Running a startup is a creative work process and entrepreneurs, as all other people who practice creativity related professions and have strong creative mission, often suffer from creative block. This is probably one of the worst feelings a business owner can experience – the lack of ideas which easily sabotages every startup growth.
Ideas are what make your startup unique and if you feel that you are losing your mojo, it can be frustrating and can cause damage to the company. So, the biggest question is how to deal with creative block and to become once gain the master of our own ideas.
Step away
Even though you have a deadline to finish specific project, it can be better to simply step away for a while. Just go. Move around. Leave the office if necessarily. But there is one little twist here – don’t take the worry with you. You cannot find your creativity back if you take the worry with you. When you step away, you step away with clear mind, ready to relax and leave all the anxiety behind.
Talk about it
Don’t keep it in your head. It will lead you to a constant loop of bad emotions and more creative blockage. Talk about your problem, share with your team, with your co-founder. There are many types of creative block – emotional, personal, motivational block – and once you know what you are dealing with you can handle it better.
Switch your focus and change direction
Start something else and see how it goes. If you still lack creativity even with the new task, then it is time to stop what you are doing and look the whole situation from a different angle.
Start from the other side, think differently and embrace even the craziest ideas. Use brainstorming to collect ideas and don’t ignore even the most unexpected and unusual suggestions.
Don’t ignore what you have done
Sometimes you have come with a great idea which didn’t seem useful at the beginning but once you develop it can actually become one great concept. Don’t rush to delete everything that you have created until this moment. You can use it as a stepping stone for further work.
Don’t question your talent
Just because you are facing a creative block doesn’t mean that you are not good at what you do. Entrepreneurs tend to question themselves every time some problem occurs and this is probably the worst thing you can do. It will not help you overcome the creative block. Accept the block and remember that this is normal thing. Even the biggest professionals face this type of problem. Pick up yourself without risking to have a major creative breakdown.
