Feeling Stuck? Fun (and Slightly Ridiculous) Ways to Beat Creative Block
Let’s be real: creative block is the worst.
You're staring at your gear, your screen, your (delicious) third cup of coffee—and… nothing. No spark. No flow. Just the echo of your own internal monologue saying, “What if I never have a good idea again?”
Been there. Probably last week.
But here’s the thing: creativity doesn’t always respond to discipline or deadlines (unfortunately). Sometimes, the best way to get unstuck is to mess around a little. Break your own rules. Make something just for the fun of it.
Whether you’re behind a camera, a keyboard, or deep in editing limbo, here are some surprisingly fun ways to trick your brain back into creativity—no burnout, breakdowns, or dramatic self-reinvention required.
For Photographers: Play with Your Perspective
→ The “Wrong Lens” Walkabout
Grab the lens you use the least (you know, that one you always forget you own). Go out for one hour and shoot whatever you find. No switching. No deleting. No pressure to be “artsy.” You’ll either hate it or come back with something unexpectedly cool. Win-win.
→ Theme of the Day
Pick a random theme—“circles,” “yellow,” “reflections,” “old shoes”—and make it your photo mission. Silly themes are best. It gets your eyes hunting for something different, and suddenly even the grocery store parking lot looks like a creative goldmine.
→ Pretend It’s 2003
Set your camera to JPEG. Turn off all the fancy stuff. No post-editing allowed. You’re living like it's early-2000s Flickr days. It's oddly freeing—and you might rediscover what made you fall in love with photography in the first place.
For Videographers: Make it Weird (On Purpose)
→ The “Boring Object” Film Challenge
Pick the most mundane thing around you (your stapler, toaster, houseplant). Make a 30-second cinematic short about it. Add dramatic music. Over-the-top voiceover encouraged. Your brain will thank you for this ridiculous assignment.
→ Genre Swap Your Old Footage
Take footage from a previous project and edit it in a totally different tone. Romantic wedding footage? Make it a horror trailer. A travel vlog? Turn it into a moody French indie film. No clients = no rules.
→ Audio Roulette
Pick a random royalty-free music track you’d never normally use (accordion polka? haunting choral chant?). Edit a video to match the vibe. You’ll unlock new ideas—and possibly confuse your entire friend group.
For Writers: Lower the Stakes, Raise the Fun
→ Write the Worst Thing Possible
I mean it. Write the most cliché, cheesy, over-the-top scene you can. Describe a sunset like a soap opera. Write a breakup like a bad action movie. It’s hilarious—and it shuts your inner perfectionist right up.
→ Cross-Genre Your Stuck Project
Can’t finish that blog post? Rewrite it as a noir detective monologue. Can’t nail that character scene? Make it a medieval tavern brawl. You might not keep it, but it’ll jolt your brain into motion.
→ Talk It Out (Literally)
Say your ideas out loud to yourself—or your dog, your plants, your disinterested cat. Explaining it verbally often clears the fog. Bonus: your pet now has opinions about your story arc.
The Secret Sauce? Play.
Creative block often comes from pressure: to produce, to impress, to keep up with… everyone. When you ditch the pressure and let yourself play a little, things start to shift.
The fun part? Most of these little exercises don’t require new gear, more time, or some magical bolt of inspiration. Just a willingness to look ridiculous for a few minutes. (Which, honestly, is a key part of being a creative anyway.)
So next time you’re stuck, try something silly. Break your habits. Laugh at your own terrible ideas. That’s where the good stuff usually starts.
