboard, and every weird metaphor my brain served up.

And here I am, brushing the cobwebs off my blog with this awkward, slightly neurotic, hopefully relatable offering.

If you’re stuck too, try writing a letter to your creativity router, and tell it to quit buffering.

Creativity can be a stubborn mule. But feed it snacks, coax it gently, and it’ll eventually move. Even if it shows up messy and late, it showed up. And sometimes, that’s enough.

What’s your weirdest trick for breaking writer’s block?

Drop it in the comments or send snacks.

Buffering: Patiently awaiting inspiration amidst the creative chaos.

Let’s journey together, word by word.

© Tolu Akindolire 2025