How to Get Out of a Creative Rut

Ever since January 1st, I feel like I’ve constantly been going in and out of a creative rut and feeling less inspired to create content, and even a little discouraged because of it. In my almost 5 years now of blogging, this feels like one of the longest ruts I’ve experienced and feels like I’ve been struggling to keep up. While my rut may not be completely over, I have found some ways to cope and help get my creative juices flowing, and creating the quality content that I enjoy creating for all of you reading and following along on my social platforms.

Tip #1: Take Social Media Breaks/Spend Time Away from Technology

I spent so much time on social media in 2020 and have almost felt a little bit of social media fatigue so far in 2021, which has sort of led to this little burnout/creative rut I’ve been in off and on. While it is a big part of my job as a blogger, finding that balance between social media for work and social media for entertainment is definitely important. To avoid wasting my time on unnecessary entertainment scrolling, I’ve been really intentional about putting down my phone instead and doing something else like reading and other personal hobbies, etc. and just having my own personal things rather than the constant worry or stress of always having something to post or share online.

I’ve slowly started to take little social media breaks on the weekends here and there, and just by doing that, I’ve been spending my time so much more wisely and finding hobbies that I enjoy doing that don’t involve my phone. The social media part of blogging makes it feel like you always have to be “on”, which I will admit, I am probably missing out on some opportunities by not posting as much on the weekends and being more offline, but when it comes to mental health and creative ruts especially, it’s been incredibly helpful and has really helped me remember my purpose and what kind of content really resembles me and my lifestyle.

Tip #2: Reconnect With Nature (in whichever form that may be for you)

One of my favorite mottos as of late is, “Watch more sunsets than Netflix”. It pretty much sums up my motto for 2021 by making sure I get out in nature more rather than staying in and watching Netflix or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. I love a good sunrise and sunset and is the perfect way for me to reconnect with nature and remember the more important things in life than social media.

If you’re experiencing a creative rut, take some time away from your phone and get out in nature by either hiking, watching the sunset, going on a walk around your neighborhood, etc. I’ve noticed it’s sometimes the times like these when I’m outside and not on any technology that the ideas start to flow right back to me for my content.

Tip #3: Pinterest

Honestly, TGFP (thank god for Pinterest).. may not be an official motto but, hey, why not make it one? Pinterest is always an amazing source of creative inspiration and is something I always refer to when I’m looking for content ideas. The ideas and inspiration are endless! I pin anything and everything from inspiration for photos, outfit ideas, captions for Instagram, uplifting quotes and motivation, etc.

Tip #4: Self-Care

I feel like I’ve been a bit hard on myself during this creative rut for the past month and a half and am almost fighting it. But the best thing you can do when feeling in a bit of a funk is to just let it happen and treat yourself to some self-care, whatever that may look like for you. Buy yourself something nice, up your skincare routine, have a spa day, etc. anything to help boost your mood! Self-care is everything and always so important and so good for your mental health!

Tip #5: Remember Your Purpose + Set Realistic Goals

Remember why you started creating content in the first place, find ways you can up your content to provide more meaningful content for your audience, set realistic goals for your content creation, etc. It can be so easy to get in the mindset of quitting or giving up when going through a rut, but that’s not always the case. I believe that many content creators out there have something valuable to bring to their audiences, and sometimes all it takes is just giving yourself a break than forcing yourself to keep going when it’s inauthentic for you to do so.

Tip #6: Envision/Manifest the Content You Want to Create (and remember quality over quantity!)

Create mood boards and brainstorm the content you want to put out there for others to follow along with, and most importantly, don’t force the wrong content! Quality over quantity is so important when it comes to content creation and I know I’ve made my mistakes with that here and there. My goal for 2021 is to be more intentional about what I post, even if that sometimes means not having enough for every single day of the week.