Creative Block? Challenge your Routine!

For a long time, when I woke up, if I didn't have anything to do I would almost always have an urge to head to a cafe to get work done. I have never really felt motivated at home. I would roll around in bed and go online more than I'd like to and start reading books and getting lost in everything but my work. I would much rather sit in a public place with comfy chairs and good music and just get lost in my world. Perhaps much of that had to do with how I focus much of my writing on the human condition, on the bubble realities that we all live in and the different means of popping those bubbles, at least momentarily, merging those bubbles, and learning about each others bubbles.

I enjoy being out in public because there is a greater chance for surprises and synchronicity. It also helps me to distract myself from distractions. When there are other things to look at, I can't spend too much time daydreaming. A lot of this compulsive desire for cafes also probably has to do with the loneliness I felt as a kid, and my old need to be around others. I feel much more secure now, I enjoy my alone time, but part of that conditioned desire is still alive inside me.

In any case, I can't sit in a cafe endlessly, and sometimes there is no cafe around. Sometimes the chair is uncomfortable or the music bad, the air conditioner too cold or the customers too distracting (kids). This habit also got me drinking coffee or milk tea way more often than I'd like to, and sometimes spending money I don't really need to spend. It also creates a very narrow window of time with which to write. I can usually only work on writing, and not music when in a cafe (although some friends cafes are comfortable for jamming when there are few customers). When I finished at the cafe I usually felt a bit tired and headed home to lay down for a bit. An invitation to go out may have kept me from killing too much time but often I would find distractions until night time when I'd lose all motivation to work and resign to doing more work the next day.

So all in all, under normal conditions, I could get about 2-3 hours of work done a day on my personal projects. That's not all that much, especially considering how I have other responsibilities and work to do sometimes. So I resolved to change my habits and break my routine more often. The idea came from my time travelling. I find that when I'm travelling, I can work 5-6 hours a day, no problem. At first I assumed that it was because I was seeing new places and meeting new people but a huge part of the change was due to the break in routine as I eventually discovered.

Sometimes I do sugar-fasting where I try to cut out almost all sugar besides fruits from my diet. It forces me to stop drinking coffee and milk tea (cause it's the sugar I want to begin with), which sometimes sends me to different locations, parks, community spaces, shopping malls, or I may even push myself to work from home. Sugar can also be a huge distraction for me too. After I eat I usually get back to work and within a half hour I start thinking about sugar. Should I go buy some chocolate? Should I wait? When I cut it out entirely, it ceases to be an issue.

The change in location helps too, it helps me to realize that I can really get work done anywhere and I don't need a cafe to do it. I like to go on leisurely strolls where there are few people and I don't have to pay much attention to where I'm going. I will take 10 minute breaks to enjoy the scenery and get back to work.

Recently I tried fasting for 24 hours. That meant I had no reason to go to a restaurant or cafe. I tried to get work done from home and actually worked for 5 hours without stopping.

I've also tried cutting certain websites out of my life, or make rules like I can only check crypto or my email or social media once or twice a day.

I've tried going to areas of the city I am unfamiliar with. This may take some time that I could be writing, but once I explore a bit, I usually feel much more motivation.

Sometimes I change who I'm talking to. When you talk to the same people every day, you get stuck in your regular mode of thinking. When you change it up, you may find yourself breaking out of the mindset that allows for a creative block.

Trying new things helps so much for creativity. Three days ago I was messing around with MS paint just to see if I could do anything interesting. This opened the floodgates and made me want to get back to the writing, which I'm much better at. Yesterday I spent 20 minutes trying to record some sounds to learn how to use a music app. Afterwards I felt more eager to create. I remember distinctly that when I started swimming, it was like all the stagnant energy started to flow better. Getting out of your comfort zone is perfect for spurring creativity.

Sometimes I just mix up the order I do things and find that I am more focused.

Sometimes I will do cleaning at a time I usually wouldn't or give up cleaning at a time I usually would. Just small changes like that can shock my system and allow me to focus better. Eventually you can find a routine that works perfectly for your creativity. Even then it's nice to experiment from time to time to see if you can tweak it and make it even better.

So if you feel that you don't have the energy to create or you don't know what to create or you are finding lots of little distractions, change something!

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